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1,000 Books before Kindergarten Challenge

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Reading with your baby, toddler, or preschooler is one of the best ways to help them become a lifelong reader. Taking part in our 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program encourages family bonding while your child develops the skills they'll need to succeed in school.
 

The Goal

Read 1000 books with your child before they start kindergarten.

That may seem like a big number, but you've got plenty of time. If you read one book each day with your child, that's 1095 books after three years. Reading three books each day will get you to 1095 books in only one year. (And yes, reading a favorite book over and over counts toward your goal!)

Reading in Tent
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Why 1,000 books?​​
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  1. Big Vocabulary. Children who read 20 minutes a day take in 1.8 million words per year.
     

  2. Big Brain. Reading aloud boosts cognitive development at an age when your child's brain is growing rapidly. 
     

  3. Better Grades. Kids whose grown-ups read to them have strong vocabularies, write well, and do well overall in school. 
     

  4. Reading bonds you. Cuddling close while immersed in a book is a uniquely powerful connection. 
     
  5. Reading calms kids down. Just six minutes can reduce stress levels by 68%.
     

  6. Reading kids are happier kids. Children most engaged with reading are three times as likely to have high levels of mental well-being.
     

  7. Reading builds social and emotional skills. Books give kids language
    to express "big feelings," and can even improve empathy for others.
     

  8.  Reading makes you a role model. Show your own love of books! Kids whose parents are frequent readers become frequent readers themselves.
     
  9. Reading sparks creativity and imagination. Books are windows that open to new worlds. They inspire creativity and stretch kids' notions of what is possible.

Father and Son Reading a Book

​How to Participate?

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  1. Register
    To register for the program, create an account for your family and child on the library's Beanstack site OR visit the Youth Department to register in person. 

  2. Read
    Spend time reading with your child. Books your child reads with siblings, preschool teachers, or at library story times can also help reach the 1000 book goal. Re-reading books also count!

  3. Log books and earn incentives
    Use your Beanstack account to log the books your family reads. You can also record the books you read on a paper tracking sheet you can pick up at the library or download and print opens a new window. Once your tracking sheet is full, bring it to the Youth Services department of your local library for help logging your books.

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Girl Reading and Laughing
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