Dolly Parton Imagination Library

Supporting Early Literacy

Early literacy is so important, especially now. The pandemic is widening resource gaps as families deal with the unanticipated economic and social impacts. The long-term impact will disproportionately affect those already most vulnerable. Millions of children have limited or no access to text. Some of the most critical years of a child’s life are during early childhood; early brain development has a lasting impact on a child’s ability to learn, and to succeed in school and in life.
Research has shown that children enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library increased kindergarten readiness by 28.9%, and has been linked to significantly stronger reading skills from kindergarten to 3rd grade, an entire four years after participating.