Any child who is not yet enrolled in Kindergarten may sign up.
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is a fun way to help prepare your child for Kindergarten. Children who enter Kindergarten ready are more likely to remain on track by the time they enter third grade and beyond. Sharing books and doing fun, learning based activities with your child early can help to foster a love of reading, increases a child’s vocabulary, creates fond memories with your child, and more.
Yes! We are happy to use any name you’d like. Just remember the nickname that you create, so we can pull up your record as your child progresses.
Absolutely! You can read books AND count early learning activities to move towards completion. Remember if you read 3 books a night every night, that is 1,095 books in one year! It is totally doable!
An early learning activity refers to the skill and concepts that children develop before they reach kindergarten. For example: singing the alphabet song and recognizing the letters of the alphabet.
Yes! Every time you read a book it counts. If you read it 10 times, it counts as 10 books.
Absolutely, and even more than that, you can count all of the early learning activities that happen during storytime. Every book, every song, and every fingerplay counts as one book or activity!
Yes! Every activity counts, only make sure to keep track and add to your log and via READsquared.
No, that is an option only if you would like to do so. You can simply log up to 100 books at a time when you are finished with your log or ask a library staff member to do it for you.
No, they do not. You can share books in any format with your child, and they all count. For more resources, check out Bookflix and TumbleBooks on our Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers page.
Access Bookflix and TumbleBooks with your library card! Don’t have a card right now? No worries! Find out how to Get a Library Card.
Visit your local library and ask a librarian for reading recommendations. You can also checkout our 1000 Books Before Kindergarten booklist.
Book recommendations are simply suggestions. You are welcome to read any book you and your child choose.
No, these are just fun options you can use for tracking with your child. You can count any song/fingerplay or early learning activity you share with your child. You can also choose to just read books.
We encourage you to track via READsquared. READsquared is the libraries reading challenge tracking software. It allows us to keep track of participant progress and program growth. It is also a great tool for tracking what books you’ve read. Tracking in READsquared can help your child to stay motivated and committed, while earning e-badges and prizes/incentives. If you forget to track online or do not have access to a computer, we will log in for you at the library.
Your child will receive a certificate at sign up. For every 100 activities completed, your child will receive a sticker. Your child can add their stickers to the certificate as they continue to work through the program. You can print your child’s certificate or, you can pick one up at your local branch. Once your child finished the program, bring your certificate back into the library and a librarian will sign it for you!
What are the incentives?
Each child will receive a free book when they sign up for 1000 Books Before Kindergarten, in order to help get them started on their reading journey. For every 100 activities completed, visit your local library for a sticker to add to your certificate. Small prizes will also be awarded at 500 and 1000 books read.
All prizes are subject to change without notice and are available while supply lasts.
You and your child are more than welcome to repeat the program by printing reading logs and working through the program a second time. However, the library will only award incentives the first time through the program.
