1,000 Books Before Kindergarten at Home

Active, Kids

Are you reading with your child(ren) more than ever in these stay-at-home days? Join our 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program! Whether you began this reading program before the library closed or have not yet heard of it, you can still participate from home.

What is 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten?

The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Program is a national initiative to promote early literacy skills for children from birth to age five.

The Program provides caregivers with the resources to create a positive and nurturing experience by reading to children regularly.

It is an exciting way to celebrate reading 1,000 books before Kindergarten, a goal that experts believe is necessary for literacy success.

Why Should Your Family Participate?

Research indicates that the more children hear books read to them, the better prepared they are to learn to read in Kindergarten. When you participate, your child will be able to track their reading progress and receive prizes and encouragement.  You will be part of a community-wide effort!

How Does it Work?

Normally, we’d tell you to sign up with us at the Library Circulation Desk to begin, but you can still start (or continue) the program even though the library is currently closed. Here’s how:

  1. Fill out a quick registration form online. Current registrants can skip to the link in #2.
  2. Visit the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten resources web page. Depending on whether you prefer to track your reading digitally or manually, either follow the link to download the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten app or print out the log sheets.
  3. Read with your child as much as possible! For each book that you read, mark your log sheet or record it in the app.
  4. Hold onto your reading logs.
  5. When the library is back open and you feel comfortable going out in public, bring your reading logs (print or digital) to the library to collect prizes for each 100 books that you read. It’s that simple!

Frequently Asked Questions! questionfox

Who can participate in this program?

Any child from birth until he/she/they enters Kindergarten.

Are there rules about the books we can read?

No!  Any book counts, even repeated books count (because we know that happens a lot)!

Is it a realistic goal if we start late?  How long will it take?

Yes!  Take a look at this chart to determine how many books you’ll need to read based on your child’s age at the start of the program:

Child’s Age Number of books to read per day (at the very least) to complete the program
0 1
1 1
2 1
3 2
4 3

Links

If you have any questions about this or any other Huntingdon Valley Library Youth Services programs or would like book/song/rhyme recommendations, please email me (Vanessa, Head of Youth Services) at hvlys@mclinc.org. We’re always happy to hear from you!