We love to read

Even before your baby says its first word, he or she is learning about language through:

  • Sounds
  • Vocabulary
  • The combination of sounds
  • The tempo and rhythm of words and phrases

Another fun fact, did you know that by the time your child is six years old, about 95% of his or her brain is formed?

Children, who are read to, told stories, interacted with, and who visit the library may start school better prepared to learn.

Welia Health has partnered with Reach Out & Read® Minnesota, an organization that builds on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers to develop critical early reading skills in children by incorporating books into wellness visits and encouraging families to read aloud together. They are endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and by the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners.

Literacy and well-child visits

When our family medicine providers perform your child’s well-child visit, it involves not only the stethoscope but also the use of a book.

Books can be used as tools to quickly give input to some developmental staging in children but also to encourage parents to read aloud, giving them a simple, practical way of spending time and engaging in conversation with their young children.

These kinds of parent-child interactions during the early years support healthy brain development that forms the base for success later at school and in life.

At Welia Health, during each well-child visit, your child will receive a brand new, age-appropriate book to bring home with them. We know the importance of a well-developed vocabulary and that it is a building block for children to become successful readers.

By the time your child reaches age 5, he or she should have a library of 11 new books from Welia Health.

  • Newborn
  • 2 week well-child visit
  • 2 month well-child visit
  • 4 month well-child visit
  • 6 month well-child visit
  • 12 month well-child visit
  • 15 month well-child visit
  • 18 month well-child visit
  • 2 year well-child visit
  • 3 year well-child visit
  • 4 year well-child visit
  • 5 year well-child visit

Also, each year during I Love To Read Month (February), Welia Health gives away books to kids ten and under, promoting early literacy. Check the Welia Health Calendar to find more details.

What is the importance of reading?

Reading aloud to children has been called the single most important activity for building the knowledge needed for reading success. It helps your child learn:

  • New words
  • About the world
  • Written language
  • The connection between spoken and written words

Because you are your child’s first and most important teacher, the best time to begin reading to your child is when he or she is an infant.

Babies learn about spoken language when they hear family members:

  • Talking
  • Laughing
  • Singing

They also learn about the written language when they hear stories and see family members reading.

The more words a child knows, the greater their ability to learn. The time spent each day reading and talking to your child dramatically impacts their vocabulary, as illustrated in the chart below.

Stanovich, 2000

At Welia Health, we want to do our part to help to increase literacy rates within our communities. For more information, please call our Reach Out and Read Coordinator at 320-225-3586.

Additional resources

Source: Reach Out and Read