3 . Every child in Montana will have a chance to get free books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library which is in partnership with the state’s first lady, Susan Gianforte.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program to improve childhood literacy and a love for reading. The program provides free age-appropriate (与年龄相符的) books to children from birth to age five, regardless of the money their family makes. By providing free books and improving early reading ability, the program hopes to improve educational outcomes and create a foundation (基础) for a lifelong love of learning in young children.

“I’m so excited to be starting my Imagination Library widely in Montana!” said Parton. “I want to send my very special thanks to first lady Susan Gianforte for her partnership in making this amazing gift available (可获得的) to children and families across the state.”

Parton’s Imagination Library will provide a free book each month to any Montana child, ages 0 to 5 years old, who is registered with the organization.

“The ability of reading and writing helps the kids a lot with their development. When parents read to their kids or when the kids read alone, books attract them, fire their imagination, and spark their curiosity,” Gianforte said.

4 . Anxieties (忧虑) about children and reading are not unusual, but news that fewer than half of those aged between 8 and 18 admit to actually enjoying it — the lowest level since 2005 — should raise a red flag. The survey, conducted by the National Literacy Trust ahead of World Book Day last Thursday, also showed a worrying picture of growing inequality.

10% of 3,000 parents interviewed across the UK said they were too stressed to read to their child because of economic pressures. And the percentage doubled among those who described themselves as struggling with financial problems. However, the sales data for the last year, released by an organization called Nielsen BookScan, showed a 15% increase in the overall number of children’s books sold compared with 2019. If poorer families are spending less of the money invested in children’s reading, it follows that richer families must be investing more.

Therefore, what is to be done? At a time of financial stress, libraries have a key role to play. A positive sign that they are doing so came with borrowing figures for last year. Libraries are where children of all ages go to choose books for themselves, different from bookshops, which is always influenced by parents’ budgets and tastes.

This is why the libraries are such an important part of the reading ecology. However, libraries have long been in the frontline (前线) of cuts to public services, especially libraries in schools. While prisons in the UK have libraries, primary schools are not. The result, according to one survey, is that 14% of kids have no library space at all. This disadvantage is more serious in the north of England, where children’s reading scores are lower.

As Children’s Prize winner in 2021, the author Cressida Cowell wrote an open letter to the prime minister, Boris Johnson, calling for an annual investment of £100 million a year in primary school libraries. Her demand should be taken seriously, as it directly meets the needs of children most badly affected by the cost of living crisis.

5 . For many kids, reading doesn’t come easily. For parents, they can read with their kids often, and trying these simple ways can help their kids become excited about reading.

    1     Kids are more likely to read something that interests them. For example, comics or joke books can be a fun pick for them. Once children are comfortable with reading, parents can encourage other options with a variety of more challenging content.

Read and reread.     2     Repetition is good! It helps them learn the text and in time read it with confidence. Each new reading of the book also may help them notice something new and understand the story a little better. And that positive experience can inspire them to try new books.

Read aloud. Reading aloud to kids helps them build their vocabulary, introduces new facts and ideas, and helps them connect sounds with letters on the page. By reading with kids, parents also show they enjoy reading for fun themselves!     3    

Create opportunities to read and write beyond the pages. It is necessary for parents to provide kids with many chances to read every day. Parents can write notes and leave them on children’s pillows, in a lunchbox or in a pocket. Parents can also ask friends and relatives to send postcards, letters, emails or text messages.     4     And parents may find children also creating words, sentences and stories. Teaching children to make a thank-you note in return for a thoughtful gift is useful, too.

Get help if parents are worried. If parents are concerned about their children’s abilities or willingness to read, they can get help.     5     The experts may be able to suggest ways to help children to get excited about reading.

7 . How can we make learning and reading fun again? How can we get our children excited to open a book? Or explore a new subject? Here are some ideas we used. Besides, these don’t just work for kids!     1    . So, try them for everyone in your family!

Find Fun Bookmarks

    2    . Have kids color them in and tell your kids to put one in the next good book they want to read, and you’ve instantly created a more fun experience.

    3    

Do you have a super comfortable place in your home just for reading? Perhaps it’s time to make one! Throw blankets on the floor or make a permanent window seat where anyone can go to enjoy a good book. By making your home suitable for reading, you’ll be setting the stage for lifelong readers.

Get Into a Program

Most libraries have a reading program that ends in a prize especially in the summer. If your kids don’t have one, make your own reading challenge or program.     4    . It will be the perfect end of summer to celebrate their accomplishment!

Model Learning

If you want your kids to become lifelong learners and readers, they should see their parents doing it too. The truth is that we do what is modeled for us, not what someone tells us to do.     5    . You can take the step further by talking to your kids about the books you enjoy, or the new information you learned today. They will love sharing ideas and you’ll be creating an environment that benefits them for a lifetime.

9 . Being able to read is an important skill in today’s society. It is important because it develops the mind and imagination. A person who knows how to read can educate themselves in any area of life they are interested in.

Reading is an active mental process that improves your concentration and focus. Since you must concentrate in order to read, this requires you to focus and think about what you are reading.     1    

Studies show if you don’t use your memory, it becomes more and more difficult to remember things.     2     It requires you to remember details, facts and figures, plot lines, themes and characters.

The more you read, the more knowledgeable you become and with more knowledge comes more confidence. Reading about the diversity of life and exposing yourself to new ideas and more information help to develop the creative side of the brain and bring innovations (创新) into your thinking process.     3     When you are well read, people will look to you for answers. Then your feelings about yourself get better. Even more confidence!

When you are reading books, especially challenging ones, you will probably find yourself exposed to many new words. Do you remember when you learned to read, how you learned to figure out the meaning of one word by reading the other words in the sentence?     4    

Reading can help you get access to the diversity of ethnicity (民族特点) of people, their customs and their lifestyles. You’ll become more aware of different places.     5     Reading really widens your horizon (视野) of information, so you’ll always have something to talk about.