Read to Me is a non-profit, province-wide, early reading promotion program. We give a FREE bag of books and reading resources to every baby born in Nova Scotia, to encourage parents and caregivers to read to their baby from the very start.

The bag is delivered at the hospital bedside by a Read to Me representative.  Families receive information on how to use the books and resources to support their baby’s early literacy development and are encouraged to read, talk, and sing to their baby every day.  Research shows that babies who are read to regularly develop the vocabulary and pre-reading skills needed for later reading success. By giving books to every baby at birth Read to Me is nurturing new generations of Nova Scotians with strong literacy skills and a life-long love of reading.

Launched in 2002 the program distributes approximately 9,000 Read to Me! bags at 9 hospitals each year.  To ensure the sustainability of the program an endowment was created.  Read to Me has received generous donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations, as well as federal and provincial funding.  Read to Me is a registered charitable foundation and the Read to Me Foundation Inc. Board are the trustees of the endowment. The IWK Health Centre is the host organization for Read to Me.