Early Literacy

Early LIteracy SRC 2023 Banner

Early Literacy Summer Reading Challenge
for Babies & ToddlersBeanstack-logo

Register in person or using the Beanstack website or mobile app. 
Online registration with Beanstack is open beginning June 1. 
Receive a book for your child just for signing up.
Share books, songs, rhymes, fingerplays, and/or stories with your little one. Mark the paper log, available at the library or here,  or your Beanstack account for every day you do this.
Read for 30 days - Earn a free book or a small toy.
Read for 50 days - Earn another book or toy.
Every 7 days of reading - Earn an entry into the end-of-summer prize drawing.

1000-books before Kindergarten logo

Read a book (any book) to your baby, toddler or preschooler. The goal is to have read 1000 books by the time your little one starts Kindergarten.  It's easier than you might think and you CAN read the same books over (and over) again. 

Any child who has not yet begun Kindergarten can join. Register and keep track of reading using the Beanstack site or the Beanstack app on your phone, or visit the library to get a reading log booklet. 

For every 100 books, visit the library with your log to receive a sticker. At 500 books read, visit the library for a free book for your child.  Read 1000 books to complete the program and receive a backpack and certificate for your child and be featured on the “1000 Books Before Kindergarten” Wall of Fame.

1000 Books FAQ

My child likes to hear the same book over and over and over. How many times can we count a book? 
Count each time you read a book, even if you’ve read it 20 times before.

Do we have to read library books? 
No. You can read books from home, books from the library, a friend’s book - ANY book. 

Can I count books read to my child by a family member, babysitter or teacher? Yes! Any book read by anyone counts. And don’t forget to count books read at Storytime!

What if my child starts reading on their own before starting Kindergarten? Do books my child reads count? 
Yes. If a child reads TO YOU that counts too.

1000 books! Are you kidding me? How will we ever reach that?
You might be surprised how relatively easy it can be to reach this milestone. 
Just one book a day = 365 books in a year; 730 books in two years; 1095 books in three years. OR
3 books a day for 1 year = 1,095 books

Help! I’m tired of reading the same books. Do you have any suggestions? 
We sure do. Talk to Youth Services Department staff at the library for suggestions or give us a call and we will put together a collection of books to check out, take home and read.

1000 Books Before Kindergarten is sponsored in loving memory of James and Lois Silberhorn from Michele, Eric and Carole Silberhorn.


Make any time learning time!
Did you know singing, talking, and playing with babies and young children builds the skills they need to do well in school? Research shows that when parents and caregivers talk and listen to young children, kids develop the cognitive and language skills they need to do well in school and beyond.

TALK sends 8-10 fun activity suggestions each month that parents and caregivers with children 5 and under can do any time to build school readiness skills. Developed by librarians and based on the Every Child Ready to Read program that encourages parents to read, write, sing, talk, and play with their little ones everyday, TALK activities increase back-and-forth parent/child conversations and provide activities for little ones to learn through exploration and discovery to help you make sure your child gets a head start on the road to success.

You’ll also get updates for library storytimes and other free kids’ events; and you’ll even get a few tips just for you, because when parents are strong and healthy, it’s easier to give your kids what they need to grow.


Square TALK logo with a yellow background
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