1000 Books Before Kindergarten
Read a book (Any book)
Did you know that introducing infants and young children to reading is the best way to improve their cognitive development? It also helps build their language acquisition, literacy skills, and more when they are read to on a regular basis.
![100_books_logo](https://myplymouthlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/100_books_logo.png)
The concept is simple, the rewards are priceless. Read a book (any book) to your newborn, infant, and/or toddler. The goal is to have read 1000 books (yes, you can repeat books) before your precious one starts kindergarten. Does it sound hard? Not really if you think about it. If you read just 1 book a night, you will have read about 365 books in a year. That is 730 books in two years and 1,095 books in three years. If you consider that most children start kindergarten at around 5 years of age, you have more time than you think (so get started).
HOW IT WORKS
The key is perseverance. Make it exciting. When your child reaches a milestone, give him/her a small reward (stickers, backpacks, books). Most of all be creative!
How to Participate:
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Read with your child. Studies have shown that reading with your child provides a great opportunity for bonding. Reading together is fun and will create life‐long memories for the both of you.
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Keep track of the titles of the books that you read with your child. Make a record of what you are reading in a spiral notebook, on our convenient reading log sheets, online, or by whatever method you want. The journal itself will make a great keepsake item for your precious child.
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If you are able to, make sure to keep a record of “any” book that is being read to your child. This includes teachers and siblings.
Who can participate in this program?
Any child from birth until he or she enters kindergarten can participate in the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program.
How long will the program take?
The program will take anywhere from a few months to a few years. The program is self‐paced and will depend on how often you read together.
How many of my children can participate?
All of them (provided they have not yet started kindergarten). Make it even more fun and read as a family!
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