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December 16, 2024
NORTHEAST WISCONSIN – Regional healthcare system, ThedaCare, is helping families in Northeast Wisconsin turn the page on early childhood development with its Reach Out and Read program – recently announcing the distribution of more than 23,000 books in 2023.
“According to research, we know that 90% of a toddler’s brain development occurs between birth and age five, so it’s a critical stage of development,” Tracey Ratzburg, community health coordinator for ThedaCare, said.
Ratzburg said the initial goal of the Reach Out and Read program is to get parents reading to their children, but that “it’s far more than a reading program.”
“It also helps build a social connection and trusting relationship between parents and the child,” she said.
Nurse Practitioner Kristin Lundine has been with ThedaCare since 2016 and said she was drawn to pediatrics because of the resilience and development of kids in early childhood.
“Kiddos are so resilient and tough in the sense that they can be going through quite a bit and really persevere,” she said. “It’s really amazing to see, and I like just being a part of growth and development.”
A key player in that early-childhood growth and development, Lundine said, is parents taking the time to read with their children – regardless of their ability to comprehend the text.
“Being able to teach not only the patients but the parents is one of my favorite things,” she said. “I think just by having the Reach Out and Read program, we’ve been able to let parents know that, ‘Hey, even reading at birth does something for your child’s early development.’”
Lundine said the first three to five years of a child’s development are “huge,” so reading to children from as early as birth to five years old has a crucial impact – even though parents may not realize it.
“Whether you recognize it or not, it’s kind of the most crucial time period for cognitive and emotional and social development,” she said.
More on Reach Out and Read
The Reach Out and Read program is not specific to ThedaCare, or even Wisconsin, as the organization – according to its website, reachoutandread.org – has partner providers across the country educating parents on “the importance of reading at routine pediatric checkups.”
In Northeast Wisconsin, Public and Media Relations Consultant Cassandra Wallace said various ThedaCare clinics started participating in the program in 2013 – handing out books to parents and children during routine well-check appointments.
Over the next five years, Wallace said the program expanded until every pediatric and family care provider was participating in early literacy education with their patients.
Lundine said at the ThedaCare Physicians and Pediatrics Clinic she works at in Appleton, there’s a full library curated to ensure a selection of books for all stages of children’s early development.
“Our library is toward the back of our clinic, and it has very well-labeled shelves that have the books divided out into age ranges,” she said. “Generally speaking, our medical assistants will grab the books for the patient – based on their age – and place them outside of the rooms before we go in… then I deliver the book.”
A unique aspect of ThedaCare’s participation in the Reach Out and Read program, Lundine said, is that the health system fully funds the libraries used to supply families with age appropriate books in its clinics across the region.
“We are really fortunate that they have continued to fund the program,” she said.
Social, emotional impact
Lundine said there is also an emotional aspect connected to caregivers reading to their children.
“The younger kiddos develop a sense of security with their parent or grandparent or caregiver,” she said. “That time is set aside for just them (to read) together – that connection is really special.”
Lundine said parents and their young children will typically come in for roughly 13 visits between their initial newborn wellness check and their five-year-old wellness check.
At each of those visits, the family receives a book.
“It’s one of my favorite things to do (during) the well-child exam,” she said. “Everyone leaves with a smile – the parents, the patient and the sibling(s). We usually have sibling books as well, which is kind of cool that everyone gets a book.”
Recently, Lundine said ThedaCare expanded the Reach Out and Read program to begin handing out books to patients at an even younger age.
“Up until last year, we were only providing books from 12 months and up,” she said, “but over the last year… the Reach Out and Read program has expanded it to be (from) birth to five (years old), which is kind of awesome.”
Lundine said according to a graphic given to ThedaCare by the larger Reach Out and Read organization, books can serve as mirrors (where children can see and relate to reflections of themselves) and windows (for exploring other worlds, cultures and people).
“I think the goal is to continue to promote reading,” she said. “Promote the importance of a child’s cognitive, social (and) emotional development at a young age.”
Since 2013, ThedaCare health officials say its pediatricians and family practitioners have handed out nearly 140,000 books.
To learn more, visit thedacare.org.
