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From the national organization Reach Out and Read comes a brand new podcast centered around the belief that children’s books build better brains, better family relationships, and happier, healthy children and societies. Join us as host Dr Dipesh Navsaria, a pediatrician with a children’s librarianship degree, dives into a wealth of varied early childhood health and literacy topics with expert guests examining the many facets of supporting the parent-child relationship as key to early success.
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How hard could it be to translate a children’s book — they are mostly pictures and so few words, after all? It's not so simple, it turns out. Daniel Hahn, a writer, editor, and literary translator who has translated hundreds of adult and children’s books alike joins us to break down the artistry and nuance that goes into successfully translating ch…
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“The Science Sessions” is a new feature from the Reach Out and Read Podcast that examines and explains up-to-date, groundbreaking research on early relational health, early literacy, and more. In this inaugural episode, Dr. Marny Dunlap and Callee Boulware, two authors of a recently published transformative new study, join us to discuss what they f…
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Everything in a fairy tale has already been lost. The fairy tale is where we go to find it again.” Sabrina Orah Mark, author of the new book “Happily” and an award-winning writer and columnist for The Paris Review, joins us to talk about how fairy tales shape - and reflect - our reality in childhood, and beyond.…
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Illustrated children’s books capture the imagination of children and adults alike like no other art form. Leonard Marcus, one of the world’s preeminent authorities on children’s books and their creators, joins us to talk about “the special nature of the illustrated children’s book as a cultural enterprise that is at once rewarding art form, a bridg…
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Nearly everyone can learn to read — if they’re taught correctly. It turns out that one of the primary approaches to teaching reading in schools was proven wrong decades ago. Emily Hanford, the host and investigative journalist behind the explosive “Sold A Story” podcast series, joins us to explain how educators came to believe in something that isn…
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Jerry Pinkney is one of the most celebrated children’s book illustrators of all time. Having illustrated more than 100 books, Jerry won numerous awards including multiple Caldecott medals and Corretta Scott King Illustrator Awards and Honors before his passing. Gloria Pinkney, Jerry’s wife, creative partner, and best friend for more than 60 years, …
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"Politics, greed, and mismanagement have made this profession incompatible with physical and mental health." Who are we talking about? It’s teachers, and we talk to Alexandra Robbins’, author of the new book “The Teachers: A Year Inside America’s Most Vulnerable, Important Profession.” It’s a great look at the reality of America’s teachers: what’s …
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New parents are often encouraged to ask for help. But the source of that help, and how we provide it — whether it’s physical or emotional - has changed drastically over the years. Instead of turning to close friends and family, many modern mothers turn to social media – sometimes with unexpectedly harsh results. Jessica Clements and Kari Nixon, co-…
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“Just be yourself” is often easier said than done. It requires time, contemplation, awareness, and often, bravery. And it’s really difficult to write a children’s book that doesn’t come off as simplistic advice, but is carefully crafted and delivers the message well. Author Monica Wesolowska joins us to talk about her new children’s books that expl…
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“Clinical burnout” is the phrase often used to describe the number of health care practitioners who feel a loss of joy in their work, a sense of despair, and a feeling of disengagement. But is this an individual problem…or a larger systems problem? Dr. Wendy Dean, CEO and co-founder of The Moral Injury of Healthcare, joins us to talk about how thos…
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Reach Out and Read
The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University has been a leading voice in the field of early childhood development, especially around the role of relationships. Their new work, termed “ECD 2.0", focuses on connecting the brain to the rest of the body in a broader ecological context. Dr. Lindsey Burghardt, Chief Science Officer at the Cen…
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We spend a lot of time trying to change other people’s minds on all sorts of subjects. Does it work — but just a little, or maybe not at all? How we attempt to shape the opinions of others matters, and as it turns out, there’s a science behind how to do it well. Moira O’Neil, Senior Vice President of Research Interpretation at the FrameWorks Instit…
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Parents often worry about how to raise their children to be “good people.” But there’s an assumption that once you’re an adult, you’re done “growing”, and no longer need to progress on that journey to being a better version of yourself. Brad Montague, author of “Becoming Better Grownups”, says we can counter that notion in a unique way… in a world …
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One in five of us have learning and attention issues, including specific learning disabilities like dyslexia and ADHD. Increasingly, children’s and YA books are not only including but embracing neurodiverse characters, and the conversation is expanding to include – and normalize – many facets of the broad variety of how we engage with the world. Me…
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As we know, strong relationships are key to success in personal and professional endeavors. Our next guests combine both: Grace Lin, an award-winning author, and Alvina Ling, Editor-in-Chief at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, join us to talk about their professional success, how as Asian-American women they navigate an industry that still st…
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Trauma in children is shockingly common — almost half of all children have experienced at least one significant traumatic experience. Yet trauma-engendered behaviors are often met with ‘What’s wrong with you?’, when, as our guest Dr Bruce Perry relates, the question should be ‘What happened to you?’ His co-authored book with Oprah Winfrey helps us …
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We turned our ‘author spotlight’ on an up-and-coming, engaging, and extremely talented young voice. Liz Montague is a cartoonist, writer, and illustrator who weaves social justice, and personal and political awareness into smart, thoughtful, and deeply resonating cartoons. She also happens to be one of the first Black female cartoonists to be publi…
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Books are magic. The way they smell, the feel of their pages, illustrations on their covers, weight in your hands - all these elements convey meaning in excess of their verbal content. Our guest, Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespeare Studies at Oxford University, and author of Portable Magic: A History of Books and Their Readers, joins us to talk ab…
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What is “play”, and how hard is it to understand what it really is? Turns out it’s more of a challenge to grasp than you’d think, and not everyone understands that play is not merely amusement for children. Dr Susan Linn, psychologist and world-renowned expert on creative play, joins us to talk about the role of play in a child’s development — and …
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Native American education is one of our country’s culturally richest areas, but it comes at the expense of a very dark past. We take a closer look at the abuse Native American children experienced at government-run schools in the US in the 19th and 20th centuries, the intergenerational trauma that followed, and how Native American educators address…
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We’ve turned the spotlight on many gifted authors, but our next guest is the first to win a children’s book award and a Super Bowl ring. Malcolm Mitchell, American football professional, children’s author, youth literacy advocate, and CEO of the Share the Magic Foundation, joins us to talk about his journey to literacy, and how he overcame professi…
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Stuttering affects approximately 5% of U.S. children—it’s very common! Jordan Scott, poet and author of “I Talk Like a River”, and Brooke Edwards, Director of Speech for SAY: The Stuttering Association for the Young, join us to talk about how stuttering affects children, and how all of us — caregivers, professionals, and beyond — can make their int…
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Thanks to advances in brain imaging, we can measure reading’s structural and functional benefits. Dr. John Hutton, a pediatrician and assistant professor in the Division of General and Community Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center, joins us to talk about what we can learn from neuroimaging about how children’s activities can affect t…
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After three years, the annual Reach Out and Read Leadership Conference was finally back in person. More than 150 leaders gathered in Madison, Wisconsin over three days to share their vision, values, and voice - all in the name of ROR’s mission. Listen to their conference takeaways, what inspires their work, and what drives our community forward.…
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Why would someone write a research paper involving puppets? Well, puppets can not only be a tool for helping children feel more comfortable in medical settings, but more recently have been used to support relational health. Dr. Gretchen Domek, Associate Professor and the Frankenburg Research Professor in Developmental Pediatrics at the University o…
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Children are uniquely vulnerable to climate change: rising temperatures and poor air quality increase asthma attacks and allergies, and natural disasters can lead to physical displacement, food insecurity, and an increase in mental health concerns. Dr. Jerry Paulson, Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics and of Environmental & Occupational Health at the…
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There’s a lot of conversation around health equity, and rightly so: research suggests that many disparities in overall health and well-being are rooted in early childhood. But how can one meaningfully address that in our healthcare system? Dr. Darrell M. Gray, the inaugural chief health equity officer for Elevance Health, joins us to talk about how…
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The world of literacy has a dizzying array of systems that go well beyond schools and home — including legislatures, philanthropies, and other NGO’s — but they aren’t always collaborating well. Munro Richardson, Executive Director at Read Charlotte in North Carolina, reimagined the way these systems could work, creatively connected groups that hadn…
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Parenting is often tough. While our society has better normalized talking about the highs, lows, and the in-betweens of raising children, there’s still a lot that’s hard to say publicly. Keith Gessen, author of the new book Raising Raffi, takes on these challenges, asks the many unvoiced questions, and does so as someone not heard as frequently in …
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As in other times, women in the late 1910s-20s from all over the U.S. looked for parenting advice. Who did they ask? The federal government, believe it or not. They flooded the Children’s Bureau, a division of the Department of Labor, with letters about their worries and concerns around raising children. Molly Ladd-Taylor, author of “Raising a Baby…
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What can a piece of clothing tell us about how a child lived? How can parent interactions be revealed through a pair of gloves? What might a baby’s quilt tell us about family dynamics? Dr. Sarah Anne Carter, Executive Director of the Center for Design and Material Culture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Human Ecology takes us on …
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Using the talents of both writing and illustrating to offer messages encapsulated within compelling stories through children’s books is difficult. Yet, Shabazz Larkin is an artist, author, illustrator, and activist who manages to do just that. He joins us today to talk about his craft, and the unique way he has been able to weave healthy messages s…
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Is a museum with words and not objects still a museum? Yes! Planet Word, a unique museum in Washington DC, houses immersive experiences dedicated to the celebration of words and language. Ann Friedman, Founder and CEO of Planet Word, joins us to talk about Planet Word’s overall mission and atypical design - both of which are deeply grounded in lang…
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The human brain doesn’t come wired to read. Remarkably, recognizing, decoding, and comprehending a single word takes many different repurposed brain circuits working together. Dr Maryanne Wolf, Dir. of the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at UCLA breaks down the science of the reading brain — from the neuroscientific import…
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Feeding and being fed isn’t merely a nutritional transaction — it’s also an emotional and relational act inexorably linked to the act of caring. Dr. Natalie Muth, a pediatrician and founder and director of the Children’s Primary Care Medical Group W.E.L.L. clinic, joins us to talk about how we can navigate the challenges of eating with children, an…
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Young children are born with a natural sense of wonder: an instinctual and powerful drive to explore and learn about their world. Dr. Frank Keil, professor of Psychology at Yale University and author of the new book “Wonder: Childhood and the Lifelong Love of Science”, joins us to talk about young children and how to recognize and encourage wonder …
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Child poverty is a problem that’s much closer to home than many of us realize, with over a third of US children living in poverty at some point in their childhood. Dr. Benard Dreyer, Director of Pediatrics at Bellevue Hospital and one of the strongest voices in pediatrics on this issue, joins us to talk about the long and short term effects of chil…
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How can we support children? By supporting their parents - particularly during the most critical years of their children’s development. Dr. Dana Suskind, author of the new book “Parent Nation”, joins us to explain how through a combination of interdisciplinary science and large-scale advocacy we can build a society where parents - and as a result t…
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The ‘metaverse’ is the latest tech buzzword. But what in the world is it? Josh Golin, Executive Director at Fairplay, joins us to take a closer look at what it is, what it means for kids, and how parents can identify and navigate online design that targets kids.
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Adoption is a very common route to becoming a parent; yet, many don’t know how to talk about it, and know little about adoption. And even those strongly considering adoption have many questions and worries. Today we’re talking with leading adoption medical specialist Dr. Elaine Schulte about what non-adoptive and adoptive parents should know about …
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If you’re a refugee, you’re disproportionately likely to be a child — and coping with many challenges that you’re developmentally unprepared to handle. Dr. Sherri Alderman and Ana Maria Dudley join us to discuss the consequences of war and displacement on children, and how we can help immediately improve - and ultimately sustain - refugee children’…
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We take a closer look at early math picture books themselves in Part 2 of our series on the topic. Robie Harris, author of Crash! Boom!, and Hilary Van Dusen, senior editor at Candlewick Press, explore with us the writing, design, and craft behind these books, and how early math principles lead into compelling stories for young children.…
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We know that reading aloud promotes everything from language enrichment to emotional intelligence, but did you know that it also helps with learning math? Marlene Kliman, Sr. Scientist at TERC, and Kim Brenneman, Program Officer for the Heising-Simons Foundation, join us to talk about the foundational principles of early math, how that comes throug…
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Breaking News: We’re pleased to introduce Reach Out and Read’s new Chief Executive Officer, Marty Martinez! He joins today’s podcast to share the personal and professional journey that led him to us, and what he’s looking forward to in his new position.
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When faced with divorce or separation, a couple that had trouble agreeing when they were together now need to agree on parenting when apart. Dr. David Hill, co-author of “Co-parenting Through Separation and Divorce: Putting Your Children First” joins us to talk about how to help parents get to a positive space for both themselves and their children…
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We talk about the emotional and physical architecture of NICU reading programs and their effect on babies, their families, and the medical staff who implement them, in Part 2 of our “Reading in the NICU” series. Dr. Viral Jain explains how these programs give parents a way to reclaim some element of their role, and how providers can offer practical…
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Parents love seeing their children experience feelings of joy, happiness, and success. Conversely, they often feel a desire to protect their children against feeling sadness, anxiety or a sense of loss. But is that best? And is it even possible? Newbery award-winning author Erin Entrada Kelly and Behavioral Pediatrician Dr. Nerissa Bauer join us to…
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Science tells us early learning is critically important, yet somehow it’s both remarkably expensive and those doing it are massively underpaid. There’s a huge divide in how we think about education before age 5 and after, and that needs to change. Rachel Giannini, childhood specialist and “a preschool teacher’s preschool teacher”, joins us to talk …
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Paper! It’s everywhere and yet it’s not usually at the forefront of our thoughts. Despite this being a podcast about reading, we haven’t really talked about paper itself, or even how it shaped the format of books. Author and historian Mark Kurlanksy joins us to talk about the history of paper—and how technology and the transformation of information…
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Book banning is often done with the intention of “protecting children”. But who decides what is or isn’t okay? And are we doing children and their families a disservice when we do? We are joined by Pat Scales, expert on censorship and a retired librarian, and Alex Gino, award-winning author of several banned books to discuss why books are challenge…
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