1000 Books Before Kindergarten

1000 Books Before Kindergarten is a nonprofit organization that encourage parents and young children to read in support of kindergarten readiness and foster early literacy. 

While the program is national, local libraries run challenges in communities recognizing readers for their work and cheering them on to the finish line. 

The Library, with the support of the Library Foundation, want to support families foster a life long love of reading and bolster kindergarten readiness by bringing this program to Wilsonville.

Read a book (any book) to your newborn, infant, and/or toddler. The goal is to have read 1,000 books before your child starts kindergarten. 

1,000 books? That's a lot!

But it's easier than it seems. If you read just 1 book a night, you will have read 365 books in a year.

That is 740 books in two years and 1,095 books in three years.

If you consider that most children start kindergarten at around 5 years of age, that's 1,825 with only 1 book each day!

Since children’s brains develop most rapidly in the first two to­­­ three years of life, reading to them during that time is crucial for developing literacy, fostering creativity and imagination, increasing language skills and improving critical thinking abilities, all of which are indicators of future academic success.

How to Participate:

• Come into the library: sign up to receive a book to start your journey and paper logs to mark your progress

F.A.Q.s

• Who can participate? Any child who has not yet begun kindergarten; generally children will be between 0 and 6 years of age.
• How should books be tracked? However you like! We have paper logs available at the library or for download on this page, but you can also use the resources provided by the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten organization (they have printable paper logs and an app) or keep track in a spiral notebook or any other homemade logging system.
• What counts as one book? This program is all about young children experiencing books and language, developing early literacy skills and learning through modeled behavior. Books can be shared with them by anyone: siblings, friends, family, listening to an audiobook. It might be the same book over and over and over again. It might be an old story told in a new way. Everyone's path to 1000 books will be different. But if you are uncertain or would like some guidance, we are happy to help and answer questions. (see our contact information in the section below)

Finding Books

• Come browse the shelve at the library. If you need any guidance our librarians are happy to help!
• Place holds for pick up via lincc.org or use the LINCC app [apple|google]
• Need book recommendations or have questions? Ask one of our Youth Service librarians!
  • Email: childrens@wilsonvillelibrary.org
  • Call (503) 682-2744
  • Fill out our “Personal Reading Recommendation” form
  • Visit the library during our open hours
• How about an age appropriate book mailed to your child every month until they turn 5? Our Library Foundation funds the local Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program that sends books directly to children from birth to 5 years old residing in Wilsonville (zip code 97070). Click here for more information and to sign up.

Questions about 1000 Books Before Kindergarten or other library programs? Please contact the Youth Services Librarians!

childrens@wilsonvillelibrary.org or 503-570-1599