Country legend and literacy advocate Dolly Parton is helping to kick off YouTube Kids Reading Month, an annual initiative aiming to encourage children’s love of reading. Parton, who has been a passionate advocate for literacy for decades inspired by her own father’s inability to read and write, has created a specially curated playlist for kids and families to enjoy. In 1995 she started the Imagination Library, a book gifting program that mails free books to children from birth to age five in participating communities to ensure that all kids have the opportunity to cultivate their love of reading. You can check out Dolly’s playlist here or if you are viewing from a desktop, then please take a look here.
In addition to Dolly Parton’s playlist, there will be a selection of other playlists debuting throughout Reading Month including a fun compilation ofcelebrity #Readalongs including Jimmy Fallon, Viola Davis, and Kristen Bell as they read their favorite children’s books. To view the playlist in the YouTube Kids app click here and view here if you are viewing from a desktop computer. Nickelodeon sensation Jojo Siwa is also trying to rally kids by sharing her zeal for reading with the Nickelodeon playlist which you can view here and here if you need to view from a desktop.
More About YouTube Kids Reading Month
From early literacy learning to read-alongs of favorite kids books, Reading Month on YouTube Kids aims to unlock literacy for children around the world. The month-long initiative will kick-off in the U.S., and select global territories this August, enabling kids to explore the magic of the written word and #ReadAlong with YouTube Kids.
Beyond the fun playlists, YouTube Kids will also introduce “Word of the Day,” where viewers will see a special tile in their Recommended category. Once clicked on, they will be directed to a screen which will introduce them to a new “word of the day” with an associated video displayed below.
More About YouTube Kids
The YouTube Kids app is the first Google product built from the ground up with kids in mind. The app makes it easier for children to find videos on topics they want to explore and is available for free on Google Play and the App store. YouTube Kids continues to put parents in the driver’s seat withadditional parental controls that allow parents to choose what is right for their family.