United Way reading program for kids hits milestone

Reading to babies, toddlers and preschool children helps prepare them for kindergarten and high school graduation, early-education advocates say.

Helping bridge learning gaps early is the mission of the United Way of Tarrant County’s Imagination Library Program, which this month distributed its 100,000th book.

Organizers are celebrating the milestone as they remind families in 23 ZIP codes to sign up for the program.

“The program has grown tremendously,” said LaToya Stewart, the agency’s vice president of community development.

The program, which was brought to Tarrant County seven years ago, is part of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a national program that mails free books every month to enrolled youngsters from birth to age 5.

Stewart said the program helps little ones build a library of up to 60 books. It also exposes them to reading so they are ready for kindergarten. Experts believe that 85 percent of a child’s brain is developed in the first three years of life, Stewart said.

“We want them to be familiar with how to read from left to right,” Stewart said. “It also helps create a great imagination for children and expands their vocabulary.”

The titles that children receive include The Little Engine That Could and Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten. Some books are available in Spanish, according to the United Way.

This story was originally published September 25, 2015 at 4:14 PM with the headline "United Way reading program for kids hits milestone."