1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is an early literacy program. The program encourages all families and caregivers to read at least 1,000 books with their young children before they enter kindergarten. Learning to read begins long before a child enters kindergarten. Reading to your children is the best way to prepare them for school. In as little as 15 minutes a day, families can build the skills for future success in school and life.

How Does This Program Work?

Register Online
Create an account using the Beanstack app or on the library’s Beanstack page.
(If you have a Beanstack account from previous challenges, use that login information.)

Track Your Reading
Each time you read a book with your child, add the title to your Beanstack reading log.
(Use the barcode scan function in the app, it’s great!)

Visit the Library
For every 50 books read, bring your reading log to the Cherry Valley Public Library to receive a sticker for your sticker chart.

Read More Books!
Keep reading until you reach 1,000 books. It might take a while, but that’s okay!

Celebrate!
When you reach 1,000 books, receive your free book and your certificate of completion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Really Expect to Read 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten?
It seems like a lot, but you can do it! If you read one bedtime story every night to your    child for 3 years, you will have shared 1,095 books!

Can I Read Any Book?
Even the same book over and over?  You can read any book to your child from any where — libraries, book stores, preschool, or Grandma and Grandpa’s house.  Repeating books is just fine.  In fact, repetition builds vocabulary and memory.

My Child Has an iPad. Can It Be Used For the 1,000 Books
Program?
Yes. Children can listen to or read stories on e-book readers, tablet computers, or other devices. Please do not count computer games.

Is There an End Date For the Program?
The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program is an ongoing program with no end date. The only requirement is that you finish before your child/children start
kindergarten.

Can My Older Children Participate in the Program?
This program is designed to build the language skills and vocabulary children need for kindergarten. But older children need to read, too, so check out what your library offers for school-aged kids. Be sure to enroll all your children in your library’s Summer Reading Program.