1000 Books Before Kindergarten

Welcome to 1000 Books Before Kindergarten! Reading to your child every day helps kids build their literacy skills and prepares them for school. Your child’s first and best teacher is you!

Program Overview

The concept is simple, the rewards are priceless. Read a book (any book) to your newborn, infant and/or toddler. The goal is to read 1,000 books (yes, you can repeat books as often as you like) with your child before they start Kindergarten. While it might sound difficult, it’s not if you think about it. If you read just one book a night, that’s 365 in a year, 730 in two years and 1,095 in three years.

To register for 1000 Books Before Kindergarten, simply stop by any public library in Saskatoon. We will print you off a starter guide and tracking sheets or you can print these from home. You can also track your reading activity on the Android and Apple apps.

Prizes will be available for kids who reach various milestones, and graduation ceremonies will be held during the first Family and Baby Storytime of every month at libraries across the city!

More information on prizes will be coming soon.

Tips & Benefits

• Start reading! Studies have shown that reading with your child provides great opportunities for bonding. Reading together is fun and will create lifelong memories for both of you.
• Early literacy is everything that children know about reading and writing before they can read and write. Recognizing print, letters and numbers, rhyming, vocabulary, narrative skills, and the motivation to read are literacy skills that children can start learning from birth.
• Keep track of all reading activities your child is involved in, including books read to your child by siblings, other family members (e.g., grandparents) and other caregivers (e.g., daycare providers).

Nursery rhymes to try with your child