By Lisa M. Belisle, MD, MPH
Originally published October 7, 2007, Maine Sunday Telegram

My sisters and I spent hours on the family swing-set when we were small. We would belt out “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and “Alouette” as we tried to touch the clouds with our feet. Little did we know how important these childhood pursuits might prove to be. According to Dr. Stuart Brown, Director of the National Institute for Play, when we play, we discover how to live within the constructs of our society. We learn how to share the swings, and take turns giving each other pushes. We learn how to sing together. When we play, we practice social, emotional, physical and mental skills that help us get along with others (and ourselves).

Reading is an important type of mental play. Just as a swing-set gives our bodies a place to practice being physical, a book gives our minds a place to practice being thoughtful. It also helps us understand the world around us. When we read about those who are different, we gain empathy. When we read about those who are similar, we comprehend the universality of the human experience. A book is a jungle gym for our brains—we get a mental workout when we climb about its pages.

Raising Readers is an organization that recognizes the merit of climbing about a book. Founded by the Libra Foundation in 2000, Raising Readers gives new books to Maine children (from birth to age five) through hospitals, birth centers and medical offices. Largely due to its affiliations with MaineHealth, Eastern Maine Healthcare and pediatric care providers, Raising Readers has enjoyed great success in getting ‘mental jungle gyms’ to the state’s smallest citizens. This fall the program will have reached an impressive milestone: the distribution of its ONE MILLIONTH book.

The distribution of one million books to Maine’s wee ones is an event worthy of note. This month, Raising Readers will observe this milestone at a ceremony presided over by literacy advocate (and former first lady) Barbara Bush. Raising Readers will also throw a “Family Literacy Night” party at the Children’s Museum in Portland in November. These fetes are not merely commemorating the distribution of mental jungle gyms, however. They are celebrating the joy of connection. This connection is one that all readers share—the ability to communicate with each other through the written word.

The ability to communicate with one another through the written word is a critical survival skill for humans. When we are literate, we are more likely to succeed in school and in the workplace. We stay healthier and live longer. According to the National Endowment for the Arts, we are also more apt to volunteer in our communities. Comprehending the joy of being connected through the written word seems to cause literate individuals to seek out other fulfilling connections.

An organization of word-worshippers, Raising Readers benefits from many fulfilling connections of its own. These include relationships with Maine’s first lady Karen Baldacci, and her organization Maine Reads, in addition to numerous programs that comprise the state and national literacy continuum. This continuum provides multiple next steps for Raising Readers children and their families. Once children graduate from the Raising Readers program at age five, they are encouraged to visit their local library. Non-reading (and non-English speaking) family members are referred to Literacy Volunteers of Maine. Non-English speaking individuals are introduced to local adult education outlets and given “Tips on Reading to Children” in their own languages. Raising Readers ensures that everyone can find a way around the jungle gym.

By distributing books to use as ‘mental jungle gyms,’ Raising Readers is initiating lifelong literacy skills in Maine children. These skills will enable them to succeed in school and stay healthy. They will also allow them to explore the world’s playground, and spend time on swing-sets that have access to the clouds.