- There is a reading crisis in Virginia. 40% of Virginia students cannot read proficiently by third grade—it is even worse in some communities.
- Reading is a predictor of academic and life success. When our kids cannot read, they will struggle in K-12, higher education, the workforce and life.
- The single most important factor influencing a child’s educational success is an introduction to books and being read to at home prior to starting school.
- Reading aloud to children positively impacts brain development and strengthens bonds with families and caregivers.
- Children who have access to books have increased literacy skills by kindergarten and stronger literacy outcomes.
- 60% of kindergartners that lived in neighborhoods where children did poorly in school DID NOT own a single book.
- There are book deserts across Virginia. Over 300,000+ children need access to books.
- Over 20 years ago, Dolly Parton created the Imagination Library to inspire a love of reading in children in her home county in East Tennessee. She started the program to honor her father, who was smart and hardworking, but never learned to read or write. ImaginationLibrary.com. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program for all children birth to age five from every zip code. When a child and family sign up, they receive an age-appropriate, high-quality book selected by a national panel of experts in the field of early childhood and literacy.
- A love of books and reading set children up for academic success. Together, WE can put more books in the hands of children by expanding Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in communities across Virginia. Currently, there are 69,654+ children receiving books through DPIL. Learn More about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library through DPIL.
Take Action!
Thank you for all the support! Now, we send letters to the budget conferees and ask them to make Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library a top priority. Click on the Take Action button to send your letter directly to them.