An early literacy reading incentive program that encourages school readiness! Stop by the Children's Desk to get your start-up kit, and then come visit us after every 100 books read for a small prize and celebratory dance party!
In her book Reading Magic, renowned children's author Mem Fox states that children need to hear 1,000 stories (or the same story 1,000 times) read aloud to them before they are ready to begin reading independently.
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eading aloud to young children builds the six pre-literacy skills vital to growing independent readers:
- Vocabulary (knowing names for different things)
- Print motivation (enjoyment of and interest in reading and using books/other print materials)
- Print awareness (knowledge of reading conventions such as reading left to right, and awareness of the need for reading skills in everyday life)
- Narrative Skills (being able to tell a story in appropriate sequence and to predict what comes next in a story)
- Letter Knowledge (knowledge of the names of letters and of the sounds letters make)
- Phonological Awareness (ability to "play with" parts of words, to make rhymes, to recognize word families)
When you sign up for 1000 Books Before Kindergarten (also known as 1KB4K), you pledge to read 1,000 books to your child. It's not as daunting as it sounds...you'll get to 1,000 by reading 1 book a night for 3 years! The more you read, the faster you hit 1,000! You'll receive a log to keep track of your child's read-alouds, and prizes at various stages along the way to celebrate and motivate continued reading.