Pediatrician Janet Patterson, M.D., is very supportive of the program. The mother of three, she had already been bringing books her own children had outgrown to the clinic for use in the waiting room, and sometimes to give to a child. I would love to see someone in the waiting room all the time reading to the children. A tri-fold poster, a blanket on the floor, and lots and lots of books create an inviting corner in the waiting area. As children arrive at the clinic, they are invited to come over and read a story together.
Children range in age from newborn on up, and so do the types of books and styles of reading.
Older children are sometimes invited to help read a page or phrase, or to help younger ones get involved. Some parents are very surprised at their interest. And some kids who thought they didn't like to read find out they like it more than they thought. Clinic staff members noticed a change in the waiting room and in the children. But the kids loved it, and we saw parents continuing to read to their children in the examining rooms, much more often than before.