Watch CBS News

Combining Medical Checkups With Literacy In Vallejo

VALLEJO (KCBS) --- Medical check-ups for young children in the Bay Area sometimes include something extra for young patients. One such clinic in Vallejo has a perfect example of that.

Many children who go to the Family Health Clinic in Vallejo look forward to the visit because they know that before they leave they will be given a free book to take home.

Pediatrician Dr. Janie Lee estimates that over the years she's probably handed out 10,000 books to children under five. She said this isn't just for the kids.

KCBS' Dave Padilla Reports:

"It makes the families more aware that they are the primary teachers of these infants," she said.

East Bay congressman George Miller who has championed children's rights plopped his large body onto a small, green plastic chair and read to several children in the clinic's waiting room.

"These very earliest of years, to get them identified with reading and participating is the most important thing we can do," Miller said.

In 2010, nearly 20,000 books were handed out at 15 Solano County Library Reach Out and Read clinics.

(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.