For Parents
Here at that Keck Memorial Library we believe in creating life long learners and starting children off on the right foot.
The Friends of the Keck Memorial Library help us offer the amazing nation wide program, 1000 Books Before Kindergarten
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This free program encourages you to read 1,000 books with your child before he or she enters school. Studies show that children should hear at least 1,000 books from birth to age 5 to build the pre-reading skills they need to succeed in school. Plus, sharing stories together is lots of fun!
Here is how the program works at the Keck Memorial Library:
Come to the library and sign your child up and receive your reading log.
- Read to your child.
- Cross out a symbol on the reading log for each book you read.
- Write down the titles of your favorite books.
When you reach a listed goal, stop in the library for these rewards:
- 100 books = a sticker for your child
- 300 books = a temporary tattoo
- 500 books = Eric Carle growth chart
- 700 books = a “fine” bookmark
- 900 books = your child’s name on a sticker inside their favorite library book recommending that book to others
- 1,000 books = bring your reading log into the library to get a certificate and book bag! Your child will also get a banner to put on our Wall of Fame!
The only deadline for this program is when your child starts kindergarten, so take your time and enjoy the experience. Let the Library help you get a jump-start on your child’s success in school. Stop in often to check out books, attend free programs and get great reading suggestions
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you really expect to read 1000 books to your child before kindergarten?
If you read only one bedtime story every night for three years you will have read 1095! If you read 10 books each week for two years, you will have read 1040. Double that rate to do 1000 books in one year. You can begin much earlier though, when your child is an infant!
Do we have to read books from Keck Memorial Library?
No, you can read books from anywhere – your home, the doctor’s office, preschool, Grandma’s house, other libraries.
I read the same story every night to my child. Can I count that book more than once?
Yes, cross off a symbol on the reading log each and every time you read the book.
I have more than one child I read to. Can I count the same title for each child?
Of course you can! And if one of your older children reads to their sibling, you can count that also.
Can I count books that are read at Story Time?
Yes, just keep track of the number of books read.
What about the books that my preschooler hears at school from the preschool teachers?
Yes, you can count those.
My child has an electronic game (or a computer game) that reads the story to him if he chooses. Can I count that?
As long as your child listens to the entire story, you can count it. Please don’t count it if he just plays the games.
When I don’t have time to read to my child, I sometimes let her listen to a book on CD. Can I add that to her list?
Sure, as long as she has listened to the entire story.
My child “reads” books to himself. Should I count those?
While it’s a great start to reading, if your child is only pretending to read, you shouldn’t count it. If your child has memorized a book you read together frequently and can read it themselves, then go ahead and count it.
My older children like to read to their younger siblings. Can I count those books?
Count any books that are read to your child, no matter who reads the books. It can be a brother, sister, grandparent, babysitter, teacher, etc. As long as they hear the entire story, you can count it.