1. 1000 Books Before Kindergarten
Slide 2 (ice breaker): 5 min
Slide 3 (early lit stats): 10 min
Slide 4 (ECRR): 5 min
Slide 5 (1000 Books mechanics): 5 min
Slide 6 (1000 books math): 5 min
Slide 7 (keeping track): 5 min
Slide 8-10 (book talks): 5 min
Slide 11 (more book suggestions): 10 min
Slide 12 (signup): 5 min
Slide 13 (prizes): 5 min
Slide 14 (questions): 5 min
(times are approx…should add up to 60 minutes or so)

2. Why is Early Reading Important?
Reading to your child will…
Expand their vocabulary
Get them ready for school
Encourage them to love books
(10 min) Expand their vocabulary: Reading books from a variety of authors teaches kids words that they might not hear otherwise. (Beatrix Potter and “fortnight”)
Get them ready for school: Kids will be exposed to the written word when they start school. Introducing them to books at home gives them a leg up. (they already know how a book works (opening it, which way to turn the pages). (they will have been exposed to the written word, so they’ll know that we use letters of the alphabet to represent sounds. They may even know what some of those letters mean already!) (Sad truth is that with more emphasis on standardized tests, less and less class time is spent on fundamentals like reading/writing. We have to supplement it by giving them a chance at home to practice)
Encourage them to love books: Creating happy memories of reading with a grownup will make reading a positive experience. (we all know how kids are! They emulate their grownups. They see you on a computer, they try to get on the computer next to you. You say something to them, and they try to repeat it back. You head to the bathroom, and they try to follow you in! If we show them that we love reading, and we spend time reading with them, they will pick up on that)

3. Every Child Ready to Read
The American Library Association suggests doing these 5 things to help your child get ready to read: talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing.
5 minutes
Talk: Talking introduces kids to vocabulary, grammar structures, and other important elements of language.
Sing: Singing helps kids recognize rhymes, rhythms, and patterns in language.
Read: Reading introduces kids to the written word. Builds up their comprehension skills, especially if you ask them questions as you read (“why did this character do that?” “what do you think will happen next?”)
Write: Writing helps kids practice motor skills, plus build up their letter/sound recognition.
Play: Playing lets kids practice problem-solving and social skills.

4. How Does 1000 Books Work?
1. Sign up 2. Read, read read! 3. Record the books you read together 4. When you reach 1000 books, you’re done!
5 minutes

5. How Do I Keep Track? 2 ways to keep track of books
Paper: color a caterpillar segment for each book
Digital: 1000 Books Before Kindergarten app available through iPhone and Android
Yes, you can count the same books over and over again.
Yes, storytime books count!
5 minutes
Counting same books over: kids loooove repetition. There’s actually a reason behind why they like hearing “Very Hungry Caterpillar” 20 times a day. Repetition helps them build synapses in the brain. The more they hear the same thing over and over, the stronger their brains are actually getting. So even though it’s incredibly tedious for us, for the kids it’s actually pretty useful.
Storytime books: We have storytimes every Monday&Wednesday morning here at 10am. When you come, just flag me down after the program and I’ll give you the rundown of each book we read that day.

6. How Do I Read 1000 Books? Take it slow! It adds up over time.
If you read 1 book every night…
1,000 books in 3 years
If you read 3 books every night…
1,000 books in 1 year
If you read 5 books every night…
1,000 books in 7 months
If you read 1,000 books every night, you can be done in 1 day, but we don’t recommend that.
5 minutes

7. I Need Books! Check out these places for more suggestions!
GPPL’s card catalog:
GPPL’s website:
International Children’s Digital Library:
Reading is Fundamental:
Unite for Literacy:
GPPL’s card catalog:
This is out library’s card catalog. There’s a link to it from our website, Grandeprairie.org. From here, you can search for picture books by title, author, or keyword. You can also see what books other libraries have. My favorite feature of this site is the “My Account”. You type in your library card number, and you can see what books you have checked out, you can renew materials, pay any fines, or request books from other libraries to be sent to the library for you to pick up!
GPPL’s website:
Looking for a picture book on a specific topic? These booklists cover numbers, shapes, and colors, to name a few concepts. If you’re looking for books on a topic that isn’t listed, let me know!
International Children’s Digital Library:
Can’t get to the library? Don’t have a card? No problem! This website lets you read complete picture books, FOR FREE, on the computer. All you need is access to the internet. The focus of the site is to provide books in multiple languages. They have books in Spanish, Chinese, and Farsi, to name a few. If your little one is coming from a non-English speaking home, this site lets them explore literacy in their native language. If you want them to pick up a language other than English, this is a good place to start.
Reading is Fundamental:
This site provides guidelines, booklists, and other resources for grown ups who are working with early readers and pre-readers. One of the greatest parts of this site is “Reading Checkups”. They’re divided by age group and ask whether your child has hit certain milestones yet (can your 2-year old point to a picture and say the name of the picture? Can your 3rd grader read for information to learn a new skill?). The booklists are also super helpful if your child is super into a certain topic.
Unite for Literacy:
Like the International Children’s Digital Library, this site has digital books that your child can read on the computer. All you need is an internet connection. The coolest part is that you can have the book read to you. A friendly voice reads the pages, and you decide when it’s time to turn the page. Most of the books are non-fiction and cover topics such as plants, animals, and community helpers.

8. How Do I Sign Up? Talk to one of our Youth Services librarians.
The only requirement is that your little one hasn’t started kindergarten yet.
5 min

9. What’s in it for the Kids?
When you sign up…
Log sheet
Free board book
When you reach 1000 books…
A lifelong love of reading
Free picture book
5 min

10. Ms. Hannah (708)-798-5563 hannah@grandeprairie.org
Questions?
Ms. Hannah (708)
5 min