Read With Me is an early childhood literacy and school readiness program that sends participating children books from birth through age five, and helps inspire a love of reading and prepare children for kindergarten.

There remain persistent challenges in Howard County with children not receiving appropriate literacy exposure prior to kindergarten (only 54% of children demonstrate kindergarten readiness, MD Department of Education, 2023), and delays in the early years of education are difficult to overcome. In 2018, Bright Minds established Read With Me – Howard County as the local affiliate for Dolly Parton’s nationally-recognized Imagination Library. Each month, participating children from birth to age five receive an age-appropriate book through the mail.