Did you miss our Signing Storytimes last week at the Santori Public Library of Aurora? Are you looking for more early-literacy initiatives for your little person? Stop by any of our branches to get started on 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten. The Aurora Public Library (APL) is excited to introduce this nationally-recognized, self-paced program designed to promote caregiver/child bonding and school success.
It’s easy and best of all, at your own pace and in your own time. Any child from birth to entering kindergarten can participate. All you have to do is read 1,000 books before kindergarten. It means if you read just one book per night, you’ll reach 1,000 books prior to three years having passed! Three years might seem like a long time, but, APL is here to help you from offering reading lists to breaking down the program by reading logs of 200 filled with fun prizes after each completion.
Why is it important to read to your child? Well, we want to make sure children grow a love for reading and studies show there are huge benefits! Reading to your child can help early stages of reading and writing such as book-handling behaviors, picture and story comprehension, looking and recognizing and story-reading behaviors. Pages turning, holding a book the correct way, babbling in imitation, or running fingers along printed words before age three can help kids succeed in school for years to come.
“Early literacy plays a key role in enabling the kind of early learning experiences that research shows are linked with academic achievement, reduced grade retention, higher graduation rates, and enhanced productivity in adult life” (Strickland, D. (2006, April). Early Literacy: Policy and Practice in the Preschool Years. Retrieved from www.readingrockets.org/article/early-literacy-policy-and-practice-preschool-years). Not only does it benefit children, but can benefit you, too! A Rutgers-led study suggests there are emotional benefits from reading together which can bolster a child’s academic success; it creates a stronger parent-child bond which can result in less hyperactivity and attention problems (Buccino, N., 2019, May Reading With Toddlers Reduces Harsh Parenting, Enhances Child Behavior, Rutgers-Led Study Finds. Retrieved from news.rutgers.edu).
To get started, visit the Children’s Department at any of our three locations to register and pick up your first reading log. Track the number of books you’ve read on your reading log. Don’t worry! You don’t have to have a different book for it to count. Repetition is actually great for learning, so every time you read it, it counts! When you’ve read the first 200 books, bring your completed log to the library and you’ll receive a small prize! The fun doesn’t end there! Pick up your next reading log and keep repeating this process every 200 books and receive fun prizes until you reach the 1,000th book! Happy reading!
Miriam Meza-Gotto is communications manager for Aurora Public Library.