Table 5:

Themes and representative quotations identified during interviews with enhanced Reach Out and Read arm participants

Theme	Representative quotes
The text messages reinforced the ROR message and encouraged shared reading	“It was like a pleasant surprise when I got the text. Sometimes, I was having like a rough day and it just so happened to be what I would consider… like a motivation … there were days, you know in the beginning it was a little rough because I would read and she would fall asleep, I’m like, ‘okay like what do I do?’ and then I would get the texts and… I don’t know how to describe it, just it made me feel a little better I think.” P97 “I liked getting them I guess in a way to like help… push me to like read with her more and to keep on track with that cause I was just starting to read with her so I wasn’t used to like reading with her every day and stuff like that so it helped me do so.” P50 “They helped me connect with my child and helped me focus on more about [my] child” P93 “Because it encourages you to read more with him, spend more, like, time with him. It helps to get to know him.” P 130
Competing priorities and interactions with family members prevented some parents from reading regularly with their children despite the messages	“I did read the messages and I…I knew that it was good to sit down and read with your kids or do activities with your kids. If I had a lot of time I would do it. I would do everything that it says we should; reading to kids is very good, spending time together with the kids is also very important as is doing activities with them. Or when you’re doing chores around the house, you should tell the baby what it is your doing or what this is and what that is. Yeah, I don’t know. To me it’s very interesting. Well, yeah, if I had the time during the week, I would do it. I would do everything that it says. I do whatever I can. But to try and spend time to read, in reality no. I can’t spend too much time there.” P63 “Well, being a mom is not easy. It’s a bit complicated, right. Doing all the chores around the house and when I’m done doing everything I have to spend time with him and be with him. So, sometimes it’s not possible…to devote more time with him.” P80 “A few weeks ago, I’ll be honest. They changed my work schedule, I sleep less, I have a lot of things that I have to take care of on my own. Honestly, it’s been a few weeks that I haven’t read.” P84 “I hoped to make a schedule. But the circumstances didn’t allow me to, because where he sleeps, in his crib, is in our room. It’s next to our bed, so when my husband is watching TV that doesn’t allow me to sit and read with him. I would have to read with him in a different spot, and then take him to bed, so it would be uncomfortable because if it would be in his crib I would show him the book and he would be able to fall asleep there, but since it’s somewhere else it’s really not as easy as the doctor tells me, as she suggests. And I have not been able to create that habit.” P123
The benefits of the messages extended beyond shared reading	“Because I would learn. Every message had some content that would help me to read to my son.” P103 “Because it kind of shows that, even though it was a study and stuff like that, people still kind of care and this is a helpful thing that you guys are doing as well.” P107 “…it gave me the incentive or the push that I needed to begin with book activities with my son, and I am pleased, satisfied, thankful, I love it.” P117 “I really liked, I liked it a lot, the messages. And that you have an interest in us learning and the fact that you would be checking in, I liked that a lot. I thank you for that.” P95