What is 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten?

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is a program designed to help parents prepare their children for one of life’s big milestones: Kindergarten. Research has shown that children get ready to read years before they begin their formal education. An excellent way to get your child ready to learn is to read to them.

Why should your family participate in 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten?

Reading with your child and making it a special time together shows him or her that reading is valuable and enjoyable. You can start to develop a love of reading in your child from a young age!

Ready to Read

You are your child’s first teacher and your home is where your child begins to learn. When you talk, sing, read, write and play you are helping your child get ready to read!

Through reading aloud, a child:

  • Develops background knowledge about a variety of topics
  • Builds vocabulary
  • Becomes familiar with rich language patterns
  • Develops familiarity with story structure
  • Acquires familiarity with the reading process
  • Identifies reading as a pleasurable activity

FAQ’s

Who can participate in this program?  Any child who has not yet entered kindergarten.

What books count? Any time your child listens to a whole book it counts! It can be a library book, a book from home, a book read at story time, even an  audiobook or e-book. You can even count multiple readings of the same book. Multiple readings help to develop language skills.

How do I register my child? There is no registration necessary.  Stop by the circulation desk and get your first book log. After filling it in, bring it in to the library to put a sticker on our progress chart and pick up a new book log.  Prizes will be given out for every 100 books read! If you would rather use your smartphone than a paper reading log, click here to get the app, or join our online program at galesville.beanstack.org !

Can you really expect to read 1,000 books to your child before kindergarten?  Yes!  Completion will take from a few months to a few years, depending on how often you read.

Child’s Age when program started # of books read per day to complete before Kindergarten # of books read per week to complete before Kindergarten
0 years old 1 4
1 year old 1 5
2 years old 1 7
3 years old 2 10
4 years old 3 20