Providing Doctors with Books for Toddlers

'Books on Prescription' project aims to integrate daily reading into the process of supporting young children's mental and physical health. Prescribing reading by medical personnel is a key step in building a habit that pays off throughout life.

In April, at the third international conference under the “Books on Prescription” program, more than 150 participants from Poland gained theoretical and practical knowledge on how to effectively promote reading among patients and their caregivers.

One of the speakers was Prof. Paul Wise of Stanford University, an expert on equal access to medical care and health policy. Participants also heard lectures from Prof. Barry Zuckerman, a pediatrician and founder of Reach Out and Read, an organization that has changed the face of pediatric care for poor families in the US, and Prof. Maryanne Wolf of UCLA, who talked about what neuroscience says about the effects of reading on brain development.

Over the past two months, we donated another 85 book packages to the medical community, as well as to librarians and teachers whose work involves the impact of reading on children's development. In total, more than 7,650 copies of children's books were delivered to the offices, which will help recommend reading to the youngest children.

Incorporating reading recommendations into pediatric care supports the proper development of children, equalizes educational opportunities, and helps build stability and mental resilience in families facing stress, isolation or exclusion. Thanks to the involvement of the medical community, the project effectively transfers the idea of supporting reading from the cultural field to the space of preventive health.

Thank you for your commitment and support of the project!

Thanks to donors, we can level the playing field for children across the country!

Links:

• https://www.ksiazkanarecepte.pl/
• https://www.fpc.org.pl/eng/