1,000 Books Before Kindergarten
You can do it! It's easier than you think.
Studies have shown that children who are read to from a young age develop wide-ranging vocabulary and strong language skills. The goal of reading one thousand books before Kindergarten will help your child develop the early pre-literacy skills needed to learn to read. This program is self-paced and can take anywhere from a few months to a few years to complete.
How it Works
Step 1: Start Reading
There is no required reading list. If you are looking for a place to start, there are some excellent staff lists for you to browse at the bottom of this page.
You can read any books you'd like, whether they are library books or books from your own collection. Rereading your favourite book is always fun, so each time you read a book, it counts towards your goal. You can also include books read to your child by someone other than yourself. Books read as part of library and baby groups count toward milestones. You can read books in any language. Storytelling as part of cultural tradition can be counted. Ebooks and audiobooks count towards milestones. You can have more than one child working through the program as long as each child is five years of age or younger and has not started school. You do not need to register for this program.
Step 3: Get In Touch
For every 250 books that you read, you'll receive a prize! Email 1000books@tbpl.ca when you reach each 250 book milestone. Prizes include a free book, a literacy based craft activity and more!
How fast you reach each milestone is up to you. You can read one book or multiple books each day:
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3 books a day for 1 year = 1,095 books
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1 book a day for 3 years = 1,095 book
Step 4: Graduate!
When you and your child reach 1000 books, email to arrange a visit to the library for a graduation ceremony, photo and certificate. Take a picture of your child holding a book and post it on social media using the hash tag #1000BookstoReadTBPL. Make sure to set your post as public so we can see it.
