Dolly Parton Imagination Library
Supporting early literacy at home for young child
EarlyEd has an ongoing partnership with United Way Australia to deliver the Ready to Read Dolly Parton Imagination Library book gift program since our involvement with the Huddle in 2019 https://huddlecommunity.org.au/
Ready to Read Dolly Parton Imagination Library program funding support delivers free books to a child’s door every month!! Research by United Way Australia and Macquarie University shows that children in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library have a significant head start in their lifelong learning journey.” https://unitedway.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/UWA_ReadingCulture_A4_web.pdf
During July-Dec 2024, because of book funding in Cumberland Area, EarlyEd used its connections with families because of the work of we were undertaking through our NSW DEPT Start Strong Pathways program to organise for 149 books to be mailed to children aged 0-5 years living in these suburbs.
United Way helps promote the program and to find organisations/businesses to fund the Imagination Library. Funding means that each month, children from birth to age five who are enrolled receive a high-quality, age-appropriate book in the mail, free of charge.
EarlyEd’s impact through the Imagination Library
EarlyEd’s partnership approach is underpinned by adding in supports that focus on ensuring parents have the confidence and capability to use the books from the library. Having early literacy books in the home creates an opportunity for families to learn and feel confident when exposed to books and how to make it an engaging experience for their child. We recognise that some parents have had limited early literacy experiences themselves.
Know how to use a book
EarlyEd’s speech pathologist, Kerry Dominish and specialist early educator Kylie Holding, have had the privilege of writing “tip sheets” that accompany each book to guide parents when reading the book to their child. These share strategies that help the whole family to know how to engage with a particular book. They highlight features of the book that can be used to support engagement and ways to share the literacy experiences across the day.
EarlyEd, United Way and the Imagination Library in 2023 created resource videos to assist and support anyone reading a story or conducting a Storytime at playgroup, the library, education service or a community group. The videos were developed to help educators learn how to improve their reading and story time skills and help to draw children in to learning and reading.
The videos can be found here https://imaginationlibrary.com.au/tag/educators
Meet Seta our fabulous storyteller demonstrate
- How to start Story Time and setting the scene.
https://imaginationlibrary.com.au/how-to-start-storytime-setting-the-scene/ - How to exposure children to early literacy experiences. https://imaginationlibrary.com.au/how-to-expose-children-to-early-literacy-experiences/
- Bringing Words to Life.
https://imaginationlibrary.com.au/bringing-words-to-life/
- Creating an Inclusive Story Time
- https://imaginationlibrary.com.au/creating-an-inclusive-story-time/
Give a Gift
Every time a business or organisation donates $9 per month or $108 per year, we can arrange for another child to receive books in their home. For more information about how you can help to fund a child to receive free books into their home please contact EarlyEd.
