1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is a collaborative early literacy program between the Rockford Public Library, North Suburban Library District, and Cherry Valley Public Library. The program encourages all families and caregivers to read at least 1,000 books with their young children before they enter kindergarten. Learning to read begins long before a child enters kindergarten. Reading to your children is the best way to prepare them for school. In as little as 15 minutes a day, families can build the skills for future success in school and life.

How Does This Program Work?

Register Online HERE
Create an account or log into your existing account.

Track your reading
Each time you read a book with your child, fill in the title on your Beanstack reading log.

Show us your reading log
For every 100 books read, bring your reading log to the library to receive a sticker and receive your next log pages. The librarians will update your participation status.

Read more books
Keep collecting log sheets until you reach 1,000 books. It might take a while, but that’s okay!

Celebrate!
When you reach 1,000 books, receive your free book and your certificate of completion.

FAQs

It seems like a lot, but you can do it! If you read one bedtime story every night to your child for 3 years, you will have shared 1,095 books!

Even the same book over and over?  You can read any book to your child from anywhere — libraries, book stores, preschool, or Grandma and Grandpa’s house.  Repeating books is just fine.  In fact, repetition builds vocabulary and memory.

Yes. Children can listen to or read stories on e-book readers, tablet computers, or other devices. Please do not count computer games.
The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program is an ongoing program with no end date. The only requirement is that you finish before your child/children start kindergarten.
This program is designed to build the language skills and vocabulary children need for kindergarten. But older children need to read, too, so check out what your library offers for school-aged kids. Be sure to enroll all your children in your library’s Summer Reading Club.

To learn more watch this short video.

Thank You to Our Friends at

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