Read-a-thon for Babies

A collage of staff members holding the books that they recorded during our read-a-thon.

You may already know that the first few years are a critical time in a child’s development. As music therapists, we are always striving to find new and creative ways to support our youngest patients and making sure they continue to grow and learn while they are in the hospital. This includes reading to babies!

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics:

“Reading aloud with young children is one of the most effective ways to expose them to enriched language and to encourage specific early literacy skills needed to promote school readiness. Reading regularly with young children stimulates optimal patterns of brain development and strengthens parent-child relationships at a critical time in child development, which, in turn, builds language, literacy, and social-emotional skills that last a lifetime.”

A photo of Auggie being read to by his mom, Kelly. His mom is holding up a brightly colored book, which he is looking at with wide eyes.

This year, our Intensive Care Nursery (ICN) participated in the Babies with Books readathon, a friendly competition among hospitals to increase reading programs for hospitalized infants. Caregivers and staff completed 523 reading sessions in a two week period!

As a part of this project, our music therapy team invited staff to record stories. In the coming weeks, we will make these available to all units so that babies and toddlers can experience story time, especially if they are alone at bedside.

Photos by Jessica Bernstein-Wax
Featured: Leila & Mom Leilani, Emilia & Dad Richard, Nurse Lena & Music Therapist Matt, August & Nurse Claudia, Gia & Mom Gabrielle, Gia and Music Therapist Brianna

By the numbers:

We recorded 51 stories

in 3 languages

and 43 staff members participated

from 14 different departments

We are excited to continue this project in the coming months and years to build up our library and support more of our patients and families.