Research shows that reading to young children aids in developing cognitive skills (including language and emotion), strengthens bonding, and fosters an early love of reading. Early literacy leads to success, and FDL encourages families to cultivate early literacy with the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten (1KB4K) program. 1KB4K is designed to promote reading to babies, infants, and toddlers with the goal of having 1,000 books read before they start Kindergarten.
Get Started
- Register online, download the Beanstack app, or pick up a progress chart in the Youth Services Department to track reading progress.
- When 100 books have been read, visit the Youth Services desk with your Beanstack badge or your completed chart for a free book, and the next progress chart.
- A certificate of achievement, book, and book bag will be awarded when the goal of reading 1,000 books is met!
What books count for 1KB4K?
Picture books, board books, books on CD, Playaways, Books That Talk; and eBooks from Tumblebooks, Hoopla, Boundless, and Libby checked out from FDL count toward the 1,000 book goal. Books from home, other libraries, or even daycare and the doctor’s office are also eligible. Each time a book is read, it counts as one book. If you read the same book ten times to your child, you can count it as ten books!
Reaching the Goal
Reading to your child can become an important part of his or her daily routine. Reading three books to your child every day is a total of 1,095 books in a single year, exceeding the goal of the program by almost 100 books.
Daily readings could include:
- “wake up” book
- book on CD played in the car
- story read aloud at daycare
- “potty-time” book
- story read by another person
- book during snack time
- favorite book you read again & again
- bedtime story
Participating in 1KB4K makes it easy to take a mindful approach to reading with your child and turn it into a healthy habit that will help prepare them for school and everything beyond. And if you read the same book ten times to your child, you can count it as ten books!
Simple activities like sharing books, telling stories, singing songs, and talking to your child really do boost children’s cognitive and social development, so talk to a Youth Services librarian about 1KB4K the next time you visit the library!
