All over the state, Tennessee’s Imagination Library is celebrating the fact that more than 24 million books have been mailed to Tennessee babies, toddlers and preschoolers since 2004. And the program is still growing!
Since Tennessee’s Imagination Library began statewide in 2004, more than 1 million children have enjoyed story time with beloved classics like “The Little Engine That Could” and “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” Caregivers cherish those special bonding moments with their little ones, and children take great pride in creating their own personal library of up to 60 books in the years leading up to their first day of school – the years during which 80 percent of a child’s brain develops.
In a child’s early years, the brain is developing 700 synapses per second.
What an opportune time to expose them to age-appropriate, high-quality books! The experience of having books and reading them with a caring adult during these first five years will shape children’s lives, sparking a love for further reading and learning. Research shows that simply having books in the home can make a sizable difference in a child’s later academic performance.
We are truly fortunate to have a unique public-private partnership supported by the Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation (GBBF), the state of Tennessee and private donors that gives all of Tennessee’s children under 5 access to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Participants receive one age-appropriate book a month, mailed to their homes, at no cost to families and regardless of income.
The Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation’s corporate partners recognize both the educational and economic value of this program.
One corporate partner, Amazon, has five facilities in the state and has created more than 7,000 full-time jobs for Tennesseans. Since 2012, the company has invested nearly $100,000 in Tennessee’s Imagination Library, split among the counties where Amazon has its fulfillment centers. Amazon also made a deliberate, proactive effort to ensure that children of its employees are signed up to receive the books by hosting on-site workplace registration events. One such event last year generated the highest level of registrants in Tennessee’s Imagination Library history. Additionally, sign-up drives will again be taking place in the coming weeks at Amazon for its employees.
In addition to Amazon, we are grateful to all GBBF corporate partners, including Delta Dental of Tennessee, The Dollar General Literacy Foundation, Nissan North America, Inc., and the Verizon Foundation. These companies have shown tremendous support for their communities, and we hope to welcome more corporate partners in our initiative to increase early literacy for Tennessee’s youngest residents.
As recent research into the program’s effectiveness is proving, there is even more to celebrate.
Imagination Library enrollees begin kindergarten better prepared to read and learn than non-participants, regardless of their economic backgrounds. Participants have demonstrated stronger speaking and vocabulary skills, improved math and cognitive skills, and more positive social-emotional behaviors. Children who participated in the program were also more likely to score higher on literacy assessments, even well into the third grade, a critical year for children to have learned to read, in order to succeed in higher grades in reading to learn.
For Amazon and other corporate investors, efforts to make the Imagination Library broadly accessible to Tennessee families is a win-win for everyone – for our children, their families and their future employers and for the future of our state. Thank you for committing your time, talent and resources to your local county Imagination Library program. Together, we are building a foundation for reading and learning through these books for Tennessee children!
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Tennessee First Lady Crissy Haslam helps to promote the Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation, which administers a unique public-private partnership to offer Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library statewide. Donate or register a child at GovernorsFoundation.org.