Fran DeWine promotes Ohio Imagination Library in Coshocton

COSHOCTON – Ten students in Lisa Green’s preschool class at the South Lawn Campus of Coshocton County Head Start had a special guest on Thursday.

Ohio’s First Lady Fran DeWine read “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle to the class. She asked the children questions as she read and had them count along with images in the classic picture book. Each student received a copy of the book to take home.

“I like this book because it’s very colorful and all the children love it,” DeWine said. “I find a lot of them know the story. That’s fun too, because they know what’s coming and get excited.”

DeWine made similar stops at the Head Start and Child Care Center in Fredericktown and the Mt. Gilead Public Library. The tour was to celebrate the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library reaching 300,000 enrolled kids from birth to age 5 across the state, or 43% of the state population for the age group.

The program is free to all children in the state. They receive one age-appropriate book each month in the mail. The first received is “The Little Engine that Could” and the last is “Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come.”

As of Dec. 1, there were 301,457 kids in the program, which is partnered with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Coshocton County had 1,088 children enrolled, or 47% of the eligible populace. That places it in the top 32% of Ohio counties by percentage of population.

The local affiliate partner helping to register kids and distribute books is the United Way of Coshocton County.

DeWine said about 80% of a child’s brain is developed by the time they are 3 and studies related to kindergarten readiness scores showed program participants scored higher than those not receiving the books.

“It’s a great way for our families to have that time reading and bonding together. It’s just not your mom and dad who is going to read to you, but brothers, sisters, everyone,” she said.

DeWine said she became aware of the program while babysitting her grandchildren one day when books arrived in the mail.

“It was instantly a ‘read to me’ moment. They ripped the plastic off and wanted me to read it,” DeWine said. “I thought ‘this is such a wonderful thing, wouldn’t it be great if every child in Ohio could have this opportunity to get these books in the mail and read them.’”

Susan Craddock, executive director of Coshocton County Head Start, said they try to register all of their students for the Imagination Library. About 60% to 70% are currently signed up, she said.

“A lot of times our parents don’t have transportation, they can’t get to the library, so it just gives them bonding time. Also, language and literacy are so important at this age and children using their imagination,” Craddock said of the program.

One can register at ohioimaginationlibrary.org or their local library.

llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com

@llhayhurst

740-295-3417

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Fran DeWine promotes Ohio Imagination Library in Coshocton