It's Time To Read To Your Kids!
United Way of Southwest Michigan offers Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library FREE to kids ages 0 – 5. Since 2009 United Way of Southwest Michigan has provided access to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program to many area preschoolers. Now, with community support and other partner funding any Berrien or Cass County preschooler can get an age-appropriate book mailed to their home each month.
The program is provided at no cost to the families. They simply sign up online at www.uwsm.org/dpil or print out a registration form and mail it in. If the family does not have internet access, they can call United Way at 269-982-1700 and ask to have information mailed to them. The information is also available at all area libraries.
“The best way to get kids to want to read is to read to them,” said United Way President Anna Murphy. “When kids are ready to read and excited about learning, they have a better chance of succeeding in school and in life.”
The Frederick S. Upton Foundation provided funding for Dolly Parton Imagination Library for children in areas throughout Berrien County that did not receive other funding.
"This program helps parents and children learn about the importance of early literacy. We are happy to be able to get books in the hands of small children and help them be ready to go to school," said Steve Upton, President of the Frederick S. Upton Foundation.
Why Read? – It really is fundamental
Many studies have linked children’s success in reading and early literacy to their success in school. The Imagination Library program is one of United Way’s education efforts to help get children ready to learn by the time they enter Kindergarten.
“The statistical research and results backing the success of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library are truly incredible,” said United Way Director of Impact Strategies Rachel Wade. “In studies where children had access to Imagination Library, overall kids who participated in the program scored higher in kindergarten readiness than children who did not participate.”
Some of the areas tested included reading, speaking, social and thinking skills, following directions, staying on task, story comprehension and overall school preparedness. In Allegan County, a parent survey of Imagination Library participants showed that 93 percent of participating parents read to their children every day and 46 percent of parents said they read to their children more because of Imagination Library.
What Do Parents Think
In Benton Harbor, Angel Ash’s son Rhyse is only fifteen months old but he already loves taking part in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. When the book arrives, they unwrap it together and then read it right away, Angel said “He has his own little bookshelf and now he’s getting to an age where he’ll actually select a book on his own and bring it to me to read to him,” she said. Once when she walked into the living room and Rhyse had pulled out a book all on his own and was sitting in the middle of the room, turning the pages and enjoying the pictures inside of babies making faces.
What she loves about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is that it fosters an early love of reading. Angel says “the main thing is starting the process of having the habit at birth; that is ultimately the most important thing…young children do not have a long attention span so just be patient; eventually the kid will bring the book to you. Then, take the time to stop what you’re doing and give the child your full attention.”
She also believes the program empowers parents because “a lot of parents don’t take the time or don’t realize how important early reading is and without a doubt, this program is going to make a positive impact on every child who participates.”
What We Know About Reading - Can we REALLY link One Fish Two Fish to prison?
The problem with illiteracy - We know that 25 to 40 percent of American children have a difficult time in school because they don’t read well enough, quickly enough or easily enough. National statistics also tell us that 85 percent of all kids in juvenile detention are functionally illiterate and more than 60 percent of prison inmates are functionally illiterate.
We know that 90 percent of welfare recipients are high school dropouts and 43 percent of adults at Level 1 literacy skill live in poverty compared to only 4 percent who are at a Level 5 literacy.
There is also a dollar cost – it is estimated that $2 billion is spent each year on students who must repeat a grade level because of literacy issues. One study linked low-literacy levels to direct health care costs at $73 million per year. A recent study by Pfizer put the cost much higher.In Berrien County, almost 20 percent of fourth graders are not meeting reading standards.
On the bright side – Children who read regularly with their parents begin reading earlier than their peers. Children who are read to show more interest in reading and have higher vocabulary and grammar skills.
We know that children develop much of their capacity to learn in the first three years of life and the biggest factor in determining the ease at which a child will learn to read is not intelligence but the interaction that child has with their environment.
In fact, one study showed that simply sending kids home with 12 books to read over the summer seemed to have as much impact as summer school on “summer slide.”
Basically, children who are comfortable reading and have higher literacy skills, do better in school, Wade explained. “Because of that, they are more likely to succeed in life and that is what United Way wants to see,” she said. “It starts very young and it can be as simple as taking the time to sit down and read books.”
