Join the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Reading Challenge

Reading books to your child is a great excuse to snuggle up and enjoy quality time, and it may afford children lifelong educational advantages. That’s why The Indianapolis Public Library is inviting caregivers to sign their little ones up for 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten. The free program, available year-round and open to any child before they enter kindergarten, promotes early learning skills by rewarding children with prizes as they hit reading milestones.

About 1,000 Books

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is a national program designed to support school readiness and the child-parent/ caregiver bond. At The Indianapolis Public Library, prizes are awarded for reading 100, 500, and 1,000 books. At 1,000 books, every child receives a free hardback picture book.

“Due to COVID-19, a lot of children have spent more time away from daycare or school,” said Shael Weidenbach, Herbert Simon Early Literacy Specialist with The Indianapolis Public Library. “They are away from places where children typically enjoy group read-alouds and are exposed to new vocabulary, so right now is an important time to make sure reading regularly with your children becomes a habit in your home. It’s a great way to bond with your child and develop a lifelong love of reading.” According to The Literacy Project, a program aimed at eliminating the literacy gap, academic successes at ages nine and 10 can be attributed to the number of words children hear from birth through age three. Young children who are exposed to certain early language and literacy experiences also prove to be good readers later on in life. Reading supports cognitive development, increases concentration and discipline, and inspires creativity and imagination.

Reading 1,000 books may sound intimidating, but it’s often easier than parents and caregivers think. If a child reads just one book at bedtime for three years, they will have read 1,095 books. It takes less than a year to reach 1,000 books if a child reads three books each day.

Getting Started

Patrons can register for 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten at any IndyPL location or on the Beanstack app. Progress can be tracked on a paper tracking sheet or online in Beanstack. Patrons can use books from home or from the Library. If you read The Very Hungry Caterpillar five times, that counts for 5 books!

Looking for the perfect book to start with? In the For Parents section of our blog at indypl.org we have a variety of video picture-book read alouds, online storytimes, and booklists to help young readers reach 1,000 books in no time. Short on time? Check out a Bunny Book Bag, a grab-and-go bag of 15-20 books for caregivers on the move. Also see our calendar of events for online programs for kids. The virtual programs Playdate with a Book and Reading Ready Time are a lot of fun!

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