United Way of Pinal County - Reading by 3rd Grade Initiative

United Way of Pinal County/Reading by 3rd Grade Initiative in partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

Ages Served /Eligibility Requirements:  

Children from birth to 5 years old residing in Pinal County

Service Delivery Area: Pinal County

Brief Overview of Program: 

United Way of Pinal County's Reading by 3rd Grade Initiative is currently serving 3,300 children across all zip codes within Pinal County. Partnering with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a new, high-quality book is mailed to children under 5 each month to promote literacy and kindergarten readiness. 

The average book value is $14, and they are addressed directly to the child to enhance the excitement and love of books. Once a child turns 5, they receive their final book - Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!

Benefits of the Program: 

• Children benefit greatly from this program because it exposes them to books and encourages family members to read to them. Often the child gets excited for their new book each month and develops a love for reading and books. 
• The exposure to words and books helps develop key literacy skills so they can start kindergarten on pace and ready to learn. Children who start kindergarten with little or no literacy skills have a harder time reaching the reading by 3rd grade benchmark. This benchmark is a critical milestone for a child's education, and after 3rd grade, children are no longer taught to read - they must read to learn. 
• Only 31% of Pinal County 3rd graders are reading which is one of the lowest rates in the US. Reading to our children before kindergarten and exposing them to books gives them their best chance at educational success and ultimately, achieving their dreams.
  

To Access Services: 

Families can register their children by visiting our profile:  t.ly/_H_ZK

All families may register their children by mailing in a registration form. Certain zip codes are eligible for online registration.

Spanish Speaking Services:

Spanish books are not currently available in Arizona through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, but United Way of Pinal County sources Spanish and bilingual books and distributes them at community events. We can provide any of our services to Spanish speaking families as we have multiple bilingual staff members. 

What To Expect: 

When a family mails in a registration for the program, it may take up to 2-5 weeks to receive their first book.   

Additional Information: 

United Way of Pinal County has a variety of programs that focus on education and financial stability for everyone in Pinal County. Learn more: www.unitedwayofpc.org