Healthy Start, Grow Smart

All parents need to know how important it is to read to their babies and to encourage children to play with books and develop essential skills before they enter school. Research on language acquisition and brain development shows that the groundwork for reading begins from the day a child is born.

The Healthy Start, Grow Smart magazine series outlines activities designed to stimulate infant brain development and build skills that children will need once they start school. Ideas are included for fun, age-appropriate activities that center around reading, language, and learning. The series also includes important health and safety information and resources for parents and families.

Mrs. Bush initiated a similar effort in Texas and is now sharing this same helpful information with new parents across the country.

These magazines, printed in English and Spanish, are available every month for the first 12 months of a baby's life. They are given to new mothers who might not otherwise have access to this vital information. Local family assistance clinics (WIC or Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) and state health and human services agencies are working to distribute the magazines, and the entire series is available on this web site.

Resources for families