Poudre Libraries Introduces “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” Program  for Early Literacy Success & School Readiness  

  Poudre Libraries is excited to launch a new reading program supporting early literacy and school readiness for our littlest residents, ages birth to 5 years. 1,000 Books  Before Kindergarten is a free, self-paced family literacy program that builds reading habits and promotes essential caregiver-child bonding through shared reading. 

“Reading is an early indicator of future academic success and among the most important activities you can do to help your child as they grow and learn,” says Naomi Garcia, Children’s Librarian at  Poudre Libraries. “By reading aloud with their babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, caregivers lay the  reading groundwork necessary for their child to enter kindergarten with the building blocks of  language and literacy that will prepare them to learn to read and write.” 

Literacy research repeatedly shows that shared reading between caregivers and children helps develop pre-reading – or emergent literacy – skills such as letter recognition, vocabulary building,  and phonemic awareness. It also fosters children’s reading confidence which makes it easier for them to read independently in school.  

Success in school and life is dependent upon a solid foundation of reading skills that continue to develop as a child progresses through school. Studies show that children who fall behind in reading between kindergarten and third grade are unlikely to catch up to their peers. The gap between struggling and proficient readers tends to grow over time without significant reading interventions. 

Join the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge  

Reading 1,000 books isn’t as hard as it might sound. Reading just one book a day equals 365 books in one year. That’s 730 books in two years and 1,095 books in three years. 

Parents and caregivers can sign up to participate in the reading challenge using the Library’s online reading challenges platform at PoudreLibraries.Beanstack.org. They can also use the Beanstack  Tracker App – available for free in app stores – to participate. 

There is no set timeframe for the program, so families can join at any time and participate at their own pace. Books are read at storytime and daycare, and stories are read multiple times, so all count.  

Launch Party  

Join the Library on Saturday, September 28 from 2:00 – 4:00 pm for a 1,000 Books Before  Kindergarten Launch Party in Library Park. In addition to signing up for the program, participants  will enjoy face painting, crafts, storytimes, and much more. All ages are welcome.  

To learn more about 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, visit the children’s area at any Poudre  Libraries location or online at PoudreLibraries.org/reading-challenges.