1000 Books Before Kindergarten is an incentive-based early literacy program sponsored by the Jefferson Public Library and Partnerships 4 Families. The instructions are easy: read any book to your newborn, infant and/or toddler before they start kindergarten! For every 100 books you read with your child, you will receive a sticker and a small prize from your public library.
Children are eligible for a Jefferson Public Library card when they turn 3 years old - but you can begin this reading challenge as soon as your child is born! Follow these easy steps below to get started.
1. Register in-person at the Jefferson Public Library's Youth Department or online.
2. Receive your reading sheets.
3. For each book that you read with your child, fill in a circle on your sheet.
4. When you finish a full sheet, bring it back to the library for a prize and a sticker.
5. Repeat steps 1 - 4 until you've read 1000 books before kindergarten!
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can participate in this program?
Any child from birth until they reach kindergarten can participate in the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program.
How long does this program take to complete?
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is a self-paced, flexible program designed to work with your schedule. As such, it can take anywhere from a few months to a few years to reach your reading goal.
Sound impossible? Think of it this way: if you read one book with/to your child a night, you will have read about 365 books in one year. That's 730 books in two years, and 1,095 in three years. Start now and you'll be making milestones sooner than you think!
Can my child repeat books for this program?
Yes! Studies show that repetition encourages imitation and understanding of concepts that are crucial in early childhood development. Reading aloud and reading with your child every night - even if it is "Llama Llama, Red Pajama" - stimulates important foundational brain development.
More Early Literacy Resources
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a book-gifting program available to children birth through age 4 living in Greene County. Your child’s first gift will be a free copy of The Little Engine That Could delivered to their home. After that, your child will receive a carefully selected, age-appropriate book every month until the month of their 5th birthday or they move out of Greene County.
There is no cost to your family to take part in the program. It is free to Greene County residents through generous funding from Partnerships 4 Families and Our Communities Health Foundation. Click the photo above to register your child today.
Books for Babies
One of the best gifts you can give your child is a love of reading! This Friends of the Library literacy program acquaints parents of newborns with the important role they play in the development of their children. By reading to their babies and by becoming regular library users themselves, parents help their babies develop language skills and start them on the path to success in reading and learning.
Visit the Youth Department with your newest arrival and receive two free board books as a congratulations - and as a start to building up your child's early literacy!