National Library Week (April 13 – 19) The theme this year is “Lives change @ your library” and we hope to do just that with our new program – 1000 Books Before Kindergarten. The concept is simple. The rewards are priceless.
1000 Books B4K is an early literacy program used by libraries across the United States to encourage parents, caregivers, grandparents and others to read 1000 books to children before they enter kindergarten.
This program is based on evidence that reading to and with children provides a language rich environment that better prepares young children for learning. More books read equals more words heard and understood.
Sign up will begin on Monday at the library and continue through the week, although parents and caregivers may sign up anytime as this will be an ongoing self-paced program. Participants will receive a reading journal for their first 100 books and information about the program. Children will be rewarded at every 100 book milestone and receive a new page for their 1000 book journal. 1000 books (yes you can repeat books) is an attainable goal, if one book is read each day for three years the result will be 1095 books read.
Thirty Million Words and Every Child Ready to Read are other programs we will be incorporating into this initiative.
A world-famous study by researchers Betty Hart and Todd Risley (1995) found that some children heard thirty million fewer words by their 4th birthdays than others. The children who heard more words were better prepared when they entered school. These same kids, when followed into third grade, had bigger vocabularies, were stronger readers, and got higher test scores. The bottom line: the kids who started out ahead, stayed ahead; the kids who started out behind, stayed behind.
We are challenging “you” to make a life changing commitment to reading. For more information stop in or call the Lied Imperial Public Library @ 7th & Broadway – 308-882-4754
Funding is partially provided by the Marathon Bridge Club.
