Hart County Imagination Library

You can sign your child up here!

Check the availability of in your area and register your child today! Free to children ages 0-5 through funding shared by Dolly Parton and our incredible local community partners. https://imaginationlibrary.com/check-availability/

Happy Birthday Dr Seuss, today is your day! ABS data is waiting, so come have a play! 🐱🎩

Longitudinal studies consistently show that shared read-aloud time in early childhood is one of the strongest predictors of later literacy and academic success.

Research published in Developmental Psychology and Child Development demonstrates that children who experience frequent, high-quality read-alouds enter school with stronger vocabulary, narrative comprehension, and phonological awareness, even when socioeconomic factors are controlled.

At the same time, population-level data show that this protective practice is declining. National Household Education Surveys from the National Center for Education Statistics indicate that the percentage of four-year-olds read to daily by a family member dropped from roughly sixty percent in the early 2000s to closer to fifty percent by the mid-2010s. That decline has continued to be a concern in subsequent reporting, particularly among families under greater time and economic pressure.

This matters because read-alouds do more than support literacy. They strengthen attention, working memory, and sustained engagement by requiring children to hold information in mind, follow narrative structure, and remain regulated in shared focus with an adult. They also strengthen the caregiver-child relationship. That sense of safety and connection lowers stress, supports emotional regulation, and increases a child’s willingness to engage, persist, and learn.

Learning does not happen separate from relationship. It depends on it. ❤

Happy ! Share which Imagination Library books are filling the shelves of your baby’s growing library! (📸: Elizabeth P.)

As this year comes to a close, we’re filled with gratitude for every child reached, every story shared, and every moment of imagination sparked along the way. 📚

Thank you to our partners, supporters, and families for helping to inspire a love of reading all year long. Here’s to turning the page together and welcoming a new year full of stories still to come! ✨

Thanks Hart County for helping to send over 1,000 books a month to Hart County Children under 5 years old. Our Low Country Boil was successful because of you!