1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

Did you know that reading aloud to your child is the best way to prepare them for reading and writing success in school? The time before a child enters kindergarten is crucial for language and brain development, and for fostering a lifelong love of reading.

1,000 Books for Kindergarten is an easy, fun and free program that encourages you to read one thousand books with your child before he or she begins kindergarten. Any child birth to five years can participate.

The idea is simple, and the rewards are priceless. Read a book to your newborn, infant, or toddler. Keep track of the number of books you’ve read. The goal is to read 1,000 books before your child starts kindergarten.

It’s easy to read 1,000 books before kindergarten! If you read just 1 book a night, you will have read 365 books in one year—that’s 730 books in two years and 1,095 books in three years.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is a self-paced program. You decide how often and how long you read. The key is perseverance! Celebrate milestones with us at the library as you make progress, and above all, read and enjoy with your child!

1. Get started: Visit us at the Front Desk to pick up a starter kit. You can also begin now by printing your first reading log (see below).
2. Track your reading: Log the books you read with your child on the log sheet in your starter packet. You can log any book read to your child—that includes books read by siblings, teachers, and librarians. And, yes, you can record the same book as many times as you read it!
3. Milestones: At every 100 book milestone, bring your log in to the library. We will hand out a milestone sticker and a log sheet for the next one hundred books.
4. YOU DID IT! When you reach 1,000 books, your child will receive a certificate of achievement and a surprise. Now KEEP READING!

Need some reading recommendations? No problem! Ask our friendly staff for suggestions.