Are you the parent or caregiver of a prekindergarten child? If so, we strongly recommend you register for the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program. This program sets the goal of reading 1,000 books (and yes, you can repeat books!) to your child by the time they reach kindergarten. Research in early childhood development shows that children that are read to regularly at an early age:
- are better prepared to learn to read
- have heard more than 30 million words by age three
- have a significantly larger vocabulary by age six, dramatically impacting reading success
- score higher on reading, math, and general knowledge tests
You can learn more about the program at ypl.org/1000books. You can sign up for 1000 Books Before Kindergarten in the children's room at each YPL location. We provide reading logs so that you can track your child's progress through the program and move the .
If that wasn't reason enough to join the challenge, we've introduced a new reward for children who've completed the program - a customized book! As participants get close to completing the program we'll have a customized book with their name printed as a way to recognize their reading journey.
Mateo, a regular visitor to the Will Library, is one of the first children to have completed to the program, and he was awarded his own customized book with himself as the hero- Mateo and the 1000 books!
The book was written and designed by YPL’s own children's librarians Laura Cacace and Aili Whelan (with layout and design assistance from YPL's graphic designer Mario Pereira). Thanks Laura, Aili and Mario for your creativity and commitment to instilling an early love of reading, books and stories in young people!
