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Photo of a young girl holding a certificate for reading 1000 Books before Kindgergarten and smiling. In the background are bookshelves.

1000 Books Before Kindergarten

You can do it!
It's easier than you think!

Help encourage your child’s love of reading by joining the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program! Reading and sharing a book with your child from the moment they are born helps them to develop pre-reader skills for kindergarten, such as understanding letter sounds and building a larger vocabulary. Any child from birth to five years can participate for free!

How to Participate:

 

  1. Register your child through Beanstack or download the app*. This is the same platform we use for the Library's reading challenges for children and adults. If you do not wish to use the Beanstack app, you can download the tracking sheet or pick one up from your local branch.
  2. Log each book that you and your child read together. Re-reading books counts!
  3. Earn badges each time you reach a milestone on Beanstack. Additionally, every 100 books read, your child can earn a reward sticker from your local branch.
  4. When you have logged 1000 books, your child will earn a completion certificate and a free book!
  5. Keep on reading!

 

* If signing up with the Beanstack App, be sure to choose “School, Library, or Bookstore” when asked to choose an organization type and then choose London Public Library (Canada)

Reading a thousand books can be daunting. But if you read one book a night with your child, you can complete the challenge in less than three years. If you read three books a night, you can read 1000 books in one year! Singing songs, learning new rhymes, and playing with your child are also great ways to build literacy skills.

We have created a book list that you can download. It includes a variety of picture books and board books. You can also find this list on the library catalogue by searching 1000bbk.

No, you can read books from anywhere. 

From your local London Public Library branch.

Your child’s brain develops more from birth to 6 years of age than any other time in their life. Studies have shown that children who are read to from a young age develop a larger vocabulary and stronger language skills. The goal of reading a thousand books before they enter kindergarten will help to strengthen those pre-reader skills.

Yes, write down the title each time you have read that particular book. 

Yes, if all your children that you read to are not yet in kindergarten, they can be registered for the program. 

Yes, if your child hears a book at preschool, the library, from a grandparent or babysitter, just ask for the titles and record them.