Becky Fortune, Title-1 Family Liaison and Little Steps program coordinator at
Welches School, still has her copy of Watty Piper’s “The Little Engine That
Could.”

And now copies of that book could be on the shelves of preschool children all
over the Mountain and throughout the school district, thanks to Dolly Parton’s
Imagination Library.

The program, now in its second year, is free for any children ages 0-5 who
register, and families with multiple qualifying children can enroll them all.
Every month, each child will receive a free hard-cover book until their fifth
birthday.

“It’s really good if you can instill a love of reading early on,” Fortune said. “It
makes learning to read so much easier.”

Fortune notes that kids who get read to on a regular basis typically pick up
the alphabet quicker, and kids can benefit from even just sitting and looking
at pictures or retelling a story based on the pictures.

“Kids that are read to at home do better when they start school,” Fortune
said.

The program, now in its second year in the school district, is sponsored locally
by the Oregon Trail Education Foundation.

For more information or to register, visit oregontrailschools.com/otef/.
Fortune also noted the first meeting for Little Steps to School Success, a
yearly program that introduces preschool students to the school setting, will
be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, at the Welches School,
24901 E. Salmon River Road.

The program is free and open to children who turned three by Aug. 31, 2014
and meets four times during the school year.

Meetings last one hour and feature a kindergarten teacher reading to the
children, a free book for each child, activities for parents and children, plus
strategies for parents to help enhance their child’s reading experience. For
more information call 503-622-3165.