How Can Health Care Providers Support Children’s Literacy Development

By Sandie Lamanna, Chair of the Lackawanna County Literacy Advisory Committee

Learn more about local programs

In November of 2022, the board of the Lackawanna County Commissioners established a literacy committee to promote literacy, education and access to learning materials, books, periodicals and other educational materials for children and adults in Lackawanna County. According to the U.S. Department of Education, 54% of U.S. adults 16-74 years old - about 130 million people - lack proficiency in literacy, reading below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level. This is based on information gleaned from the US Department of Education and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessment in reading comprehension.

The assessment is given every two years to students at grades 4 and 8, and approximately every four years at grade 12. The assessment measures reading comprehension by asking students to read selected grade-appropriate materials and answer questions based on what they have read. The results present a broad view of students’ reading knowledge, skills, and performance over time. The most recent reading assessment was given in 2024 to representative samples of fourth- and eighth- grade students in the nation, states, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools, and 26 participating large urban districts. The 2024 reading assessment included literary and informational texts to assess

students' reading comprehension skills.

Students also answered survey questions about their opportunities to learn and their engagement with reading in and outside of school. The overall literacy rates provided by the NAEP indicate that in 2024, the average reading score for the nation at grade 4 was 2 points lower compared to 2022, and 5 points lower compared to 2019. An analysis of the reading scores indicates that many of our students are not acquiring the foundational literacy skills

necessary for academic success in all subject areas.

The cognitive, linguistic, academic, emotional, social, and physical health consequences of reading disabilities significantly diminish a person’s opportunities in school, work and life. It is notable that the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) characterized reading difficulty as a major public health program that deserved high priority on the national research agenda (Sweet, 2004). In order to address the reading crisis in our county, the Lackawanna County Literacy Committee has developed a number of initiatives aimed at eradicating illiteracy in our community.

One of those initiatives is encouraging local physicians to adopt the Reach Out and Read (ROR) program. Reach Out and Read is a national nonprofit that reinforces the positive effects of shared reading and engaging in other language-rich activities with young children. Research studies indicate that reading with a parent or caregiver promotes healthy brain

development, furthers language acquisition, and helps families build meaningful bonds. The ROR network of pediatric teams provides families at routine check-ups with the knowledge and tools they need to make reading a part of their daily routine. By integrating reading aloud into pediatric care, Reach Out and Read programs reach 4.6 million children across the country — nearly 70 percent of whom come from low-income families. A recent policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics reinforces the importance of shared reading as a critical component of young children’s healthy cognitive, social, and emotional development, starting at birth. It also recommends Reach Out and Read as a universal primary prevention strategy to support the safe, stable, and nurturing relationships young children need to thrive. Additionally, Reach Out and Read’s effectiveness is consistently supported by independent, peer-reviewed research.

Studies show that the model has a significant effect on parental behavior and attitudes toward reading aloud and that children who participate in Reach Out and Read’s program demonstrate higher language scores. Additionally, research studies in the past 25 years illustrate the importance of early language stimulation and its relationship to later literacy growth. Equally important is the fact that children’s books are a source of a rich and robust vocabulary. The Reach Out and Read program reinforces both language stimulation and shared reading through the dissemination of both books and information relevant to pre-literacy development. Although there are two Reach Out and Read sites in Lackawanna County (Primary Health Care Center and the Wright Center), it is the intention of the county literacy committee to introduce this program to other physicians and to encourage them to

adopt the program as part of their current practice. The committee also wants to reinforce the idea that the devastating educational and social consequences of reading failure can be prevented or reduced through programs like Reach Out and Read. There is a strong correlation between language proficiency and reading, writing, and spelling achievement. There is also a plethora of research that indicates students with weak language acquisition are at risk for becoming unskilled readers and writers. With its strong emphasis on oral language development during the early years, the Reach Out and Read program has proven

that physicians play a vital role in the literacy development of children in our local community.

Anyone interested in learning more about the ROR program or information about

filing an application, can contact the following members of the literacy committee:

Sandie Lamanna at 570-313-9061, Patty Hein at 570-881-2253, or Colleen Judge

at 570-903-6606.