1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

charts and reading logs for the 1,000 books before kindergarten program

Welcome to the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Program!

This free program encourages you to read 1000 books with your child before he or she enters school – a goal to encourage children to learn to read for themselves.

One of the best ways to encourage learning is to spend time sharing books every day. Reading together helps develop important pre-reading skills that provide a solid reading foundation – a key to school and learning success. Plus, sharing stories together is fun!

Here are the easy steps for participation:

  1. Sign up at any branch to receive your paper log, or register to log online at trailslibrary.beanstack.org
  2. Read together; at home, in the waiting room, at the library, everywhere!
  3. If you use a paper log, color a circle for each book read on your paper log. If you read a book more than once, you can record it each time! Write the titles of your child’s favorite at the bottom to keep. If you log, online, simply enter the number of books read (titles optional).
  4. When you finish reading 100 books, visit the library and:
    • Receive a sticker for your completed paper log or online badge
    • Collect your next paper log or sign in online to keep logging
  1. Repeat steps 1-4 and receive a different sticker and log at each level.
  2. When you’ve read 500 books, your child will receive their first prize book.
  3. After reading 1,000 books, your child
    • Receives a book and a certificate
    • Receives a ticket for the 1,000 Books Graduation Party
    • Gets a jump start on success in school

This program has no end date except your child’s first day of school, so don’t feel rushed -- just enjoy the experience! Take every chance you have to read with your children, tell and talk about stories, say nursery rhymes, sing songs, and attend library programs. By reading just three stories a day, you and your child will have read over 1,095 books in one year. You will also have shared many special moments along the way.

The library is a fun place to find books to check out, free programs and great suggestions for what to read. We hope you’ll come see us for books, programs, and, of course, your stickers and prize books.

Happy reading!