By the time children from families on welfare enter kindergarten, they will have heard 32 million words fewer than a classmate whose parents hold professional jobs, according to a 1995 study by Hart and Risley.For Laura Dalton of FIRST Family Service Center and Talladega County Schools Superintendent Cindy Elsberry, that statistic was more than just alarming.
It was devastating, especially to educators who spend every day trying to get children up to par.
But thanks to another partnership between the Talladega Public Library and Talladega County Schools, Imagination Library will help boost the development of children in all families.
The library, which has an ongoing partnership with Talladega City Schools, matched funding from the county to extend the program from Talladega city to the entire 35160 zip code — a move that more than doubles the number of children eligible for free books every month.
"The beauty of Imagination Library is we are able to get good literature into the homes of children as early as birth and we continue to put that literature in the home until that child begins school at age 5," Elsberry said. "We know from research that exposure to print and adults reading to their children can make a significant difference in that child’s preparation for school."
Imagination Library, a nationwide program founded by Dolly Parton, provides free age-appropriate books to children beginning at birth until they enter kindergarten.
Every month, works such as "The Little Engine that Could" and "Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come," arrive in mailboxes, giving parents a chance to spend time with their children while simultaneously aiding their verbal development.
To make the extension possible, Talladega County schools matched a donation of $7,000 provided by the Talladega Public Library.
"I was just overwhelmed when the library board said they would be able to match the generous contribution that the county Board of Education was making because that gives us the opportunity to expand in the county and reach so many more children," Dalton said. "There are a lot of children in rural areas that don’t have easy access to the library."
Particularly near Stemley, where "children can’t just walk down the street and check out a book," Imagination Library may provide the boost children need to start school on par with others, Elsberry said.
Although school-sponsored programs such as the Alabama Reading Initiative can help literacy among children in school, it isn’t always enough to help those who begin far behind.
"As good as the reading initiative is, if a child is two years delayed in language development when they arrive at our doorstep at age 5, then we’re having to back pedal to catch up," Elsberry said. "A program like Imagination Library that has the potential of impacting a child before they develop a deficit has the impact of improving lifelong learning.
"We’re just learning the earlier we can impact children, the greater their success will be while they’re in public schools and later on as adults."
For information on the free program or to enroll, contact FIRST Family Services Center at (256) 362-7254.
