1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

What is 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten?

Reading aloud to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers helps them develop important early literacy skills. RCPL is committed to supporting every child on their journey to reading.

We’ve joined with 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, an organization serving the United States and Canada, to encourage families and caregivers to read 1,000 books with their children before they enter kindergarten. Research shows reading to children before their formal education begins is the most effective way to prepare children to read independently. The program is self-paced and lets you decide how often and how long you read, and your children will earn prizes along the way.

Sign Up

Beanstack, a website we are using to facilitate our 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program, is where you will log your reading and earn badges. You’ll earn prizes, too, and can pick them up when you visit the library. Beanstack makes it easy to sign up multiple children in the same household. Daycares/Groups can sign up as teams to simplify logging. 

Click here to sign up for the program.

There’s even an App for your mobile device. Download the App: Apple App Store     Google Play Store

Animals
Website How To

Click the banner below to order your prizes.

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Prize Form

Prizes

50 BooksGood Reader Badge Sticker
200 BooksStamper
400 BooksBubble Wand
600 BooksEgg Shaker
800 BooksFinger Puppet
1,000 BooksBag, Certificate, and Book
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FAQs

Who can participate? Any child prior to entering kindergarten.

How long will it take? The program takes anywhere from a few months to a few years. The program is self-paced and depends on how often you read together or attend storytime sessions.

Can you reread the same books? Yes!

Can I count books that are read to my child in school, at storytime, or by someone else? Yes, any book read to your child counts.

How many of my children can participate? All of them (provided they have not yet started kindergarten). Make it more fun and read together as a family!

Can I count books I read to my child before I registered? No - the program begins the day you register.

We like to listen to audiobooks. Can I count them? As long as your child listens to the entire book, it counts.

Do you have more questions? Give us a call at 540-777-8772.