The concept is simple, the rewards are priceless.
This literacy program is based on a simple but powerful fact: children who are read to at home are better prepared for school and continue to do well throughout their academic career. Each book a caregiver reads with his or her child provides an opportunity for early learning. Young children whose parents read them five books a day enter kindergarten having heard about 1.4 million more words than kids who were never read to. Even kids who are read only one book a day will hear about 290,000 more words by age 5 than those who don’t regularly read books with a parent or caregiver. Give your child a head start in life, with this fun and simple program and earn them a free prize pack and book when you complete the program. This program is available to children from birth through 6 years. If your child falls in this age range, read on to see how to participate!
How to Participate:
- Register for 1000 Books Before Kindergarten using our online logging system, Beanstack. (If you have previously created an account on Beanstack for Summer Reading, login using the same login information. Add your child as a new reader under your account and select 1000 Books Before Kindergarten as the program.)
- Read any book to your newborn, infant, and/or toddler. The goal is to have read 1000 books by the time your child starts kindergarten.
- Log each book read on Beanstack.
- Earn virtual badges for each 100 books read.
- When you reach 1000 books read, contact the Youth Services Department at the Minooka Branch, 815-467-1600 x206 or by email at ys@trpld.org, to claim a special certificate of completion, a small prize pack, and prize book.
Helpful hints:
- Every book counts, even those read by others, board books, digital books, etc.
- Make it exciting! Try using different voices for characters or just giving inflection when there is an action happening.
- Make your own milestone rewards. Our program gives virtual badges to indicate each 100 books read and a prize pack and book when the 1000 books goal is reached. For extra encouragement, you can find fun ways on your own to reward your child, such as stickers, a fun treat or small toy, or even just an extra trip to the playground.
- Need help with what to read? The official 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program created a recommended reading list available here.