The 1000 Books Foundation is operated exclusively for charitable, literary, and educational purposes.
The objectives of this organization are:
- to promote reading to newborns, infants, and toddlers
- to encourage parent and child bonding through reading
Numerous studies estimate that as many as one in five children have difficulties learning to read. Reading has been associated as an early indicator of academic success. Public formal education does not typically start until ages 5-6. Before then, parents and caregivers are the first education providers during the 0-5 early critical years. The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge is a simple (read a book, any book to your child, with the goal of reading 1,000 before kindergarten) and very manageable endeavor.
Our goal is to provide a simple, innovative yet fun approach to establishing strong early literacy skills. We help young children gain the confidence necessary to become strong readers.
How it works:
The concept is simple, the rewards are priceless. Read a book (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 precious one starts kindergarten. Does it sound hard? Not really if you think about it. If you read just 1 book a night, you will have read about 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 perseverance. Make it exciting. When your child reaches a milestone, give him/her a small reward (stickers, backpacks, books). Most local programs already have a reward system built into place. If a program is not available where you live, join our program today. Most of all be creative!
Make a record of what you are reading in a spiral notebook, online, or by whatever method you want. The journal itself will make a great keepsake item for your precious child. If you are able to, make sure to keep a record of “any” book that is being read to your child. This includes teachers and siblings.
