The concept is simple, the rewards are priceless. This is the tagline of a new program offered at the Cranbrook Public Library—1,000 Books Before Kindergarten.

The goal of the program is to encourage parents to read 1,000 books with their child before kindergarten. Reading aloud to infants and children encourages social, emotional, and cognitive development.

Programming Librarian Mike Selby stated that although the program sounds intimidating, it really isn’t. “If you read just 1 book a night, you will have read about 365 books in a year. That is 730 books in two years and 1,095 books in three years. If you consider that most children start kindergarten at around 5 years of age, you have more time than you think.”

Studies have shown that families who start reading aloud to their children at birth help strengthen their language skills and build their vocabulary – two important tools when they begin learning to read in kindergarten. “In addition to the educational benefits,” Selby said, “reading together is wonderful for building memories and bonding.”

The program is available online. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, everything needed can be found here: There are book logs one can either digitally save or print out; as well as Google Play and IOS apps. There is also a curated book list divided by themes to help get you started.

The library will celebrate each 100 books your child completes with stickers, as well as their name on our “Growing Readers” wall display. A certificate will be given when they hit a 1,000 books.

Don’t forget that the same book can be read over and over and over again. Also books read by siblings, grandparents, and caregivers also count.

Cranbrook Public Library

Article Share