An Interview With Earl Martin Phalen, CEO, Reach Out and Read

The most significant period for early childhood development occurs from birth to age 5, when a child’s brain grows more rapidly than at any other life stage. Waiting until kindergarten is far too late; children need to enter school with the skills needed to learn to read and succeed. Early language skills, based primarily on language exposure that results from parents and other adults talking to young children, are the foundation for reading ability. Reach Out and Read works hard to convince funders that an investment in early literacy and education prevents problems that surface in grades K-12 and beyond.