Evaluation Report: Imagination Library of Colorado
Cover photo: Dolly Parton reads to children at The Library of Congress. Photo courtesy of Jake Tate; CPR News
A newly released evaluation report from the Colorado Lab, Imagination Library of Colorado: Effects on Kindergarten Readiness and Skills, shows the program has the potential to inexpensively boost children’s early literacy skills. The Imagination Library of Colorado (ILCO) mails books monthly to children birth to age 5 at no cost to families. These books include tips to support reading and early literacy interactions between families and children.
The program, which is part of the international Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, began in Colorado in the early 2000s. It expanded considerably in 2021 when Senate Bill (SB)20-185 went into effect, subsidizing half the cost of the books. ILCO began its partnership with the Colorado Lab in 2022 to evaluate the program, as mandated in SB20-185.
Imagination Library of Colorado
- All 64 counties across Colorado enroll children in ILCO.
- English-only and Spanish/English bilingual books are provided.
- Over one-quarter (27%) of Colorado children birth to age 5 receive ILCO books each month.
- In total, over 2 million books have been distributed in Colorado.
This evaluation builds on earlier national research literature that indicates some association between book distribution programs and child outcomes. However, this Colorado-specific evaluation is one of the only studies to provide compelling evidence indicative of a positive causal effect of ILCO on kindergarten readiness. Key findings include:
- ILCO participation led to a 0.125 standard deviation higher score on the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) assessment at kindergarten entry compared to similar children in the same school who did not participate. This increase is substantial, particularly given the low cost of ILCO implementation. There were no statistically significant differences for students who were multilingual learners or free- or reduced-lunch eligible relative to their peers in the same participation group, indicating that ILCO participation appears to be broadly effective.
- ILCO participation reduced the likelihood of children scoring “well below benchmark” on the DIBELS assessment, an indicator of a potential significant reading deficiency, by between 16% and 24%. This means fewer ILCO-participating children need remedial support in reading when they enter kindergarten. This can set students on a positive reading trajectory and reduce the system, district, and school resources needed to make up early gaps.
“The results of this study suggest the Imagination Library has the potential to inexpensively boost children’s early literacy skills. These skills are important as they predict children’s later reading skills throughout elementary school,” said Dr. Kristin Klopfenstein, Executive Director of the Colorado Lab. “Other research also suggests that when students are in classes with strong readers, their own reading skills benefit. An upward trend in children’s literacy skills could compound across the early elementary years, even for students who did not participate in the Imagination Library. By maintaining or increasing the state’s investment in ILCO, Colorado could potentially decrease the number of students with significant reading deficiencies.”
To learn more about this study, please reach out to Dr. Kristin Klopfenstein.
