Eli Somekh, President, The Israeli Association of Pediatrics 174 NEW EVIDENCES ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF HOME READING ENVIRONMENT ON THE ACTIVATION OF SPECIFIC BRAIN REGIONS SUPPORTING EMERGENT LITERACY Giorgio Tamburlini Centro per la salute del Bambino and Nati per Leggere program, Trieste, Italy Literacy is the ability to utilize written information to expand and share knowledge in order to optimally function in society. <...> Cognitively constructive home environments, especially prior to school entry, provide an essential foundation for emergent literacy. <...> Parent-child reading since early infancy is widely advocated to promote cognitive development, and is recommended by several pediatric associations worldwide. <...> Nineteen 3- to 5-year-old children were selected from a longitudinal study of normal brain development and completed blood oxygen level–dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging using an age-appropriate story listening task, where narrative alternated with tones. <...> The study for the first time demonstrated an association between home reading environment and activation of specific brain regions supporting emergent literacy during the prekindergarten period and provides neurobiological confirmation of the benefits of home reading shown by behavioural studies and provide further support to programs, such as Reach out and Read in the Unites States, Book start in the UK and Natiper Leggere in Italy, where paediatrician and other child professionals encourage parents to read to their babies since the first year of life. <...> From neurons to neighborhoods: the science of early childhood development. <...> Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development. <...> High PC, Klass P. Literacy promotion: an essential component of primary care pediatric practice. <...> TO ENCOURAGE KIDS’ HEALTH, PEDIATRICIANS ADD READING TO ESSENTIAL CHECK-UP LIST The nation’s largest pediatricians group is now formally urging parents to read aloud to their children daily from infancy. <...> The American Academy of Pediatrics says doing so stimulates early brain development and helps build key language, literacy and social skills. <...> You may wonder about the benefits of reading to your baby. <...> Nor would you bypass lullabies until your baby could carry a tune or wait until he or she could shake a rattle before you offered any toys. <...> Reading <...>