Reach Out and Read Arabic to Promote Arabic Literacy in Toddlers

"Reach Out and Read" Arabic to Promote Parental Reading to Toddlers and Preschoolers

The goal of this study is to encourage parents to read Arabic books to their children from an early age and by extension children will be more likely to read Arabic books and ultimately improve their Arabic literacy.

The investigators' hypothesis is that an adapted "Reach Out and Read" program will result in an increase in the proportion of parents reading Arabic books to their children after the intervention.

Early reading for toddlers has been linked to a better grasp of the fundamentals of language as they approach school age, as reading exposes the child to rich language and diverse content. Reach Out and Read program (ROR) is an American non-profit organization that advocates for childhood literacy.

In this study the investigators aim to implement an adapted version of the "Reach Out and Read" program and to encourage parents to read Arabic books to their children in order for this to become a daily habit. The goal of this study is to see an increase in the proportion of parents who read Arabic books to their children and by extension children will grow up loving to read Arabic books and ultimately may have improved Arabic literacy.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Parents must identify the study's settings as the usual site for their child regular checkups
• Families are eligible if at least one parent understands, speaks and reads Arabic.
• The child's age between 4 and 6 months at the time of the enrollment

Exclusion Criteria:

• Children diagnosed or displaying severe behavioral, cognitive, or physical impairment, that prevents them in meaningfully engaging in a reading activity example: severe autism, profound developmental or intellectual delay.