Boosting young readership through 1000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge

Posted On: November 8, 2021

Volusia County Library Services re-launched an early learning literacy program today designed to help instill a love of reading and knowledge in young children.

1000 Books Before Kindergarten is a self-paced program for children from birth through age 6 that helps build reading confidence and promotes the pre-reading skills necessary for kindergarten. The idea is for parents or caregivers to read aloud to their children – a total of 1,000 books before they enter kindergarten. Participants sign up for the program through Library Services and then log and track their child’s progress online. Each participant will receive a starter kit and Library Services will celebrate each child’s progress in the program with milestone certificates and awards.

“Reading is fundamental to all learning,” said Volusia County Library Services Director Lucinda Colee. “Encouraging reading is our core mission at Library Services. 1000 Books Before Kindergarten is a wonderful program that helps children develop those basic educational building blocks and puts them on a path to success.”

Participants can complete the 1,000 book challenge in three years by reading one book a day, or in just one year by reading three books a day. Every book read together counts towards the goal, and the same book can be read multiple times. For instance, if a child has a favorite bedtime story, it counts each time they hear the book read aloud. Books that a child hears at story time or while at preschool also count.

Volusia County first started participating in the program in 2015. Today’s re-launch, which includes an updated look, new online tracking tools and a focus on children right from birth, is an effort to increase awareness about the program and boost participation. Some of the program materials also are available in Spanish. To sign up, visit either www.volusialibrary.org or https://volusialibrary.beanstack.org/reader365. Once signed up for the program, the child’s reading can be tracked through the program account page or by downloading the Beanstack tracker app.

“As with all learning, reading starts at home,” said Colee. “This program will not only help children grow academically, but it will also create bonding time and cherished family memories. Parents and caregivers, they’ll find the program just as rewarding as the children.”