1000 Books Before Kindergarten
1000 Books Before Kindergarten (1BBK) is a free literacy program for newborns, babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. The goal? Read 1000 books with your little one before they start Kindergarten. Take GPL's 1000 Books pledge—and we'll be your cheerleaders along the way. 1BBK can help your little one develop a love of reading, provides you with opportunities to bond, and helps your child develop the early literacy skills they need for success later in life.
Track your progress with a 1000 Books poster (you can pick up a copy at the Library), or use the stay-at-home version that you can print and colour yourself. Download our letter-size poster with 100 leaves per page in the links below to get started. Remember, you can repeat books as many times as you want, and virtual story times and audiobooks count, too. When you've finished all 1000 books, download and print the certificate below to celebrate!
Why participate in 1000 Books Before Kindergarten? |
Because your child’s learning starts at birth! Did you know:
(1000 Books Foundation, 2017) Research shows that shared reading is the single most important activity you can do with your child(ren) to help them get ready to read (Ghoting, S. & Martin-Diaz, P., 2013). 1BBK offers you an intentional way to incorporate shared reading experiences into everyday life. Shared reading is so important because it helps your child:
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How 1BBK Works? |
Three easy steps: 1. Pick up a 1000 Books Before Kindergarten tracker or print at home below. 2. Read and track (& repeat) 3. Celebrate! The Math Does reading 1000 books before your child reaches kindergarten sound intimidating? You can easily reach this milestone by establishing a daily reading habit. How fast you reach it is up to you. You can read one book or multiple books each day—it’s up to you.
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Frequently Asked Questions |
Q: How do I sign up? Drop by the Library to pick up the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten tracker. You and your child can start participating as soon as they are born all the way up until they enter Kindergarten. Tip: Display your tracker somewhere in your home that is highly visibly and where everyone in your family can see it. Once you have your tracker, choose a few books and start reading them with your child. Q: Do we have to keep track of the titles of each book we read? You can keep a list of the title and author of the books you read if you want but it is not required. There is also a free 1000 Books Before Kindergarten app you can download to track your titles, if you wish. Q: Can we count books that we have read more than once? Yes, absolutely. If you have read Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown 5 times—even if you've read it in the past—count that as 5 books. Q: Is there a required reading list? Your child and you choose which books to read… any book in any language counts. If you’re looking for suggestions, ask staff for recommendations next time you’re at the library or check out our catalogue to see what's new. Q: What if my child is already in school? 1BBK is designed specifically for children who are not yet in school, but if you'd like to use the tracker to record how many books your older child(ren) are reading feel free, you can absolutely set a goal with them to read 1000 books (or more). Q: Can we count books that have been read to my child by someone else (for example, a librarian, babysitter, sibling, etc.)? Any book that has been read to your child counts. Q: My child likes to move and won’t sit for an entire story. Does it still count? Yes! Children need to move and explore the world around them—it’s how they learn. Young children have varying attention spans and sometimes certain books just don’t capture their attention. You can keep reading while they move or simply count it as read even if you have not finished the entire book. Tip: Try reading interactive books or books that require the reader to participate. Q: What else can I do (at the library) to help my child get ready for reading? In addition to reading books daily with your child, you can (see Related Links below):
Q: Do you have any tips on how to read books with my child or what type of books to choose? Here are some of the things you can do with books, borrowed from Mind in the Making by Ellan Galinsky (2010). With infants and toddlers:
With preschoolers:
With all children:
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Printables
Printable 1000 Books Tracker - 11" x 17" (Colour)
Printable 100 Book Tracker - 8 1/2" x 11" (Colour)
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