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Would you like to help your baby, toddler, or preschooler become a great reader?
With the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program the concept is simple and the rewards are priceless!
Read a book (any book) to your child. Make it a daily activity. Read 1,000 books together before your young one starts kindergarten and earn prizes along the way!
Research shows that sharing books, conversations, and songs with young children builds their language skills, contributes to their healthy development, gives them the skills they need to succeed in school, and helps them learn to love reading.
Reaching 1,000 books is easier than you think!
3 books a day for 1 year = 1,095 books or 1 book a day for 3 years = 1,095 books.
Don’t worry, you can repeat their favorite books over and over again. Books you hear at library story time count too!
How to Participate
- Register: Sign up here and register your child for the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten reading program, or ask at any children's desk for assistance.
- Track Your Reading: Each time you read a book together, record the title in your reading log. If you would like to track your progress on paper, visit the children's desk and ask for a welcome packet.
- Earn Prizes: For each 100 books you complete, come to the library to pick a free book!
- Keep Reading: When you reach 1,000 books you’ll receive a certificate of completion and a book tote!
Great book recommendations and resources to get started
- Books Your Child Should Hear Before Kindergarten
- Picture Books on Friendship
- Read Me a Story! Reading List for Preschoolers
- 20 Ways to Raise a Book-Smart Baby
- 1000 Books Coloring Sheets
Tips for sharing books with young children
- Read together from birth on. Read several times a day, even if it’s just for a few minutes at a time.
- Your reading experiences together should always be easy and fun! Don’t feel pressure to read books from cover to cover in one sitting. Have fun and improvise words, pointing out pictures and asking simple “what” questions along the way.
- Select simple board books for babies to hold and play with in your lap or on their own. Older babies might enjoy lift-the-flap books for interactive peekaboo experiences. When toddlers are ready, choose books with paper pages and just a few sentences per page.
- Once old enough, have your toddler be part of the book selecting process. Bring them to the library and have them pick out their own books or speak with a librarian for recommendations.
- Attend a library storytime. Count all the books you hear.
- Read the same book over and over. It’s good for young children to have favorites and to hear the same words/phrases repeatedly.