Decatur Public Library (AL) is proud to be a part of the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten initiative.   The goal of this FREE program is to encourage you to read 1,000 books with your child before he or she starts kindergarten. 

OVERVIEW

The concept is simple, the rewards are priceless.  Read a book (any book) to your newborn infant and/or toddler.  The goal is to have read 1,000 books (yes, you can repeat books) before your precious one starts kindergarten.  Does it sound hard?  Not really if you think about it.  If you read just 1 book a night, you will have read about 365 books in a year.  That is 730 books in two years and 1,095 books in three years.  If you consider that most children start kindergarten at around 5 years of age, you have more time than you think (so get started).

The key is perseverance.  Make it exciting.  When your child reaches a milestone, give him/her a small reward (stickers, backpacks, books).

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

• Read with your child.   Studies have shown that reading with your child provides a great opportunity for bonding.  Reading together is fun and will create life-long memories for the both of you.
• Keep track of the titles of the books that you read with your child.  Make a record of what you are reading in a spiral notebook, on the reading log sheets found here, or by whatever method you want.  The journal itself will make a great keepsake item for your precious child.
• If you are able to, make sure to keep a record of “any” book that is being read to your child.  This includes teachers and siblings.

This information and more is available at 1000booksbeforekindergarten.org

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CLICK HERE for a calendar of things you can do every day to build pre-literacy skills with your child!