1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Club
A special FREE program for families of children who have not started kindergarten.
Start Preparing
We know as your child’s first teacher you want to do everything you can to make sure your child is ready to learn when he starts kindergarten.
Research shows that reading to children at home increases their reading readiness skills.
These children have a positive attitude about reading and are eager to learn. In addition, they acquire letter knowledge, background information, an awareness of the structure and sound of language, and a richer vocabulary; all from just listening to stories!
We challenge you to read 1000 books before kindergarten to help your child get school ready.
Really…1000?!
It’s not as hard as it seems!
1 book a day for 3 years = 1095 books
10 books a week for 2 years = 1040 books
3 books a day for 1 year = 1095 books
YOU CAN DO IT!
How Does It Work?
Step 1: Register at the Lansdowne Public Library and receive a folder and reading log for the first 100 books.
Step 2: Read to your child and record the titles read.
Step 3: Report with your reading log to the library when you’ve completed 100 books and receive the next reading log and go again until you reach 1000!
After each 100 books, you will receive a small incentive and a reading tip. Once you reach 1000, your receive a certificate and your child’s picture will be posted on our 1000 book Wall of Fame!
You can do this for every child in your family from infant up to kindergarten. This club has no end date except your child going to school, so don’t feel rushed, just enjoy!
Use every opportunity to read, talk, and sing with your children. These activities will not only prepare your children for school but will create special moments in your lives.
FAQ’s
Do we have to read Library books?
No, you may read books from anywhere; your home, the doctor’s office, grandma’s house, other libraries.
If I read a book more than once, may I count it more than once?
I have more than one child to read to. May I count the same titles for each child?
May I count books which are read at storytime?
My child sometimes listens to books on CD or on the computer. May I add these to the list?
Yes, as long as he has listened to the whole book.
What are the best books for my child?
Really, anything your child likes and will hold his interest.
If you’d like some suggestions, the librarians LOVE to help families find books.
Reading Tips
Reading aloud helps children acquire early language skills.
“Reading aloud is widely recognized as the single most important activity leading to language development. Among other things, reading aloud builds word/sound awareness in children, a potent predictor of reading success.”
“Children who fall seriously behind in the growth of critical early reading skills have fewer opportunities to practice reading. Evidence suggests that these lost practice opportunities make it extremely difficult for children who remain poor readers during the first three years of elementary school to ever acquire average levels of reading fluency.”
Torgeson, J. Avoiding the Devastating Downward Spiral, American Educator. (2004)
“Research shows that the more words parents use when speaking to an 8-month-old infant, the greater the size of their child’s vocabulary at age 3. The landmark Hart-Risley study on language development documented that children from low-income families hear as many as 30 million fewer words than their more affluent peers before the age of 4.”
Hart, B. Risley, T. Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experiences of Young American Children (1995), Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.