All it takes is sharing one book a day with your child to build a foundation for lifelong success.

A Literacy Program for Pre-Readers

The Kern County Library is excited to offer a fun, easy and FREE program that promotes reading to newborns, infants and toddlers. We encourage parents to bond with their children through reading. Our goal is to help parents understand the importance of literacy even before children can read. Reading to young children gives them the confidence necessary to become strong readers in the future.

What is 1,000 Books before Kindergarten?

We have provided a simple, innovative, yet fun, approach to establishing strong early literacy skills. Our program is designed to get your youngest children interested in reading. When you read just one book with a child every day for a year, that’s 365 books a year and 1,095 books by the time a child reaches their third birthday! By reading together it helps children learn critical literacy skills, and it is a wonderful opportunity for family members to connect and spend time with their children. With milestone achievement certificates and prizes, our program guides parents to accomplishing their 1,000 book goal!

How it works

Children, 6 and under, are eligible to participate in the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program. Children who start before Kindergarten benefit most from the program!

1. Sign up today! Online at http://www.KernLibrary.org or in person at your local Kern Library branch. Those that sign up receive a FREE lanyard for the child to hold their very first Kern Library card!

2. If you signed up online, track reading together on Beanstack. If you picked up a paper log from the library, track your child’s progress on the log.

3. After each 100 book milestone, visit the library to pick up your buttons to add to your lanyard. On Beanstack, readers also receive digital badges!

4. When your child reaches 1,000 books read, stop by the library and get a final button and certificate of completion!

Let the library help you get a jump-start on your child’s success in school.

FAQs

How do we read 1,000 books by Kindergarten?

It’s easy!

1 book per day for 3 years = 1,095.

10 books per week for 2 years = 1,040.

3 books a day for 1 year = 1,095.

Do we have to read only books from the library?

Nope, any age-appropriate books count! No matter where you get them or how many times you read them — they all count!

I have more than one child I read to. Can I count the same title for each child?

Of course you can!