Thank you to the Arab American Chaldean Council for hosting our latest RX for Reading Clinic Library in their Behavioral Health Clinic on 7 Mile.  The space is lovely, and as soon as the library was up and running Chastity picked out her book–Young Harriet Tubman–to read and take home!

Many thanks to University of Detroit Mercy undergraduates Joe Gifford and Sara Zawacki for setting up the library and to the Director of Behavioral Health for the ACC, Carmen Sarafa, MA, LPC.

We would like to give a HUGE thank you to Bryant Middle School in Dearborn for donating over 1,500 children’s books to RX for Reading Detroit! The Bryant Student Council organized and held a book drive throughout March to promote literacy and celebrate March is Reading Month.  The students also collected financial donations, which were donated to the RX for Reading Virtual Book Drive.

Special thanks to the students who led the event, to Bryant teachers Lynda Mualem and Liz Magee, and to the many families who participated!

Thank you to the Bryant Student Council!

Working on the book drive.

Getting the word out–the RX for Reading Display Case at Bryant.

Student leaders at Bryant Middle School

We are thrilled to announce our latest RX for Reading Clinic Library at the Nolan Family Health Center in Highland Park!  All kids who come to the clinic are invited to read books in the waiting room and pick a book to take home.  A starting collection of 275 books fit on this bookcase–RX for Reading will deliver more as soon as they are needed.

Thank you to Detroit Community Health Connection and Clinic Manager Dahlia Lyons for helping us make it a reality!

Pictured from left to right: Dina Bolos, CSR; Dahlia Lyons, RN; Shania Hughes, LPN; Joy Jackson, LPN.

We are thrilled to have a regular partnership with the phenomenal teachers and students at Emmanuel Head Start.  Every two weeks UDM students read with the morning and afternoon classrooms, and afterwards each of the kids gets to pick out a new book to take home.  Here, Renesha, Emma, and Taylor read to a captive audience.

Experience “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Day” in the theatre AND raise money for kids’ literacy in Detroit! A portion of all RX for Reading ticket voucher sales will go to purchase books for kids in our community.

Every ticket we sell earns money for RX for Reading—enough to purchase one new book with each kid/student ticket sold and five new books for each adult ticket sold.  The show is for kids age 3+ and adults.  The first 1,000 kids who attend the show will receive a free copy of the book. 

Alexander opens March 20 and runs 10 performances through March 29 in the University of Detroit Mercy Grounds Coffeehaus in the UDM Student Center!
 
March 20 and 27 at 7:00 pm
March 21 and 28 at 10:30 am, 1:30 pm and 5:00 pm
March 22 and 29 at 2:00 pm

For more information about the show visit the UDM Theatre Company at theatre.udmercy.edu.

To purchase these special RX for Reading ticket vouchers, contact RX for Reading at 313- 993 -1081 or readingdetroit@gmail.com. 

The process is simple:
You purchase ticket vouchers from RX for Reading with cash or a check ($20 for adults, $10 for kids and students).  You call the theater to reserve spots at the performance you want to attend; when you get there, trade in your voucher for the ticket!  Group discounts are available.

Welcome to the latest RX for Reading Book Nook at Children’s Health Center in Midtown Detroit!  Thank you to pediatrician Dr. Erin Walton-Doyle, MD and  to Advantage Health Centers/Detroit Health Care for the Homeless for hosting the RX for Reading Library.  All patients and families are invited to pick a book to take home at the end of their check-up!

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We are thrilled to highlight our latest RX for Reading Library at the University of Detroit Mercy Pediatric Dental Clinic.  Every patient at the clinic is invited to pick a book to read and take home, and parents of new patients are given RX for Reading educational materials about the importance of reading and dental health.

Special thanks to Dr. Margaret Kim, DDS for spearheading the library and to all of the providers and staff at the UDM Dental Clinic for taking care of their patients’ bodies AND minds!  Pictured below are clinic patients José and Marilyn and dental assistants Nakia Pace, Vernice Alexander, Lori Rosier, Simona Williams, and Theresa Richardson and dental hygienist Carolynn Zeitz (second from left).

Thank you to Bucket Fillers Inc. for donating 25 incredible books to RX for Reading Detroit.  Carol McCloud first published “Have You Filled a Bucket Today” in 2006.  Since then, it has sold over 1,000,000 copies and, with the other “bucket books,” spread the message of compassion, love, and making the people around us feel cared for.  We are grateful we can help spread the message to 25 classrooms and community partners in Detroit!

http://www.bucketfillers101.com/

University of Detroit Mercy nursing majors Liz Crkovski and Julia Sledzinski set up a library of books at McAuley Health Center. All children at the clinic are invited to pick a book to take home!

One of the goals of RX for Reading Detroit is to create reading relationships between college students and younger kids in Detroit.  Reading together is one of the best ways to model a lifetime love of reading!

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ “Brush, Book, Bed”campaign helps remind parents about three essentials for a healthy childhood:

Brush twice a day for two minutes!

Read (at least) 20 minutes a day!

Get to bed at a regular time each night!

Together they make a nighttime routine that will make your child healthy, happy, and ready for learning each day.

In 2012, over 500,000 Michigan children lived below the federal poverty threshold (annual income of $23,284 for a family of four).  Over 1,000,000 lived in low-income families (annual income of $46,566 for a family of four).

In the city of Detroit, 57% of our children live in poverty.  80% of our children qualify for free or reduced lunch.

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did unto me.”

Child Poverty Statistics by State

Detroit Poverty Rate Data

State of the Detroit Child 2012

Our partnership with First Book and the Scholastic Family and Community Engagement program helps STRETCH our resources.  With the support of these organizations, your $50 donation buys 20 new books for kids in our community!  Click on the Donate! page to make a tax-deductible charitable contribution.

Tips for Parents from the American Academy of Pediatrics

The best thing parents can do to encourage children to love books and reading is to read aloud to them. And don’t stop reading aloud to them once they have learned to read for themselves!

• Read to your child every day—even if only for a few minutes. It is your time together!
• Reading should be fun. You don’t have to finish a story if your child loses interest.
• Let your child choose the book even if it means reading the same book over and over.
• Invite your child to “read” to you from a familiar book that he has memorized from having heard it so often read to him.
• Stop and ask about the illustrations or what your child thinks will happen next. The answers may amaze you.
• Talk about a book after you have finished reading—discussing what you and your child thought about characters and ideas in the book helps develop understanding.
• Read from a variety of children’s books, including fairy tales, poetry, and nursery rhymes.
• Follow your child’s interests in choosing the books. There are many great books on non-fiction subjects such as the ocean or dogs.
• Join your local library!

• Prepares children for long-term success in school
• Expands vocabulary
• Develops emergent literacy skills such as alphabet recognition
• Improves listening skills
• Strengthens parent-child relationships
• Teaches children social and relationship skills for life
• Enhances empathy and perspective-taking
• Gives children language to talk about their own feelings
• Establishes a positive relationship with books and learning