CINCINNATI (WKRC) — Sixty percent of children in Ohio are not ready for kindergarten when they start school.

Now, a national nonprofit is working to change that by expanding access to books and promoting early literacy across the state.

Nedra Smith has seen the difference firsthand. Her two young daughters receive books through the program at their pediatrician visits at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

“They love to read now,” Smith said. “We’ll randomly be out and they’ll see a book and want to read a book.”

Reach Out and Read partners with pediatricians to give children books during regular checkups and encourage parents to read aloud with them. The program has been part of Cincinnati Children’s for more than a decade.

“They typically come in and tell us they got new books,” Smith said. “They typically ask me to read the book right then and there.”

Program leaders say early literacy is increasingly being recognized as an important part of a child’s overall health and development.

“Initially, literacy may not have been in the forefront or seen as a health benefit,” said Kristy High, program manager for Reach Out and Read. “Well-child checks focus on shots, nutrition, and those things; but now we want to focus on those main benefits for the development and milestones when it comes to learning.”

The organization is now working to expand its reach statewide, with a goal of serving children in all 88 Ohio counties.

“We know that those first five years of life are the most critical for brain development,” said Steven Lake, executive director of Reach Out and Read Ohio. “If we can intervene as early as possible, essentially, we reach out at birth; we know we can have the greatest impact.”

Smith encourages other parents to participate in the program and read to their children.

“It’s fun,” Smith said. “It’s actually fun to see them light up, and I think they’ll pass that on to their own kids as well.”

Reach Out and Read also partners with providers in Kentucky and Indiana. You can find a participating provider near you on the organization’s website.

If you are a doctor looking to participate in the program, click here.

The Ohio Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at May 10, 2026, results for each game:

Pick 3

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.

Midday: 8-6-2

Evening: 7-0-5

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 4

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.

Midday: 9-4-7-0

Evening: 0-6-1-8

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 5

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.

Midday: 1-7-3-7-4

Evening: 9-0-8-8-0

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Rolling Cash 5

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 7:05 p.m.

16-19-33-36-38

Check Rolling Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Millionaire for Life

Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 11:15 p.m.

01-03-20-35-46, Bonus: 05

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Enquirer digital news director. You can send feedback using this form.

Ryan Day will have some very familiar competition in the Big 10 soon.

The son of the Ohio State football coach, R.J. Day, announced his commitment to Northwestern for the Class of 2027 on Sunday.

Northwestern plays in the same conference as Ohio State and the schools will face each other.

R.J. Day, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound quarterback from — not surprisingly — Columbus, Ohio, has started for three years at St. Francis DeSales HS as he heads towards his senior season.

According to reports, the younger Day had other offers from Purdue, Syracuse, Cincinnati and South Florida, as well as others.

Northwestern has eight quarterbacks on head coach David Braun’s roster.

And the offensive coordinator for the Wildcats is Chip Kelly, who served in the same role for Ryan Day at Ohio State when the Buckeyes won the title in 2024.

Kelly, the former head coach at UCLA and Oregon, was also the offensive coordinator at New Hampshire when Ryan Day was the team captain from 1998-2001.