By Dave Cucchiara

Communications & Program Associate

Parents reading aloud to children is more than a treasured tradition or childhood ritual. It’s a critical tool for early brain development, building language skills, and developing emotional connection. Recent studies in neuroscience confirm what parents, pediatricians, and educators have long known: a parent’s voice, paired with the rhythm and vocabulary of a book, activates and strengthens the parts of a child’s brain responsible for imagination, attention, and empathy. These benefits begin in infancy and lay the foundation for lifelong learning and curiosity.

Yet, even as science affirms the power of reading aloud, a troubling trend is emerging. Children are reading for pleasure less than ever before. According to a 2024 report by the National Literacy Trust, just 28% of children say they enjoy reading, the lowest level recorded since the group began tracking in 2005. The F. M. Kirby Foundation sees this decline as a call to action. In partnership with organizations that champion early literacy and a love of books, we hope to help turn the tide — one story, one voice, and one child at a time.  

One such partner is Book Harvest, a Durham, N.C.–based nonprofit working to ensure that every child has access to an abundance of books beginning at birth. Founded in 2011, Book Harvest provides children and families with free, culturally inclusive books and literacy support through programs like Book Babies, which delivers age-appropriate books and parent coaching to families starting in infancy, and Books on Break, which helps school-aged children build home libraries to prevent summer learning loss. The organization’s core belief — books at home are essential to a child’s healthy development — guides every aspect of its work.

“At Book Harvest, we know that reading with a baby from the moment they’re born is a game changer. When a child and caregiver engage in shared reading, it strengthens the bonds of early relational health and builds the brain architecture that lays the foundation for lifelong learning, said Ginger Young, Founder and CEO of Book Harvest. “And when that child owns books — books they can return to again and again — it sparks curiosity and nurtures their identity as a reader. Every child deserves that beginning.”

Book Harvest’s impact extends far beyond its Durham roots. With programs now influencing literacy efforts across 96 North Carolina counties, the organization has distributed more than 2.7 million books and supported thousands of families in building strong, language-rich home environments. By putting books directly into the hands of children and empowering caregivers to be their child’s first teacher, Book Harvest transforms early literacy from a privilege into a right, ensuring that every child, including those from marginalized communities, has the chance to fall in love with reading from the very start.

This same commitment to early literacy takes shape in pediatric exam rooms across New Jersey through the work of Reach Out and Read, an evidence-based initiative that embeds literacy guidance and book-sharing into routine well-child visits, starting at birth and continuing through age five. Pediatricians and healthcare providers are trained to talk with parents about the importance of reading aloud and to give each child a developmentally appropriate book to take home. For many families, it’s the first book they own; the first step toward establishing a lifelong reading habit.

“The Reach Out and Read model offers an opportunity to embrace the common goal of ensuring all children a strong start in life by supporting the vital early relationships through which children learn, develop, and grow, moving forward toward their full potential,” said Usha Ramachandran, MD, FFAP, Medical Director. “I see the impact of Reach Out and Read every day.”

With a presence in more than 100 clinical sites throughout the state, Reach Out and Read serves over 75,000 New Jersey children at 150,000 well-child visits annually, focusing especially on families in underserved communities. The trusted voice of a pediatrician, coupled with the gift of a new book, creates a powerful moment that affirms the importance of early language development and strengthens the bond between parent and child. Through this simple yet effective model, Reach Out and Read is turning routine checkups into opportunities to nourish young minds and equip families with the tools to build strong literacy foundations at home.

That same spirit of community-driven literacy is at the heart of the Adrienne Kirby Family Literacy Project (AKFLP) at Fairfield University. A partnership between the university’s psychology department and the Hall Neighborhood House in Bridgeport, Connecticut, AKFLP integrates academic coursework with hands-on literacy support for children from infancy through adolescence. Through Fairfield’s Child Development course (PSYC 2150), undergraduate students are trained to provide individualized reading instruction in preschool classrooms and academic support in after-school settings. Last year alone, 60 college students worked directly with 274 young children across 18 early childhood classrooms and 75 students in after-school programs, offering both meaningful learning opportunities for Fairfield students and critical literacy enrichment for children in the local community.

“I learned about my own stereotypes I held, how to effectively work with children, and how to navigate an environment where I am the racial other,” said Kyleigh, a student at Fairfield. “This experience related to my future career goals as I want to go into a field associated with child psychology.”

Beyond the classroom, AKFLP engages families and the broader community through creative literacy-focused events and initiatives. Its annual Trunk or Treat and holiday giving campaign delivers books into the hands of hundreds of children, while its yearly book fair helps families build home libraries, providing resources that allow families to spend more time reading together. By combining academic service learning with community engagement, AKFLP not only improves reading outcomes for children, but also shapes future educators and advocates who understand the deep, generational value of early literacy.

Together, organizations like Book Harvest, Reach Out and Read, and the Adrienne Kirby Family Literacy Project demonstrate the many ways communities can come together to nurture a love of reading from the very beginning. Whether through a parent’s voice at bedtime, a pediatrician’s guidance at a well visit, or a college student reading one-on-one with a preschooler, these moments matter. The Foundation is proud to support partners who understand that early literacy is an educational priority and a building block for equity, opportunity, and fostering a lifelong love of reading.