KYLE — The Kyle Public Library is providing an opportunity for community members to kickstart their children’s early literacy skills by hosting the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge.
According to the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge website, the program began through the nonprofit of the same name, with the goal to promote reading to newborns, infants and toddlers and to encourage parent and child bonding through reading.
“Numerous studies estimate that as many as one in five children have difficulties learning to read,’ the website states. “Public formal education does not typically start until ages five to six. Before then, parents and caregivers are the first education providers during the zero to five early critical years.”
Kyle Public Library Youth Services Specialist Shannon Boxell noted that the library liked the idea of having an activity that families could be participating in yearround to support early literacy skills.
“Early childhood literacy is the development of skills that help prepare children for reading and writing. It’s a process that begins at birth and it’s built up through different experiences — reading, playing, interacting, talking and drawing — all of these support children’s skills and reading and writing in the future,” explained Boxell.
Although 1,000 may initially seem like a daunting number, Boxell stated that the challenge is really to encourage daily reading, therefore, if a parent reads a story to their child everyday for less than three years, it is easily attainable.
The program is available to any family with children under the age of five who have not started kindergarten, though the parent or guardian must hold a library card.
Because this program is to build literacy skills, any book that is read to the child, not only by a parental figure, can count toward the challenge, whether this be during story time at the library or an older sibling reading to the child.
When a parent signs up, whether during the event or after, they will receive reading logs to track the progress, said Boxell, and at every 200 books read, the child can come into the library to receive a small prize, as well as place a sticker on the inhouse display for the challenge. The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten app can also be downloaded to track the books.
For more information, visit www.1000booksbeforekindergarten.org or stop by the Kyle Public Library, located at 550 Scott St.
