Research overwhelmingly supports parents (and caregivers) reading to young children. Kids who are read to more frequently at an early age, enter school with larger vocabularies and more advanced comprehension skills. Reading creates connections in the brain that promote language development as well as cognitive and social-emotional development. Simply put, reading fosters early learning.
Rewards increase the fun
Eloise completed the challenge! Her mom said Eloise was very excited she finished the program and dressed up to receive her last four rewards!
1000 Books Before Kindergarten is a national initiative that promotes reading to newborns, infants and toddlers by giving kids prizes along the way to the 1,000 book goal. It’s free, easy and fun!
1000 Books Before Kindergarten sounds like a lot. However, it is not as hard as you think to meet this goal. For example, if you read one book a day to your child, you’ll finish 1,095 books in just three years. Or if you read three books a day to your child, you’ll finish in less than a year. Finally, consider that a newborn baby has 2,000 days before starting kindergarten.
The library makes it easy and fun for you to sign up your child and track your reading. Use the Beanstack app, the Beanstack website or go to the Kids Library desk. Next, read to your child. Use a paper log sheet or Beanstack to keep track of the books you read. For every 100 books read, your child will receive a special reward. Here’s a tip: you can read any book and you can count a book as many times as you read it.
Sherry Hess
As the Early Childhood Learning Coordinator, Sherry is focused on engaging young children and their families in play-based early learning experiences. The Learn & Play Bus and its service are at the heart of her work. Sherry has a background in early childhood education.