Shared book reading and the home literacy environment: a worldwide study using Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Abstract We investigated the impact of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a program that distributes age-appropriate books monthly to children from birth to age five, on the home literacy environment (HLE). Caregivers enrolled in the program in the United States, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom completed surveys at three time points: (1) prior to receiving any books (baseline survey; n = 86,206); (2) six months after the baseline survey (survey 2; n = 35,435); and (3) six months after survey 2 (survey 3; n = 18,112). The HLE was assessed using items that asked about the frequency and duration of shared book reading, the number of children’s books in the home, and the child's age when shared book reading began. Responses from caregivers who completed all three surveys ( n = 18,112; Imagination Library group) were compared to those in a comparison group who had completed the baseline survey but had not yet received any books ( n = 37,776). Caregivers with children in the program were significantly more likely to read to their child four or more days per week and have more children’s books in the home than caregivers with children in the comparison group. These results suggest that participation in the program can enhance the HLE.