Hamden Public Library invites you to participate in this free program which encourages you to read 1,000 books with your child before he or she starts kindergarten.
The concept is simple, the rewards are priceless. Read any book to your newborn, infant, and/or toddler. The goal is to have read 1,000 books (yes you can repeat books) before your little one starts kindergarten. Does it sound hard? Not really if you think about it. If you read just one book per night, you will have read 365 books in a year. That is 730 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, you have more time than you think – so get started!
The key is persistence. Make it exciting. When your children reach a milestone give him/her a small reward. Come in to the Children’s Department to get a special sticker.
How to Participate
- Read with your child. Reading together is fun and will create life-long memories for both of you. It is the most important thing you can do to promote literacy.
- Keep track of the titles that you read with your child. You can use a spiral notebook, the log sheet from the library or online by going to our website, clicking on Children’s and then on 1000 books. http://hamdenlibrary.readsquared.com/
- If you are able to, try to keep a record of any book that is being read to your child. This includes ones read by teachers, librarians and siblings.