Youth librarians are excited to introduce a new program to support your child’s early literacy development: the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge! 1000 Books Before Kindergarten is a nationwide effort to encourage parents and caregivers to share the joy of reading with young children. The goal is for children to hear 1000 books read aloud before they enter Kindergarten. Research shows that exposure to books and positive reading experiences helps children build language and literacy skills, develop a strong foundation for academic success, and inspire a lifelong love of reading.

Take the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge! Sign up at the Youth Desk to receive a paper tracking sheet and stickers or create a free Beanstack account to track your child’s progress online.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can participate in the program?
Any child who has not yet started Kindergarten can participate.

How long will the program take?
The program is totally self-paced and will depend on how often you read books with your child. Consider this: If you read just one bedtime story every night for three years, you will have read 1,095 books! If you bring your child to library storytimes, you’ll reach that 1000 book milestone even faster.

Do we have to read 1000 different books?
No. You may absolutely repeat books. If your child requests the same book again and again, count it on your tracking sheet each time you read it.