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Children Need Books...
...even before they can recite the alphabet!
In Colorado, 60% of children aren't reading at grade level. We can change this! By providing access to good, age-appropriate books Imagination Library creates strong home libraries foster a love of reading and excitement of books. Studies show that books in the home is the number one indicator of a child's success in school.
Each month, a brand-new, age-appropriate book is mailed directly to a child's home, building a strong home library. If enrolled at birth, a child will receive a 60-volume library, completely free.
While the gift of a book is simple, the studies and research behind the Imagination Library is strong and measurable: Dolly Parton's Imagination Library increases kindergarten readiness, home literacy practices, and literacy assessment scores.
Since 2005, Imagination Library has mailed more than 65,000 books in the Fruita area thanks to volunteers, businesses and friends who have donated to ensure children have access to books and build strong home libraries.
Currently, we mail more than 600 books to homes every month in Fruita, Clifton, Palisade, Debeque, Mesa, Loma, Mack and Whitewater.
If you know of a family with children under age 5 please let them know they can sign up for free books at Imagination Library!
Why Imagination Library?
COVID-19 has not only hurt our for-profit and nonprofit and school-age community, but studies show it's having a hugely negative impact on children who haven't even started school yet.
Access to schools, daycares, Montessori, libraries, and community centers has become limited and simple things like checking out books at the library aren't as available.
We're used to the term "Summer Slide" but now parents and teachers are worried about the COVID Slide - affecting even our littlest children in our community.
While our newborns and pre-kindergarten babies can't 'read', having books to experience is an important step in learning to love books and see themselves as readers.
Children under 5 need to:
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Hold books
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Turn pages
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Chew on board books
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Know that pages are turned from right to left
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Understand that words represent pictures
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Have bonding time with a parent or caregiver
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See their parents and caregivers excited about reading
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Know that the Imagination Library books arrive in the mail are gifts to keep
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View books in a positive, fun, and exciting light
Imagination Library is part of this introduction to good books.
Studies have shown our free book program helps foster a love of reading, increase kindergarten readiness and increase literacy assessment scores. The qualitative Cinncinatti study particularly shows the domino effect book gifting can have to an entire family.
How LVIL Works
We know that the simple gift of books change the life of a child, and literacy can change the trajectory of a family.
In partnership with Imagination Library of Denver, LVIL:
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Raises money to fund this program locally
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Registers local children to receive monthly books at no cost to their family
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Purchases the books through our partnership with Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which mails books to registered children
ALL children ages 4 and under, with mailing addresses in the LVIL service area are encouraged to register.
The LVIL service area currently includes Mesa County, excluding the City of Grand Junction.
Caregivers can check availability & enroll children in Imagination Library here.
Evidence
For participants consistently enrolled in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, there was a 28.9% increase in children ready for Kindergarten.
According to the LFN Measurement (Letter Naming Fluency is identified frequently as the best single indicator of risk for reading failure and it has been shown to have strong ability to predict future grade reading, vocabulary, and language).
Invest in Your Community
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Books & program cost about $2.50 - That's printing, labeling, and shipping
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Literacy is one of the single greatest predictors of a person’s ability to succeed.
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A child who can’t read well is four times more likely to drop out of high school before graduation.
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A child with more than 25 books in the home before age 5 will go to school 2 years longer
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Studies found Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library had promise with respect to developing children’s early literacy skills, as participants had more advanced skills than their classmates who did not participate in the program.
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The average retail cost for a book is $17.00
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Per child, our program costs roughly $5.00 a month