By Michelle Waltos
Librarian
Area families are invited to join the new 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program at the Northern Onondaga Public Library (NOPL).
The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program is a nationwide challenge that encourages parents and caregivers to regularly read aloud to their children. By reading just one book a night, families can reach the 1,000-book goal in three years and provide their children essential early literacy skills.
Research shows that the most reliable predictor of school success is being read to during early childhood. Reading to children from an early age can help close the vocabulary gap and prepare children to enter kindergarten with the skills they need to succeed. Most importantly, sharing books with children promotes a lifelong love of books and reading.
It may seem like a big goal, but every book counts. Even if your child wants to hear the same book again and again, you can count it each time. You can also count the books your child hears during library story times, in daycare or preschool, or with a friend or family member, as long as your child listens to the entire book.
The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program is available to all families with children who have not yet entered kindergarten. For more information or to sign up for the program, call NOPL Cicero at (315) 699-2032, or visit nopl.org/1000bbk.
