- April 18, 2024
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Books surrounded Kori Cousley as she sat on the floor at the Vivid Scope Early Childhood Center, where her mother, Melissa, is the director. As the toddler opened and closed the interactive pages of “Where’s Spot?” by Eric Hill, high pitched squeaks of laughter shot through the room. It is her favorite book.
Cousley is one of 349 kids in Flagler County to be registered in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Flagler County.
This month, the local Imagination Library, which was originally started as a community service project of Leadership Flagler Class 18, celebrated two years.
The program sends a book a month to those registered until their 5th birthday. Any baby born after Sept. 1, 2010, who resides in Flagler County, is eligible to participate for this free program.
For Melissa Cousley, the monthly book in the mail often comes at the perfect time.
“Reading books to children from birth makes such a big difference in their academic success,” said Cousley, who was also part of the leadership class that founded the local project. “If a parent can’t afford to purchase books this gives them an option. (Kori) gets really excited when she sees me come in with the mail and she knows that it’s a book for her.”
But excitement is not the only thing that these monthly books have done for Kori. Melissa has also seen an intellectual progression in her daughter.
“I know that when she picks up books, she uses concepts of print; she turns the pages left to right, holds the book right side up – which is huge for preschool ,” Cousley said.
The Imagination Library is funded locally by community donations; a child can be sponsored for $30 per year.
The set order of books mailed begins with “The Little Engine That Could” and ends with “Look Out, Kindergarten, Here I Come.”
“As a parent you tend to buy a specific theme that your child likes,” Cousley said. “But the variety sent out by the program opens up the kids up to something different each month.”
To register for the program, visit www.flaglerimaginationlibrary.org. Donations can also be made through the website.
