New Program Expands Early Literacy Support in Pennsylvania

The new state affiliate helps pediatric offices provide free books and reading guidance to children up to age five.

Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Children’s Health

Gouache-painted illustration of an open, blank children's book resting on a clean clinical exam table. — Reach Out and Read Pennsylvania has launched a new affiliate to provide books and literacy support at pediatric offices across the state. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you believe medical providers should incorporate early literacy programs into routine pediatric care?

Reach Out and Read Pennsylvania launched a new state affiliate this past summer to expand early literacy support to resource-constrained pediatric offices. The program, which provides free books during routine checkups, aims to reach more families across the state as it enters its 25th year.

Why it matters

By providing books and literacy guidance during pediatric visits, the initiative seeks to narrow early education gaps that contribute to low grade-level reading proficiency. The new state affiliate specifically helps smaller medical practices secure the funding necessary to offer these resources to their patients.

Program records indicate the initiative has supported over 400,000 families across 25 years of operation. While recent figures show only 17% of Philadelphia fourth graders read at grade level, the specific impact of expanded access on future statewide literacy rates remains to be measured.

The players

St. Christopher's Hospital for Children

A major medical center in Philadelphia that provides pediatric care to 50,000 patients annually and funds $165,000 in books.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

A prominent pediatric clinical institution that participates in the early literacy program.

Reach Out and Read

A national organization that promotes early literacy by integrating book distribution and reading guidance into pediatric checkups.

The details

The organization integrates early literacy guidance directly into primary pediatric care, encouraging clinicians to discuss the importance of reading with parents during well-child checkups. Participating medical sites provide age-appropriate books to children up to age 5 at these visits. The new state affiliate facilitates this by centralizing fundraising and donor connections, allowing smaller practices in areas like Wilkes-Barre to overcome financial barriers to entry.

• The Reach Out and Read Pennsylvania state affiliate launched in Summer 2026.
• The 13th Annual Reach Out and Read Charity Basketball Tournament is scheduled for October 24, 2026.

Health Landscape

The launch marks a structural evolution of the Reach Out and Read early literacy program, transitioning from localized hospital-based efforts to a coordinated statewide funding network. This shift aims to standardize resource access across the state, moving beyond the historical reliance on large academic medical centers.

If you have a child under age 5, ask your pediatrician if they participate in a book-distribution literacy program during routine checkups. Early reading guidance is a standard component of preventive pediatric care worth discussing with your doctor to support your child’s developmental milestones.

The takeaway

Early literacy is a critical component of healthy child development that starts long before school begins. Parents can ask their pediatric provider about literacy resources or local programs that help bridge the gap in school readiness.