By
Hillary Davis
Arizona Daily Wildcat
UA athletes, other volunteers share literacy with children
Elizabeth Pickney settled her 6-foot-4-inch frame into a tiny blue-and-yellow vinyl chair and pulled Tanner Coons and his friend Pinocchio onto her lap.
Pickney, a junior forward on the UA women's basketball team, and Tanner, a 5-year-old Tucson boy waiting to see a doctor at UMC's pediatric clinic, met yesterday when Pickney read for the first official day of the hospital's Reach Out and Read literacy program.
As Pickney guided Tanner through the bright, busy pages of his Pinocchio storybook, the tow-headed boy seemed to know what was coming, gleefully pointing to a picture of Gepetto - or as he calls him, "Gary."
Pickney said young children need to be read to.
"Just for them to hear a book being read to them - every little bit helps," she said.
Teammate LaKeisha Taylor and assistant coach Curtis Loyd also huddled up next to toddlers with picture books and Disney stories. But the squirming, giggling children were of little challenge for the athletes, especially Pickney.
"I have a lot of younger cousins, so I'm used to it," she said.
The Reach Out and Read program has three components, said Carol Zuckert, UMC volunteer coordinator. When children enter the bustling waiting room, volunteers such as Zuckert read aloud to the children, which also teaches parents proper reading-aloud techniques.
When the child is called into the examining room, the doctor or nurse reinforces the importance of reading for youngsters to the parents. As the child leaves, he or she is given a souvenir book to take home.
Familiarizing children with books better prepares them for school, and exposing children to literacy also has other benefits, such as language development, Zuckert said.
The program started more than 10 years ago in Boston and has spread to about 1,000 sites across the country. University Medical Center's program has been in the planning stages for about a year, and the UMC community has been supportive in making sure the program runs smoothly, Zuckert said.
"We didn't start with a bang just today," she said. "I'd say the program's going to be wonderful."
Sessions continue this week with other local and campus personalities, such as UA women's basketball assistant coach Denise Dove Ianello, Eller Media magnate and UA rugby coach Dave Sitton, Cindy McCain, wife of Sen. John McCain, and Michael Chihak, editor and publisher of the Tucson Citizen.
However, more volunteers are always welcome, Zuckert said. Students willing to come into the hospital on a "regular basis" - about once a week for about four hours at a time - may call 626-6706 for more information.
