Pre-K and kindergarten-age patients at San Mateo Medical Center clinics went home with free books, letter magnets, blocks, and activity guides this summer as part of a new program to keep young children reading while school is out.
The medical center distributed 230 "Super Summer Learning Kits" through its five pediatric locations across San Mateo County, handing out the last kits the week of July 13, 2026. The San Mateo County Health Foundation donated the kits.
The five clinics that participated were Coastside Clinic, Daly City Health Center, South San Francisco Clinic, Fair Oaks Health Center, and San Mateo Medical Center's main campus.
Why it matters for local families
Students can lose 20 to 30 percent of their school-year reading gains over summer break, a figure cited in the American Academy of Pediatrics' December 2024 policy statement on literacy promotion in pediatric care. That setback falls hardest on low-income children and widens long-term learning gaps.
San Mateo Medical Center serves Medi-Cal and other publicly insured residents, meaning the kits reached families least likely to have extra money for summer enrichment programs.
The AAP statement calls literacy promotion "a core part of pediatric primary care" and recommends that pediatricians encourage shared reading from birth through at least kindergarten.
How the kits were distributed
Providers handed out kits during routine pediatric appointments. When a child received a kit, staff walked parents and caregivers through the activity guide, which includes ideas for reading games and hands-on play.
"As a pediatrician, there is nothing I love more than seeing a child's delight when I hand them a book," said Dr. Tatum Sohlberg, a pediatrician at Daly City Health Center. "It reinforces our counseling to avoid spending the summer on an iPad or watching TV when we can hand the child an alternative activity that they are excited about."
Kara Ramos, a nurse practitioner at the same clinic, said she was thrilled to have additional tools to support early childhood education and noted that patients light up when they receive their kits.
What's next
All 230 kits have been distributed. The medical center has not announced whether the program will return next summer.
San Mateo Medical Center's Fair Oaks Health Center will host a free Community Health Fair on Wednesday, July 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 2710 Middlefield Road in Redwood City.
Daly City Health Center, where Dr. Sohlberg and Ramos practice, offers extended pediatric hours on Mondays from 5 to 9 p.m. Appointments can be made at (650) 301-8600.
