1000 Books Before Kindergarten is a FREE, fun, and easy way to promote early literacy with your children. All you need to do is read a book, any book, with your 0 to 5-year-old. The goal is to read 1000 books before they start kindergarten. It’s actually very easy when you look at it. If you read 1 book a day, you will have read 365 books in a year, which is 730 books in two years and 1,095 books in three years. That’s just one book a day!

 Anyone in Menominee County with children 0-5 can participate. Children will receive a book and a bag with some handouts when they are signed up. They will also receive another book and prize when they finish the program. The Friends of the Menominee County Library will reach out to preschools in the county and encourage all daycare providers and parents to contact the library to sign up.

 There are many benefits to introduce early literacy. A research study by Ohio State University says children who are read one book per day hear on average 290,000 more words by age 5 then those who are not read to. Being read to prepares children not only to recognize the printed words, but also learn how to write with less difficulty. The Menominee County Library wants to help to give them the best start possible.

 If anyone, parent, teacher, daycare provider, grandparent, etc. is interested to sign up their children or would like more information, please contact the Menominee County Library at 906-753-6923.