The idea behind 1000 Books Before Kindergarten is simple: read 1000 books with your newborn, infant, toddler, or preschooler before they begin kindergarten—and they’ll benefit for years to come! 1000 Books makes it fun to build a daily habit of reading.
York County Libraries launched its #1000BooksB4K program in October of 2018. Our goal was to have 1,000 children registered by the end of the first year.
We’re happy to report…
As of the end of July 2019, 2,041 children are registered—just ten months after the program began! Families have embraced this program. Collectively, participants have already read a whopping 252,760 books! Wow!
As of July 1, 2019, our records show that 68 children finished their 1000 book goal. Together, these children read a total of 72,443 books in 9 months—and many of them are still going! York County Libraries will celebrate these children’s achievements during the first annual 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Graduation. We’ve already got a start on next year too—more children are completing 1000 books every day!
Did your child just finish 1,000 books (after July 1)?
Not to worry, they won’t be left out! Any child who hits 1,000 books from July 2, 2019 through July 1, 2020 will be invited to our second graduation—even if they have already started kindergarten by then! What’s really important is reading all the books before school starts. It gives kids a great start to school.
Why read 1000 Books Before Kindergarten?
Did you know that in the first few years of life, your child builds more than 1 million new brain connections every second?
Your baby’s brain is growing at an incredible rate! By reading aloud with your child, they:
- Build vocabulary
- Become familiar with rich language patterns
- Identify reading as a pleasurable activity
You are your child’s first teacher and your home is where your child begins to learn. No child is “too young” to begin their 1,000 books journey.
Here’s how to get started!
- Register your child for their own library card
- Register for 1000 Books Before Kindergarten on Beanstack
- Visit your local library to pick up your registration packet, have your child’s picture taken, and place it into their 1000 Books Passport
That’s it! You’re ready to start your reading adventure together!
We’re registered and we have our passport, now what?
Get some books! We have some great recommendations here. Read with your child whenever and wherever you can. Come into the library and take a picture at every 100 books—there are special prizes at 500 and 1,000 books.
Snap a picture with our achievement signs to share! Don’t forget to tag your posts with #1000booksbB4K and #YorkLibraries!
How do I know how many books we’ve read?
Your progress is tracked online in Beanstack. Need help? Click here. There’s also a Beanstack Mobile App to make every book count.
What books count?
Everything! Every book you read counts, every time your child hears it.
- Multiple readings of the same book
- Ebooks, books on BookFLIX, and listening to audiobooks
- Books read at any library Story Time
By reading aloud with young children, you give your child a smart start!