As a healthcare provider, you play a key role in the raising readers program. Doctors and healthcare providers are trusted sources of information and advice by parents. Giving a book to a child at a well child visit will not only put the child at ease, but will provide a better atmosphere for the three way interaction between yourself, the child and the parent. It also gives you a chance to stress the importance of reading aloud, the effect it has on brain development and give suggestions to parents about how to use the book with their child.

Children need to acquire pre-reading skills to learn to read. These skills are part of emergent literacy - defined as what a child needs to know before he or she can learn to read. Read more about "pre-reading" skills."

Download a Parent Handout on pre-reading skills

Download the "Emergent Literacy - Developmental Assessment Tool"

Reading Tips Sheets in English and Other Languages

• English
• Somali
• Spanish
• Vietnamese
• Chinese

NEW for Healthcare Providers: Making the Most of Books in Well Child Care
Helpful tips for engaging children, families and your staff in promoting literacy in your practice or hospital!

Using raising readers Books in Childcare Settings: 2010 Maine Early Literacy Calendar

The Maine Early Literacy Calendar is a collaboration with Maine Roads to Quality (MRTQ), featuring the books that raising readers will give to Maine children at birth and well child visits throughout the year. MRTQ staff developed information for each title that can support child care providers and parents, in effectively using each book with their children. Each book used in the program is selected to be age- and developmentally-appropriate for children at specific ages.

Well child visits are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics at following ages:

Please read about the milestones of development and early literacy skill development that you will observe during well child visits with your young patients:

For parents who request more information about what to expect at specific well child visits you can direct them to the Your Child's Check-up Sheets on the
Kids Health website.