1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers are invited to join the South Kingstown Public Library's newest reading program.

We hope to encourage parents and caregivers to make books, reading, and libraries an integral part of everyday life by sharing with their child 1,000 books before the start of kindergarten.

Purpose


Reading books together can help a child develop pre-literacy skills that will lay a strong foundation for reading readiness. These skills include:
  • Enriched Vocabulary - Knowing the names of things.
  • Letter Knowledge - Knowing letters are different from each other, knowing their names and sounds, and recognizing letters everywhere.
  • Narrative Skills - Being able to describe things and events and tell stories.
  • Phonological Awareness - Being able to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words.
  • Print Awareness - Noticing print, knowing how to handle a book, and knowing how to follow the words on a page.
  • Print Motivation - Being interested and enjoying books.
A child reading a book

How the Program Works


Stop in at any South Kingstown Public Library branch to sign up and receive a tracking sheet. Every time you or someone else reads a book to your child, color in a spot on the sheet. When you complete the sheet, turn it in at the library for the next one.

Reading Milestones


  • Every 50 books you read, you get a sticker!
  • At 250, 500, and 750 books, get a small surprise!
  • At 1,000 books, get a certificate and a free book!
Remember if your child likes to read the same book over and over, it counts each time you read it. Also, stories read to your child at school, story time, anywhere, all count!

How to Get to 1,000 Books


  • 1 bedtime story every night for 3 years
  • 10 books a week for 2 years
  • 10 books a week for 1 year (that's just 3 books a day!)
The average children's picture book takes just 5 minutes to read. If you read 3 books a day for just 15 minutes for 1 year, you and your child will have read 1,095 books!

Get Started


Stop into any South Kingstown Public Library Branch to sign up and receive a tracking sheet, or get started right now by printing your sheet from! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!
A baby looking at a picture book