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A report published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in 2012 indicates that children who cannot read proficiently in the third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school prior to graduating.
The United States Census reports that 10% of Ohio adults do not have a high school diploma. And according to the Seeds of Literacy, an adult literacy center in Cleveland, an adult without a high school diploma earns 42% less compared to an adult who has received a diploma. Additionally, the percentage of adults without a high school diploma who live in poverty is twice as high compared to adults who have a high school diploma.
A strong literacy foundation can prepare Ohio’s youngest learners for lifelong success.
Developing literacy begins at birth. By the age of three, a child’s brain is already 80% developed. And by the time a child enters kindergarten, he or she must already know thousands of words in order to succeed in the classroom⁽¹⁾. Reading aloud to a child and giving them access to books is the best way to ensure they are prepared to enter kindergarten.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio is sending a free age-appropriate book each month to kids enrolled in the program. Research has shown that a child with 25 books in the home completes an average of two additional years of schooling compared to their peers without books in their home⁽²⁾.
Literacy is a lifelong skill that is essential to functioning in today’s society. It is one of the of the single greatest predictors of a person’s ability to succeed.
EARLY LITERACY MATTERS
Why Is Early Childhood Literacy Important?
RESEARCH AND OUTCOMES
Dozens of studies have shown high satisfaction rates, as well as positive correlations in home literacy environments, attitudes towards reading, and early literacy skills among children and families participating in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
SUCCESS IN OHIO
Several local studies in Ohio have shown many positive impacts the books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library have on children and families enrolled in the program.
Cuyahoga County:
The Center for Community Solutions published an impact report in partnership with The Literacy Cooperative (Cuyahoga County’s affiliate) showing a correlation between participation in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and higher Kindergarten Readiness Assessment scores. After surveying caregivers who had a child enrolled in the program, findings included:
83% of families living in higher poverty zip codes report they are reading together more often since enrolling in Imagination Library.
Nearly half (48%) of responses from the higher poverty zip codes report that Imagination Library books make-up 75% or more of their home library.
88% of respondents felt that participation in the program was helping their child better prepare for kindergarten.
Click here to download Cuyahoga County’s Impact Report.
Hamilton County:
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, in partnership with Cincinnati Public Schools and Reach Out and Read, partnered together in 2015 to increase the number of books children have in the home by providing access to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Among kindergarten classes at Cincinnati Public Schools, Kindergarten Readiness Assessments rose by 15.4% among kids who participated in the program for only three years. Scores rose from 42.9% in the 2016-2017 incoming kindergarten class to 58.3% in the 2018-2019 incoming kindergarten class.
Click here to download the summary.
Logan County:
In 2021, the United Way of Logan County (Logan County’s affiliate) partnered with three public school districts in Logan County to measure the possible impact Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library had on Kindergarten Readiness Assessment scores.
One question was added to the kindergarten application in the Bellefontaine City Schools, Benjamin Logan Local Schools, and Indian Lake Schools: “Was your child enrolled in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library? Yes or no?” In Logan County, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has been available since 2017.
Each school then compared the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment scores of the students who received books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library with those who did not. Those who received book from the Imagination Library as preschoolers tested 21% better on their Kindergarten Readiness Assessment than those who did not.
Click here to download the summary.
Lorain County:
The Center for Community Solutions published an impact report in partnership with the Community Foundation of Lorain County (Lorain County’s affiliate) indicating a high satisfaction and increase in reading among current program participants in Lorain County. The impact report showed:
95% of respondents appreciated the uniqueness, variety, and diversity of the Imagination Library books.
More than half (54%) respondents noted that their child(ren) asked to be read to more often while receiving books from the Imagination Library.
Over 80% of respondents believe that participation in the program has been helping their child better prepare for kindergarten.
Click here to download the full impact report, and click here for the one-page summary.
Warren County:
The University of Cincinnati’s Economics Center conducted a cost-benefit analysis of the Warren County Imagination Library. The analysis utilized costs assumed by the Warren County Imagination Library program illustrating the lifetime economic impact of the program for the community.
The analysis indicated substantial benefits to its participants and community through the book gifting program, including an additional 1,065 students performing as “demonstrating readiness” on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment after participating in the Warren County Imagination Library. This increase also shows positive correlations with more participants passing the Grade 3 English Language Arts assessment, as well as a higher graduation rate throughout the county.
The analysis also shows a positive correlation among participants going on to receive higher education, as well as a higher annual income.
For every $1.00 invested in the Warren County Imagination Library, the program is estimated to generate an additional $1.61 in net annual economic and societal benefits, or a total of $2.61 annually. In total, the benefits of participating in the Warren County Imagination Library translate to a total annual benefit of more than $1.5 million for the county.
Click here to download the full cost-benefit analysis.
SUCCESS IN TENNESSEE
The Imagination Library has been available to every child in Tennessee for more than 20 years. A 2014 study of Tennessee’s statewide implementation of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library found that children who participated scored significantly higher on Kindergarten Literacy Assessments than their non-participating peers and this trend continued into the third grade. Additionally, families who participated in the program reported reading together more as a family than families who did not receive books from the Imagination Library.
(1) Hart, B. and Risley, T. (2016). The Early Catastrophe: The 30 Million Word Gap by Age 3. 1st ed. Batlimore, MD: Brookes Publishing, pp.4-9.
(2) University of Nevada, Reno. "Books in home as important as parents' education in determining children's education level." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 21 May 2010.
Partnerships
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio has several ongoing initiatives to promote greater awareness and enrollment in the program.
Newborn Enrollment
In 2021, Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine asked hospitals across the state to partner with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio to increase newborn enrollment in the program.
Since then, many hospitals across Ohio have been providing information about the Imagination Library and helping parents enroll newborns before being discharged from the hospital.
“It was important for us to create a clear and inviting way to encourage new parents to enroll. We give the parents of all our Buckeye Babies a packet of vital information when they arrive on the unit. We were excited to create a flyer about the Imagination Library and begin including it in those materials. Beyond that, we wanted to make signing up as quick and easy as possible.”
Candy Engel, Nurse Manager at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Why enroll a newborn?
We know that it’s never too early to begin reading to a child. Brain science shows that a child’s brain is already 80% developed by age three. Those first three years are so critical for a child’s development.
When a newborn is enrolled, he/she will receive the full 60 books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio before entering kindergarten! Each book is selected by a panel of early childhood literacy experts and are age-appropriate. Newborns will receive books containing bright visions and minimal text.
More information about how Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library selects the books, as well as the current Imagination Library book list, can be found at ImaginationLibrary.com.
Hospitals looking to partner with Ohio’s Imagination Library should email Catherine.Sulecki@ohgil.org to receive more information.
Storybook Trails
In 2019, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio partnered with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) to launch the Storybook Trails program. The partnership promotes the importance of literacy, a healthy lifestyle, and connecting with nature.
“Ohio's Storybook Trails are a great way for families to spend time together! It gives families an opportunity to explore one of Ohio’s many state parks and enjoy an Imagination Library book together!”
Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine
There are 21 Storybook Trails located in Ohio State Parks for families and children to explore together. Each Storybook Trail is a half-mile walking path with pages of a children’s book on child-height panels. Many of the trails feature a book from the Imagination Library collection.
Learn more about Ohio’s Storybook Trails at ohiodnr.gov.
Ohio Department Of Rehabilitation & Correction
Starting in December 2021, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio partnered with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) to promote the importance of early childhood literacy to incarcerated persons and families visiting all of Ohio’s 28 institutions.
“Having the Imagination Library in our facilities aligns directly with our efforts to maintain and strengthen family bonds. This partnership gives the men and women in our prisons a chance to actively participate in their child’s early education. Everyone has heard the saying that education is the secret to success, and reading is truly the foundation.”
ODRC Director Annette Chambers-Smith
The goal of the partnership is to promote enrollment in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio, increase awareness for the importance of early childhood literacy, and offer incarcerated persons a unique opportunity to create a stronger relationship with their children and family.
All 28 institutions have rebranded the visiting rooms to reflect elements of the Imagination Library. Each visiting room includes murals drawn by incarcerated persons at the institution.
Additionally, each institution receives monthly books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which correspond with the books being delivered to children’s mailboxes. That way, children can read the same Imagination Library book they received at their home with their loved one at an institution.
Many institutions also offer incarcerated persons the opportunity to record themselves reading an Imagination Library book, which is then sent to their child. The video can be used while the child is reading their copy of the Imagination Library book at home.
Information about the Imagination Library continues to be distributed to ODRC employees, incarcerated persons, and visiting families through internal portals, online, and paper handouts.
Luncheon
Livestream
WELCOME TO OHIO, DOLLY!
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio and Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine welcomed Dolly Parton in 2022 to celebrate the success of her Imagination Library program in Ohio.
