What is 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten?
It is a free program designed to help parents and caregivers prepare their children for Kindergarten by encouraging them to read together.
Research shows that building reading habits from birth helps expand your child’s vocabulary and lays a strong foundation for future learning and school success.
Our 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program is designed to support and encourage families every step of the way—making it easy, fun, and rewarding to help your child develop a lifelong love of reading.
Why 1,000 Books?
You might be thinking, “1,000 books? We already have so many commitments!” It can sound overwhelming at first—but we promise, it’s both achievable and fun.
Reading just one book a day with your child adds up to 1,000 books in less than three years. Read three books a day, and you’ll reach that milestone in under a year. Books can be short, repeated favorites absolutely count, and reading together can fit easily into your daily routine—at bedtime, during meals, or whenever you have a few quiet moments.
At its heart, 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten isn’t about racing to a number. It’s about sharing the joy of reading, building strong early literacy skills, and surrounding your child with rich language, stories, and quality time—one book at a time.
Program Perks
In addition to lots of quality time reading together, here's what kids and parents who register can look forward to:
- Stickers and incentives throughout the reading journey
- Celebrate each birthday with a free book for your child
- As your family reaches the 1,000-book milestone, your child will be recognized with a certificate, book, and bookmark.