Giving Young Children a Smart Beginning in Life

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Photo: Dr. Anastasia Williams, a pediatrician with Olde Towne Pediatrics participates in the Reach Out and Read program to encourage early literacy and school readiness by reading aloud to children during well-child checkups. Here, she shares her love of reading with preschooler Gavin Boggs. Olde Towne Pediatrics partners with Smart Beginnings Greater Prince William on early childhood development efforts.

As part of its mission to advance quality early learning initiatives for the region’s young children, Smart Beginnings Greater Prince William (SBGPW) partners with business leaders, health professionals, schools, childcare providers and other community stakeholders to help young children start school healthy and ready to learn. Early literacy is a key component of school readiness and several programs are currently underway in the region, including Books 4 Babies and Reach Out and Read.

Books 4 Babies, a program of SBGPW, provides many families with their baby’s first book as a way to encourage parents to read to their young children from Day One. Over 1,900 books and other educational materials, such as a bookmark about a baby’s brain development and a wheel describing developmental milestones from birth to age five, have been distributed to newborns at Novant Health Prince William Medical Center since October 2013. The Books 4 Babies program has been expanded in 2015 to include expectant mothers participating in Centering Pregnancy groups at the Greater Prince William Community Health Center.

Reach Out and Read is a program for medical providers to promote early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms. Pediatricians read a book to young children during a well-child checkup, integrating children’s books and advice to parents about fostering a love of books and reading from an early age. “Each child, until the age of five, receives an age-appropriate book at every well-child visit,” said Dr. Anastasia Williams of Olde Towne Pediatrics, which has offices in Manassas and Gainesville. “We encourage parents to talk to their children and also to read, sing and rhyme to them everyday. This will significantly increase the child’s vocabulary and promote healthy brain development, among many other benefits.”

Smart Beginnings Greater Prince William is also participating in a campaign currently running between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day (May 20-June 21) called Smart Beginnings Start with Families: Healthy Children are Ready to Learn. The campaign, which is sponsored by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation and the American Academy of Pediatrics-Virginia Chapter, focuses on the importance of building a strong foundation for good health in the early years, so that young children will start kindergarten healthy and ready to learn. Parents can download free resources and tip sheets at www.smartbeginnings.org. “Business leaders, educators, health professionals and other community stakeholders are working together to ensure a healthy start for Virginia’s young children, giving them the best opportunity for school, life and workforce success,” said Kendra Kielbasa, Director of Smart Beginnings Greater Prince William. For more information about local early learning initiatives, visit www.smartbeginningsgpw.org.