1000 Books Before Kindergarten Reading Challenge
Reading is a crucial part of making sure children are ready for school. The Library knows that working reading into your daily routine can be difficult. So, we offer the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge.
According to Chris Wick, director, “Experts say, ‘The single most significant factor influencing a child’s early educational success is an introduction to books and being read to at home prior to beginning school.’ The Library is the ideal place for resources and support and 1000 Books Before Kindergarten is an ideal program to help children be successful in school.”
Joining the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge is easy and it’s free. Sign up online or download the Beanstack Tracker app to get started. Then visit your local branch to pick up your starter kit complete with a tote bag to hold your library books and some fun stickers. Go home and start reading.
Any time your child reads a book or someone reads to them, log the book. Books read multiple times count. So do books heard during storytime. Listen to audiobooks? Those count, too.
By reading with your child and logging the books, they’ll earn rewards. We hope the rewards help foster a joy and excitement connected to books and reading.
The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge is done at your own pace. The goal is to work reading into your daily routine. Reading 1,000 books might seem like a lot, but if you read just one book a night, you will have read about 365 books in a year. That is 730 books in two years and 1,095 books in three years.
Reading to your child is a powerful way to boost their brain power. Sharing books helps them:
- understand the sounds letters make
- develop a bigger vocabulary
- build background knowledge
Reading also helps build social and emotional skills and sparks creativity and imagination. Reading together also provides a chance to unplug and spend time together.
Our hope is that the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge encourages a love for reading and creates a lifelong reader.
Happy reading!
