Children's

Reach Out and Read in the Olean area is a partnership program of the ROR National Center, Olean Public Library, Pediatric Associates of Olean and Salamanca, and Olean Medical Group. The mission is to make literacy promotion a standard part of pediatric primary care, so that children grow up with books and a love of reading.

ROR trains doctors and nurses to advise parents about the importance of reading to a child and provides a new book at each well visit a child makes to his or her pediatrician from age six months to five years.

The Olean area partnership was begun in 1999 with start-up money from the ROR National Center and the New York State Parent and Child Services Program.

Few activities create a warmer relationship between parents and children than reading aloud. Read to your baby and continue reading together as your child grows. Make it a part of your family life.

• to encourage families to read and share books with even the youngest of family members.
• to provide families with books specifically designed for toddlers and preschoolers.
• to encourage families to make use of the wealth of books, materials and services available at the Olean Public Library and other local libraries.
• to provide parents with an understanding of the importance of reading and being read to in their child's intellectual development and readiness for school.

Read to your children daily

Read to a young baby only a few minutes at a time. As your child gets older reading time can increase.

Talk to your children

Use the language. Answer even endless questions with more than a yes or no.

Recite rhymes and sing songs with your children

Rhymes and songs help develop your child's ear for the language.

Have books and reading material available

Have lots of different kinds of material available to read, all over the house.

Buy your children books

What you value your child will value.

Be a model

If parents read, children read.

Take your children to the library

Its free.

Encourage reading and language related activities

Write letters together. Read directions, recipes, road signs and menus with your children. Listen to audio tapes of books.

Be selective about television and video games

Make reading part of every day

Read at bedtime or on the bus.

Have fun

Children who love books learn to read. Books can be part of special time with your child.

A few minutes is OK

Young children can only sit for a few minutes for a story, but as they grow, they will sit longer.

Talk about the pictures

You do not have to read the book to tell a story.

Let your child turn the pages

Babies need board books and help to turn pages, but your three year-old can do it alone.

Show your child the cover page

Explain what the story is about.

Show your child the words

Run your finger along the words as you read them.

Make the story come alive

Create voices for the story characters and use your body to tell story.

Ask questions about the story

What do think will happen next? What is this?

Let your child ask questions about the story

Use the story as an opportunity to engage in conversation and to talk about familiar activities and objects.

Let your child tell the story

Children as young as three years old can memorize a story and many children love an opportunity to express their creativity.

Honor someone special with a donation to the Reach Out and Read partnership of ROR National Center, the Olean Public Library, Pediatric Associates of Olean and Salamanca, and the Olean Medical Group.

Your gift will be acknowledged with a gift card to the honoree and will provide books to support the ROR program.

Do You Know...

• The single most important factor in a child becoming a successful reader is having been read to regularly by a parent?
• When a child’s pediatrician prescribes reading a parent is 4 to 8 times more likely to read to the child, and that children have 13 well-child visits with their pediatrician by age five?
• The average cost of a ROR book is $3.50?

You can help support the continuation of this project by providing books to be distributed by area pediatricians. Donation Form

Support the Olean Area Reach Out and Read program by purchasing a Reach Out and Read T-shirt. All proceeds support the book-fund for the ROR programs at the Olean Medical Group and Pediatric Associates of Olean and Salamanca. Short sleeve gray T-Shirts, with the Reach Out and Read logo, are available in sizes Child LG, Adult S, Adult M, Adult L, and Adult XL for $13.00 each and Adult 2X and 3X for $15.00 each. Include a $3.50 shipping charge for the first item and $1.00 for each additional item shipped to the same address. Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Order Form