To see a three minute preview of the Reading with Babies video click here.

READING WITH BABIES/Leyendo Con Bebés is an 18-minute videotape/DVD that shows babies 0-24 months ‘reading’ books with their parent(s) according to their developmental capacities. This pro-baby videotape is not just an idealized view of a parent reading to a quiet compliant baby but a more complex, realistic, playful portrayal of babies interacting with books. The 50+ babies in READING WITH BABIES show us, readers and non-readers alike, the fun and sometimes exasperating antics that emerge when reading to very young children. We see how babies read by eye, ear, finger and mouth; how they use books as toys; and how they engage in efforts to communicate with their parents. Earlier than one might expect, babies show how they want to please their parents AND investigate books in their own ways. The families on the DVD speak English, Spanish, Russian and Chinese. The babies speak 'baby.'

Both the DVD & VHS have English & Español narrations on the disk/cassette.

The price is $50.00 plus Shipping & Handling.

To place an order via the web go to our on-line store, and/or to discover further discounted rates, please contact Deanna Pacelli, email: deanna@readtomeprogram.org or phone: 1-212-721-6211.

Brooklyn Public Library: We are so happy to continue working with Rachel Payne and her new colleague Steven Lamonea. The BPL seems to have a key to obtaining state library grants and we are grateful that they involve inviting us to work with new families. It seems likely that we will be working with the Brooklyn Bureau of Community Services and with one of the LYFE high schools in Brooklyn in the coming spring and fall.

Kirkbride School Head Start, Philadelphia. Thanks to the introduction via her daughter Este Lewis, Hana Pressman, head teacher of an excellent Head Start Class at this excellent school in Philadelphia, is launching a Read To Me Program with the parents and grandparents of her students who have babies and toddlers at home. We wish her loads of success, and fun.

NYPL: We are or have offered two more RTM Programs with funds awarded by the NYPL Children's Department to reach out to teen parents and their babies. Thank you Leslie Fass, and Margaret Tice, and colleagues for continuing to invite us for these rewarding collaborations. The first was shared between Independence HS LYFE in Manhattan and Brandeis HS LYFE, also in Manhattan. The second grant is with the excellent LYFE Program at Jane Addams Vocational HS in the Bronx. Deanna, Kristen and Jane LeCroy are enjoying the students and their babies and the amazingly generous staff. Thanks to all involved.

LYFE teachers: on June 5th, Susan and Deanna will offer brief and inventive workshops for LYFE teachers to encourage more Read To Me programs or adaptations with the babies and their teen mothers.

Escalera Head Start, Escalera Head Start. Still in their temporary setting at St. Michael's on W. 99th Street, Carmen is nonetheless going to offer an adjusted Read To Me Program for her families with younger babies at this excellent Head Start Center. We've loaned her some materials for the program, and as always wish her success as she launches into another new initiative. We cannot applaud you enough, Carmen!

RTM-UK Initiative: For 8 days in May I worked with Catherine Whitehead, Ann Curno and Ron Bailey on developing RTM-UK. England currently has the highest rate in Europe of teen parents, and the country is also quite worried about falling rates of literacy. There are many local and national initiatives to address both issues, especially early literacy. RTM might be able to offer a very clear program that brings a focus to both teen parents and shared reading with babies.

Ann and Catherine had set up 2 mini-RTM demonstration programs in agencies serving teen parents in North and South London. Additionally, they created 2 opportunities for us to meet with major national and local agencies, foundations, and literacy initiatives. During these interesting meetings, we were able to present RTM and to answer questions about its functioning, features, outcomes etc.
There seems a very real possibility that RTM-UK will become a reality, with an additional research component attached.

A final thrill for me personally, and for us as a team, involved being invited to present some extended video footage from Reading With Babies to a national training course for folks working with teen parents. The course, led by Professor Joan Raphael-Leff, was housed at the Anna Freud Centre. We had very high marks from those assembled, including Dr. Raphael-Leff.  For those who know me, and of my early and passionate attachment to London and the world of psychotherapy, you can only imagine my pleasure. A special thanks goes to my friend Valli Shaio Kohon for bringing my work to the attention of Dr. Raphael-Leff for this valuable and well organized course.

MSHC:Mt. Sinai Medical Adolescent Health Center. On Wednesdays Deanna has been participating with the staff, young families and babies during their active health center afternoon hours. Working with Pediatrician Dr. Sharon Edwards and SW Shawna Aarons, and somewhat within their Reach Out and Read program, Deanna uses bits and pieces of the RTM Program to talk about (and demonstrate) the importance and pleasures of reading with babies. Our Deanna! Her warm and hearty laugh create a wonderful climate for the moms to think about and even practice reading with their babies.

Begin Smart Books: Harriet Ziefert is a much published and well known writer of books for children. One of her latest initiative is the creation of books specifically targeted for babies 0-2 during each 6 months of their development. The entire series of books, named BEGIN SMART, is being distributed by Sterling Publication. Launched in the Spring 2008, these books are widely available in all places where books are sold. Rather wonderfully, Harriet invited Susan to function as a consultant to the development of the books, and to the creation of a brief publicity video along the lines of Reading With Babies to showcase how real babies react with their parents and these particular books. Made with Ames Hill Productions (Andy Reichsman and Kate Purdie) the DVD is available for free along with the books, and bits of the finished film will be incorporated on their website http://www.beginsmartbooks.com/. Andy managed to find 24 families with babies in our required age range, all of whom were/are fabulous, including a few friends of RTM: KJ Dell'Antonia and baby Wyatt; Jane LeCroy and baby Luc; & a very pregnant Candice Manson (our RWB Voice Over!) and her first baby Sage. Thanks, and best of luck, Harriet.

NSSC: Judy Bauerle, Retired Health Educator at UVA Psych. Med – Charlottesville and Dana Ratliffe-Walker, Treatment Manager, DCCM, Dillwyn, VA are showcasing their exceptional adaptation of the RTM Program with men in their transitional year of their incarceration at the National Smart Start Conference on May 10, 2007. We will publish a more complete report when it's available. The conference is: National Smart Start in Greensboro, NC. http://www.ncsmartstart.org/conference/

Brooklyn Reads to Babies is a fantastic early literacy campaign at
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) geared especially for parents and caregivers of babies and toddlers. The campaign underscores the importance of reading to children during their first years of life.

14 Reading With Babies video clips are now on The Brooklyn Public Library website . Contact them for further details and ongoing family and baby literacy programs.


Harlem Children's Zone READ TO ME has an ongoing collaboration with HCZ to train staff and to suggest adaptations of the RTM Program for use with their families. The enthusiasm should be bottled. This relationship has developed with the help of Emilia Pfannl, Marilyn Joseph & Monique van Putten (HCZ); Carol Smalls & Rebecca Brown (NYPL), and the talented writer/illustrators Denise Lewis Patrick, Laura Freeman, Lori Carlson & Nina Crews. We're also grateful for the excellent contributions of Kristen Lynch, Diane Whitaker Brown and Allisyn Swift. See Harlem Children's Zone for further details.

New York Public Library  New York Public Library Since summer 2006, RTM has offered some opportunities to neighborhood families with babies near the Bloomingdale Branch on W. 100th Street. Thanks to the efforts of Patricia Chernoff, in collaboration with Head Start leader Venus and Frederick Douglas Center Director Tracy Haqq. Please contact us for further information: 212-721-6211

RTM and NYPL staff engaged families waiting to see the doctors at the Bronx Morris Heights Health Center to sign up for library cards and attend workshops on Reading With Babies & Toddlers. Over 200 library cards were issued! Don't forget: even newborns can have their own library cards. A third collaboration offered an adapted RTM program to families in the LYFE Program at Julia Richman High School led by Kristen and Deanna, in collaboration with Peggy Salwen and Jackie Leong-Range.

• Birth to Three Institute, DC, Oct. 25, 2010: We are pleased to be invited as one of a few agencies to showcase our resources and products during the Pre-Conference Day, Monday October 25, 2010 for this annual and wonderful conference. We are eager to participate in this Early Head Start National Resource Center's 14th Annual Institute. We've titled our program: “Helping Families Read Creatively With Babies Who Grab, Suck, Toss &/or Crawl Away.” We'll post the time when we can.

• Bank St. Infancy Institute Manhattan, June 17, 2010. Deanna Pacelli led a very interactive workshop on the key points, activities and fun of the RTM Program with young families. Hoping to help reduce the stress of both staff and students, he added some yoga breathing elements.

• NYCAEYC, Manhattan, Oct.24, 2009, Deanna without 5-month baby Tate led a small but wonderful group of interested participants in a presentation of the best Read To Me has to offer.

• Child Care Resources of Rockland, Nov.7, 2009. Susan presented further ideas about helping parents to read with their babies and toddlers. It isn't always easy, but with the right attitude and an intact sense of humor, all things are possible!

• 3rd Annual Citywide Infant Toddler Conference, Responsive Relationships: The Building Blocks of High-Quality Infant Toddler Care. The conference was held at BMCC,and we had 2 presentations.
Deanna co-presented with our two remarkable library colleagues: Rachel Payne of the Brooklyn Publlic Library, and Leslie Ederer of the New York Public Library. Additionally, Jane LeCroy led a more focused session on helping parents read with their babies and toddlers.

• ABE, NYC: Jane LeCroy presented material about parents reading with babies to the 29th annual ABE Conference, May 2008. We feel strongly that RTM has something to contribute to the whole notion of teaching English and Reading to adults, many of whom are parents on young children. Please support the wonderful work this Consortium is doing, often without the respect and acknowledgment they deserve. For further information please contact:

Carolyn Fernando,
Tel # (212) 243-5458
Fax # (212) 243-5458
Email: sonofhendrick@yahoo.com

• Brooklyn Family Literacy: The 4th Annual Brooklyn Family Literacy Conference at the Williamsburg Beacon Center, 850 Grand Street was a full day of all kinds of Family Literacy workshops and giveaways, featuring Maria of Sesame Street. Contact their website http://www.stnicksdyfes.org/ for more detailed information.

• B&N, Norwalk, CT. Tricia Tierney, Community Relations manager at the Norwalk Store invited Susan to spend time with two groups on November 17th: one at 10:30 am and the other at 1:30pm. The teen families from an excellent high school family day care center in Norwalk brought a good deal of energy and their alert babies. Thanks to Tricia for her enthusiasm and generosity.

• NYPL ECRIC, January 12, 2007 from 10:30-noon (ecc@nypl.org),
212-929-0815 and NYPL Bronx Library Center January 13 from 10:30-noon 718-579-4220. These FREE family workshops titled Reading to Squiggly, Wiggly Toddlers were magical. At each library were assembled interested folks who enjoyed talking about choosing and using the best books for toddlers. Great thanks to Walter Minkel and to Deborah Allman, both of whom created the atmosphere for creative workshops.

• NYC-AEYC. In December 2006 Kristen Lynch and Deanna Pacelli offered a rousing workshop for NYC-AEYC and the director Tracey-Lee Lucas (tldlucas@bnkst.edu). There is something remarkable about reading books without words or in languages we just do not understand!

• NAEYC, Atlanta, GA. Atlanta, GA Nov.8-11, 2006. This conference was hugely well attended. Among the special guests at Susan's presentation were Vera B. Williams, Steve Geck, Isabel Baker and Carla James who offers a RTM Program with teen parents in the Baby Steps Program in Mississippi. Fun book signing & party at the Book Vine and a splendid lunch of fried green tomatoes, chicken and waffles.

• Fish Creek, Door Co., WI. From October 14-16, Susan offered conducted special RTM programs for families and professionals in Door County, WI. This wonderful opportunity emerged because of Edgewood Orchard Galleries, Fish Creek, WI who have focused an enthusiastic interest on bringing the art and story of children's picture books to their community. With huge thanks to Anne and Nell Emerson and their families. Beth Lokken or Anne Emerson can offer more detailed information about their libraries and the gallery. Additional thanks to Pam Peterson, a superb Family Living Educator with the Door County UWExtension and her wonderful colleagues. We all had fun and I can only hope to be invited back! For those who don't know, Door County is a remarkable place in the world.

• Children's Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) on W. 83rd Street. For further information contact http://www.cmom.org/index.html

• Head Start's 8th National Research Conference. Washington DC. Susan offered a first poster presentation in June 2006.

• Infant Institute, Bank Street College. On June 2006, Susan  joined Rachel Payne of the Brooklyn Public Library to describe & discuss their innovative and extensive partnership: Brooklyn Reads to Babies. She also subbed for Laura Ensler of the VNS to discuss: Choosing and Using Books with Infants and Toddlers. Further information http://www.bankstreet.edu/gems/infancyinstitute/InfancyInst06.pdf

•  National Family Literacy Conference Louisville, KY-March 2006. http://www.famlit.org
•  The Tavistock, London. April 2006. This presentation for staff and students of the Child Psychotherapy Training Programme at the Tavistock Clinic where Susan trained in the mid-70s was a personal thrill. http://www.tavi-port.org/NEWindex.htm
•  NYSAEYCE Saratoga, NY. May 2006. For the second year, the Babies provided proof of their capacity to be eager and alert book lovers.http://www.nysaeyc.org/
•  NAEYC Washington DC. December 2005. Thanks go to Isabel Baker of The Book Vine, Andrea DeBruin-Parecki of HighScope and Lesley Fass of The New York Public Library for being such wonderful colleagues. www.naeyc.org
•  CCBC Library, University of Wisconsin-Madison Campus. Cooperative Children's Book Center, Madison, WI. Huge thanks to KTHorning, Megan Schliesman and Hollis of the CCBC and Mrs. Jessica Doyle, First Lady of Wisconsin. www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc
•  ABE (Adult Basic Education) Conference, NYC. This marks a new and potentially valuable extension of the audience for the DVD. Jane reported that attendees were enthusiastic and especially interested in the usefulness of wordless books in their work with adults learning English as a second language. Thank you Jane LeCroy for a wonderful presentation. http://www.coabe.org/
•  NYSAEYC Conference, Rochester, NY
•  Family Literacy Conference, Brooklyn, sponsored by the Literacy Assistance Center. Thanks Diane Whitaker Brown. For further information contact Sabrina Evans Ellis, 718-599-9224X17, or go online to http://www.lacnyc.org/
•  Anna Freud Centre (London, England)
•  University of Virginia's Under Fives Study Center (Charlottesville, VA)
•  NY Public Library's ECRIC Library (NY,NY)
•  Chadbourne Residential College, University of Wisconsin (Madison, WI)
•  International Reading Association conference. Thanks to partnership with Prof. Andrea DeBruin-Parecki. Title: READ TO ME: A Unique High School Program Linking Teenage Mothers, Their Babies and Books. http://www.reading.org/

The RTM Program is delighted to have 2 major libraries using clips from our Family Of Films DVD on their websites. Please check them out. Brooklyn Public Library www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org and Hennepin County Library (MN) www.hennepin.lib.mn.us

UW Distinguished Alumni Susan and Peter Straub have been named Distinguished Alumni by the University of Wisconsin Alumni Association. There will be a public award complete with a video presentation showing some highlights from their lives before and after student life in the 1960s. If you live in or near Madison, join the fun: Thursday, April 23rd, 5pm, Wisconsin Union Theater.

ABC News Parenting Segment Susan was invited on the ABC Parenting segment. Annie Pleshette Murphy discussed tricks on how to get your child to read. Susan offered tips and tricks, and the kind producers showed a copy of her book and added a few clips from the Reading With Babies DVD. Great fun! See the video here.

Reach Out and Read of Greater New York gave us their 2008 Literacy Champion Award! The gala, on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at the Marquee on 10th Avenue, was an amazing event. Introduced by our beloved Vera B. Williams, Traci Lester gave Deanna Pacelli a singularly gorgeous Tiffany glass award. Helping Deanna enjoy the ceremony and celebrate were our RTM team: Peter Straub joined Deanna, Diane Whitaker Brown and Jane LeCroy. (Kristen Lynch, very pregnant with her 2nd daughter, was unable to come and was missed.) Susan was missed too. Check out her brief report on the RTM-UK initiative. She is still incredulous that these two significant events occurred in the exact same week of the year. How is that possible? Thanks go to Traci Lesler and her Benefit Committee. For more information please visit their website at: www.reachoutandreadnyc.org

Child Care, Inc. (CCI) 2005 Champions for Children : Award for Most Innovative Program: Susan Straub, Founder and Director of “Read to Me”. For more information see http://www.childcareinc.org/

Oprah's O Magazine published an article on READ TO ME. Thanks to Judith Newman, the journalist and mother of twin sons, and to Liz Brody the Editor for being instrumental in bringing our program to this huge audience. http://www.oprah.com/uyl/omag/uyl_omag_200205.jhtml

CINE Golden Eagle Award for READING WITH BABIES. www.CINE.or g

School Library Journal review. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

Gregory Robinson, marathoner and founder of the Run for Literacy Foundation of Detroit designated READ TO ME and a 3rd grade in Detroit as recipients of his fund raising run from New York City to Detroit in the summer of 2002. Thanks go to READ TO ME volunteers, LYFE Principal Ms. Treadwell , AP Ms. Dannette Queen, and several P911M staff with their own elementary school children, LYFE Vice-Principal Joan Davis, Ms. McLay of the New York Public Library Youth Services, and Bill Perkins, city councilman representing Harlem. (For photos of the event click here).

New Yorker of the Week, Cable Station NY1 . 2 1/2-Minute footage is featured here. (Click to view.)

Reading With Babies, Toddlers & Twos: A Guide to Choosing, Reading and Loving Books Together. KJ Dell'Antonia, the mother of Sam 5, Lily 18 months, and newborn Wyatt, and Susan have written this reader-friendly guidebook. The book is an entertaining and informative encouragement to new parents to read with their babies 0-3. It is full of science, anecdotes, real baby booklists, insights and tips/suggestions about making the most out of books for babies. The emphasis, as with everything else in READ TO ME, is about pleasure and fun for both parent and baby. With the guidance of agent Joëlle Delbourgo, and editor Bethany Brown of Sourcebooks is now in stores and available on-line 
from Amazon or Barnes & Noble .

AND On November 7, 2006, iParenting has announced Reading with Babies,Toddlers and Twos as one of the Greatest Products of 2006 in their annual iParenting Media Awards. WOW!

Also, here's a special website just for the baby book: http://www.readingwithbabies.com/

The Experts' Guide to the Baby Years a book created by Samantha Ettus and Experts Media, LLC, Clarkson Potter/Random House, NY, 2006. Just published, this guide book offers truly short chapters from a variety of experts in the field of early childhood, including one by Susan on reading to babies. It might be a good gift for a newly delivered baby. But start with Reading With Babies Toddlers and Twos and some actual picture books!

FAMILY LITERACY: From Theory to Practice , International Reading Association,2003 edited by Andrea DeBruin Parecki, features a chapter on the READ TO ME program contributed by Susan Straub. www.ira.org

“Babies Need Books” - an article about why babies need books, can be found in the January 2002 issue of Books for Keeps : the children's book magazine. This popular English magazine can be reached via email at booksforkeeps@btinternet.com

Exploring Books with Babies: The Dos and Don'ts of Reading to Infants and Toddlers; Scholastic's Parents & Child Magazine, February/March 2006, p.48. It's a pleasure to be included in this valuable and beautifully produced magazine for young families.