Earl Martin Phalen

"You cannot live this life anymore without the ability to read." - Walter Dean Myers

He grew up in Harlem in the late 1930s, a foster child who taught himself to read by the age of 5 and started writing stories and poems shortly thereafter. Despite dropping out of high...

Since he took office in 1996, Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) has been a tireless advocate for causes that reach far beyond his district and his home state.

Among his top passions is literacy. I am proud that Congressman McGovern is Reach Out and Read's strongest...

With an increasing number of students dropping out of school and budget cuts creating a decrease in educational opportunities and an increase in summer violence and hopelessness among youth, it's imperative to keep our children engaged over the summer.

Studies compiled by the National Summer...

With less than 50% children under 5 being read to daily and 32% of American children entering kindergarten without the ability to recognize letters of the alphabet, early literacy is not just a parental challenge but also a political issue.

Having dedicated my...

It was 1989. Pediatricians and early childhood educators developed Reach Out and Read at Boston Medical Center. The concept was simple: During well-child checkups, doctors would deliver books to children and critical messages about the importance of reading aloud to parents.

Fast forward 23 years.

The concept...

Parental engagement and a commitment to early literacy are two factors that can have a significant impact on the educational success of our children. Having been born into the foster care system (in which 70 percent of my peers ended up in the penal system) and later being...

Last year was not an easy one for our country, our citizens and our world.

Many of us in the nonprofit sector struggled to raise funds and engage donors in this tight economy. We were forced to make tough organizational cuts and prioritize among equally compelling needs.

Some of...

As an educator who's worked with children from birth through high school over my 20-year career, I'm deeply concerned about the recently adopted American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for diagnosing children with ADHD. The new guidelines recommend that pediatricians start evaluating children for ADHD at age 4 and...

Henry Drummond once said, "You will find, as you look back on your life, that the moments that stand out are the moments when you have done things for others."

During this holiday season, as we give to family and friends, we must not forget children who are growing...

Since 2002, Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed has championed Reach Out and Read in the United States Senate, fighting for our funding and lobbying for our cause. Despite the challenges of a tight economy -- and competing priorities -- Reed has never lost sight of the...

While we often read heroic stories of men making major career changes with phenomenal results, we rarely read about the many dynamic women who chart a similar course.

Terra Smith, a graduate of Columbia Law School and a former lawyer at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, has spent...

When Alyssandra Atkins was a month old, her father, Richard, was deployed to Iraq.

In the six months since, her mother, Staff Sergeant Janet Atkins, 24, has been using reading and books keep the family bonds - and routines - strong.

With two out of three children in America not reading at grade level (see Annie E. Casey Foundation report), it's always insightful to talk to leaders within the education reform movement.

Dr. Marco Clark is an author and veteran urban educator. Superintendent of Springfield Illinois Public Schools,...

The back-to-school bustle is on.

Parents, teachers, and children alike are preparing for a new school year, a new chance to learn. Hope and promise are in the air. And with the fresh start comes encouraging news about reading aloud in the United States.

According to 2009...

We are in an academic crisis in our nation. Fewer minorities are graduating on time and many are starting school significantly behind their peers. Studies have found that only 30% of African American children enter kindergarten with basic language skills (i.e. recognizing letters of the alphabet).

One...

In April, Katie Swec was named the Medical Director of Reach Out and Read Los Angeles. In this role, the 35-year-old pediatrician helps coordinate organizational plans, outreach goals, and provider training for her city's arm of the national school readiness organization.

Swec -- also an Assistant Professor of...

With business schools increasing their focus on corporate responsibility and partnerships, Forbes.com dedicating a news section to corporate ethics and social responsibility (see reports from Aman Singh), and more companies partnering with nonprofits to invest in sustainability and education initiatives -- it's always fascinating to examine...

The brain is like a muscle.

When it's used, it develops and grows.

When it's not, it regresses and atrophies.

Every June -- as the school bell rings for the final time in several months -- millions of American children are at a fork in the road that...

As the school year ends and summer approaches, children across America will be home alone.

In many areas, community situations do not allow children to run and play in the local park. Economic restraints prevent children from receiving daily nutritious meals. Working conditions require older siblings --...

In April, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden launched Joining Forces, a national initiative to mobilize all sectors of society around providing opportunities to military families.

It was an important move to support America's service members -- and their children.

We were thrilled that