1,000 Books Before Kindergarten
Program
Welcome to the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program! This program is free and was was established to help promote reading to infants, toddlers and preschoolers. The Marlborough Public Library and the Early Childhood Center are teaming up to help parents get involved in the program. To register and to keep track of the books and minutes that you are reading to your child, please click on the Beanstack website link or download the app via the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Participation
One of the best ways to encourage reading is to do it every day. Reading together helps develop important pre-literacy skills that provide a solid foundation for academics. Reading carries over into every
subject in school, such as science and math. Here are the easy steps for participating in the 1,000 Books program:
- Read together.
- Keep track of book titles by logging them onto the Beanstack site.
- For every 100 books that you read with your child, your child can earn a small prize from the library, such as stickers, bookmarks, mini stuffed animals, bags and much more!
The program has no specific end date, so take your time and enjoy the experience with your child.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Do we have to read books from the library?
Answer: You can read books from a variety of sources, such as school or a daycare, but we encourage you to take advantage of all the wonderful books that the children’s room has to offer. It’s a great and inexpensive way of adding a variety of books to your reading time.
Question: Do Storytime books count?
Answer: Yes, you may also count the books that your child is reading in school or at a library storytime as well. We have a number of storytimes throughout the week. Please check our calendar for dates and times.
Milestones
As you and your child progress through the program, you’ll be able to collect a variety of prizes. For every 100 books that you read, you’ll earn a prize from the library. Here is a list of the milestones and prizes for your reference.
- 100 books = a sticker
- 200 books = a bookmark
- 300 books = a farm animal tattoo
- 400 books = a pencil
- 500 books = an animal figure
- 600 books = a magic color scratch farm animal ornament
- 700 books = a rubber ducky
- 800 books = a Read Together bag
- 900 books = a farm animal mask
- 1000 books = a mini stuffed animal
The Early Childhood Center also provides a variety of prizes, such as bracelets, stickers, a medal and an awards ceremony at the end of the school year to celebrate the achievement of reaching 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten.
Reading Tips
- Read together every day.
- Read to your child with humor and expression. Use different voices. You may feel silly, but your child will love it.
- Talk about what is happening in the story, point out things on the page and ask questions.
- Tell and talk about stories, say nursery rhymes, and sing songs.
- Point out the written word in signs or items.