1000 Books Before Kindergarten
Join our program and challenge yourself to read 1,000 books with your child before they start Kindergarten, a goal widely recognized by experts as a cornerstone of literacy success.
Why should we join?
Research consistently shows that children who are read to regularly during their early years are better prepared for kindergarten. They tend to have robust vocabularies, excel in writing, perform well academically, and are more likely to become lifelong readers.
Who can participate?
Any child can participate from birth until they enter Kindergarten.
How do I sign up and participate?
Visit the library’s Circulation Desk anytime the library is open to register your child and pick up a badge book. Alternatively, you can also register directly on the library’s Beanstack site or through the Beanstack app.
Read with your child whenever and wherever possible. Making it a routine (e.g. at bedtime or during a snack break) will help you to accomplish your goal. Make reading more of an interactive experience by asking your child questions as you read. Log books read in your badge book and/or through Beanstack.
What is Beanstack?
Beanstack is the online software that we use for our reading challenges. All reading logs and activity logs (optional) will be entered using Beanstack, either by you or by library staff when you visit the library to update your progress. You can register online using our Beanstack site or the Beanstack app (search for Huntingdon Valley Library). Beanstack will allow you to:
- Register multiple readers under one family account
- Log Books Read
- Log activities
- Earn program milestone rewards
- Access book lists
- Invite people to Friend you using a code and see how your reading compares to your friends on the Leaderboard. Learn how this works in the mobile app or on the website.
- Share readers between accounts (good for multiple caregivers watching one child)
To find out how to do things in the app, watch Beanstack’s general videos on how to view/participate in challenges, use the reading timer, log past reading, log activities, and log a book as completed.
If you already have a Beanstack account, just update the information for your reader(s) and register them for our 1000 Books Before Kindergarten reading challenge. Challenges appear on the Challenges tab (on a web browser) or the Discover tab (in the app).
Can I participate if I don’t have internet access?
YES! When you register for the program, you will receive a badge book.* You can use this book as a print log for every 10 books that you read. Bring the book to the library to share your progress after every 100 books read and library staff will enter your progress into Beanstack for you.
*Make sure to keep your special badge book in a safe place, since each participating child will only receive one.
Is this a realistic goal if we start late?
Yes! Depending on when you start, you only need to read 1-3 books a day in order to complete the goal.
- Ages Birth to 2 – One book a day
- Age 3 – Two books a day
- Age 4 – Three books a day
What counts toward my reading time?
EVERYTHING! Any book counts. You can read your own books, library books, or books borrowed from a friend. Books read to your child by other people (e.g. a grandparent, the librarian at Storytime, an older sibling, a babysitter, etc.) can be logged. You can read on a device. Even audiobooks count. As long as your child finishes listening to the book, it counts!
What if we read the same book over and over again?
Count the book over and over again. If you read the same book five times, count it as five books. Kids love repetition and repetition one of the ways in which they learn. Repetition helps children to learn things like story structure that they may not pick up on while listening to the book the first time.
What if my child starts reading on their own?
As much as possible, continue to try making this goal something that you do together, but instead of you reading to your child, they can read to you or you can take turns reading aloud.
Do we need to complete the activities in Beanstack or the Badge Book in order to complete the challenge?
No. The activities are optional. They are just provided as a way to give you some ideas on how to liven up your reading.
Are there prizes?
Yes! For each 100 books that you read, you will earn a reward. Special brag tags and stickers are earned at all 100-book increments. For most of the 100-book increments, participants can also choose a special prize from the prize box. At 500 books, children will be able to choose their very own book to keep from our book cart. When they complete the program by reading 1000 books, they will receive a special tote bag to commemorate their achievement and help them carry all of the library books they borrow.
Will we be able to see our progress in the library?
Yes! On the window in the Children’s Area, there are signs for each of the 100 Book milestones from 100-1000. After completing your first 100 books, you will be able to choose an owl that will travel from milestone to milestone as you progress through the challenge.
Will there be a graduation ceremony?
Yes! We will have a special ceremony in August where the achievements of all of that year’s participants will be celebrated and students who are graduating to Kindergarten will be honored. Save the date for Wednesday, August 27, 2025 at 6 pm!
Social Gatherings
The library is hosting quarterly social gatherings for interested and participating families. Drop in to learn more information about the program, receive support on continuing toward your goal, mingle with other families, and for kids to socialize while participating in some simple activities.
Thanks to our sponsor!
We are grateful to the Friends of Huntingdon Valley Library for sponsoring our 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program. Learn more about the Friends.