What is 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten?
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is a Library program that encourages all Arlington families and caregivers to read 1,000 books with their young children before they enter kindergarten.
Studies have shown that families who start reading aloud to their children at birth help to strengthen their language skills and build their vocabulary – two important tools for beginning to learn to read when they enter kindergarten.
How Can I Read 1,000 Books?
It’s easy!
- 3 books a day for 1 year = 1,095 books
- 1 book a day for 3 years = 1,095 books
You can:
- Read the same book over, and over, and over.
- Read in any language.
- Storytimes count, too!
Older children who read to younger children are Reading Superheroes!
- Each Reading Superhero who reads 25 books to a younger child enrolled in 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten will also receive a small prize (limit: one prize per reading log).
How Do I Sign My Child Up?
- Register – At any Arlington Public Library location, and take home your first reading log.
- Track Your Reading – Each time you read a book with your child, fill in a circle on the reading log.
- Show us Your Reading Logs – When you reach 25 books, bring in your reading log, and get a small prize! At the first 100 books, you get a really cool tote bag for carrying all those books. And at each 100-books mark, you get a “100 books!” sticker.
- Read More Books! When you get all the way to 1000, you’ll receive a new book to take home – and keep!
More Information
