Melrose Public Library

The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge is a simple and very manageable endeavor – read a book, any book, to your little one with the goal of reading 1,000 before kindergarten. The objectives of this organization are to promote reading to newborns, infants, and toddlers, as well as to encourage caregiver and child bonding through reading. Join a nationwide literacy journey!

You are your little one’s first teacher. Starting early with literacy — before kindergarten — is key to a child’s success when they begin school. The Melrose Public Library is here to support you in this experience and beyond.

Rewards Are Forever

• Reading aloud builds vocabulary and listening skills, important stepping stones in early literacy
• Reading aloud surrounds little ones with rich language that develops oral language skills
• Reading exposes little ones to new experiences and helps them empathize with the world around them
• Reading with your little one brings you closer together and creates memorable bonding moments.
• Reading aloud models the importance of reading and shows kids that reading is fun!

How to Get Started

Come into the Children’s Room at the Melrose Public Library to pick up a book bag with information, the first tracking sheet, and book suggestions. Your new book bag makes a great library bag! Track your reading on the paper sheet or on the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten app.

Every time you and your little one reach a 100 books milestone, check in with the Children’s Room to get a new tracking sheet and to celebrate the milestone. When you reach 1,000 books, you’ll get a certificate and a prize.

100 Great Books for Little Minds

Check out these lists of excellent books for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. These books and authors all come highly recommended by early literacy experts and MPL staff members. You might even hear some at story times! A printable version can be found here, and in the 1000 Books welcome bag.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How early can I start this program with my baby?

Birth! It’s never too early to start reading with and talking to your little ones.

Do the books we hear at story time count?

Of course! Every single book your little one hears, no matter who reads it, is an important part of their reading journey.

How can I log books we’ve read?

Every time you and your little one read a book, color in one of the circles on your paper tracking sheet or add the book to your reading list on the app.

I didn’t know about this program and now my little one is in pre-K, can we still start?

Absolutely! You can start any time before kindergarten. Check out the infographic below about how long the program will take depending on about how many books you read a day.

What books can we read?

Any book! The options are endless and nothing is required. There are some recommended books and authors for kids in the links above (check out the printable version here – and in your sign up bag!). Books in any language count.

I don’t know that many books…

Don’t worry, the librarians will help you find lots of books! Also, you don’t have to read 1,000 different books – you can read books more than once. Reading the same book 100 times counts as 100 books.

It’s More Than Just Reading

Every Child Ready to Read (ECRR), an initiative from the Public Library Association and Association for Library Service to Children, identifies 5 key practices to develop early literacy skills: talk, sing, read, write, and play. Library programs will focus on bringing these key practices to the forefront, as well as demonstrating ways to involve them daily with little ones. Check out these early literacy tip sheets on each of the 5 key practices from CLEL (Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy), which has wonderful resources for parents and caregivers on early literacy development.