1,000 Books Before Kindergarten
Start Your Little Ones Off Right From The Beginning!
Read a book (any book!) with your newborn, infant, toddler, or preschool-aged little one. The goal is to read 1,000 books before they start kindergarten.

You are your little one’s first teacher. Starting early with literacy — before kindergarten — is key to a child’s success when they begin school. The Sharon Public Library is here to support you and your little ones as you begin your journey toward reading 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten!

Rewards Are Forever
  • Reading aloud builds vocabulary and listening skills, important stepping stones in early literacy
  • Reading aloud surrounds little ones with rich language that develops oral language skills
  • Reading exposes little ones to new experiences and helps them empathize with the world around them
  • Reading with your little one brings you closer together and creates memorable bonding moments.
  • Reading aloud models the importance of reading and shows little ones that reading is fun! 

It’s More Than Just Reading
Every Child Ready to Read, an initiative from the Public Library Association and Association for Library Service to Children, identifies 5 key practices to develop early literacy skills: talk, sing, read, write, and play. Library programs will focus on bringing these key practices to the forefront, as well as demonstrating ways to involve them daily in the lives of little ones. After you register for the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge, you’ll receive a monthly (at least!) newsletter highlighting great books and activities to facilitate these practices and your reading journey. You’ll be able to track these activities on Beanstack as well.

How to Participate
  1. Visit Beanstack to register. If you want, you can visit the library to pick up paper tracking logs (or print them yourself) so that your little one can join you in tracking progress. Names of those participating will go up on the walls in the Picture Book Room.
  2. Track your child’s progress on Beanstack and use the paper logs to follow along as well if you want.
  3. Each time you reach 100 books, visit the Children’s Room to show off your progress and receive a prize pin and sticker.
  4. At the 500 books milestone, your little one will receive a book along with their pin and sticker.
  5. At the 1,000 books milestone, your little one will receive another book and a certificate to celebrate their achievement!
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can participate in the program?
Any little one not yet in kindergarten, beginning with newborns. It’s never too early to begin reading!

Can I repeat the same book to my little one?
Yes, you can repeat books! Every time you read a book it counts, even if your little one wants to hear a favorite book over and over and over.

Do books we hear at story time count?
Yes! Don’t forget to include books you hear at all programs and story times.

How long will the program take?
The program will take anywhere from a few months to a few years. The program is self-paced, so the time frame will depend on how often you read together.
Check out the NEW Read-A-Long Ebooks!!
Have you or your little ones checked out any of our read-a-long books on Libby? You can follow along with the words and pictures as the story is read out loud. We've got some great new titles with some characters you might know...picture books, easy readers, and non-fiction!