1,000 Books Before Kindergarten:

Supporting Early Literacy through Reading at Home

2013 Early Literacy Mini-Grants

$250 for either:

•Early literacy SRP, OR

•1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program

Spend grant and matching funds on:

•Books for your collection for 0-6 year olds, AND/OR

•Reading/activity logs for parents

Go to http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdelib/SummerReading/minigrants.htm.

Application deadline: January 31

Presented by

Sandy KrostBremen Public Library

PO Box 130

Bremen, IN 46506

574-546-2849

skrost@bremen.lib.in.us

Why was the program created in the first place?

1. Mem Fox – Reading Magic (c2008, p17)

– “No wonder experts tell us that children need to hear a thousand stories read aloud before they begin to learn to read for themselves. A thousand! That sounds daunting.”

2.

What would get parents to actually apply what they learned in “Every Child Ready to Read” workshops?

• Large Volume of Reading

• Singing

• Nursery Rhymes

The Challenge Before Us

Design a program that would motivate and encourage parents to read to their child at least 1000 books before kindergarten.

Support the

• Free to participants• Include incentives that would support Every Child

Ready to Read• Promote library use• Have accountabilility• Be easy to administer• Be motivational• Be as inexpensive for the library as possible (not

dip into the children’ department/library’s budget too much)

Bremen Public Library’s 1000 Books Before Kindergarten

Program in a Nutshell• At registration: Each child receives a reading journal and book

bag.• Each time a child has completed 100 books he or she returns to

the library with the journal to get the pages to record the next 100 books. A sticker is given to be placed in the journal.

• The reading journal contains pages to record the first 100 books read to the child.

• Each 100 page “packette” includes an inexpensive CD of songs and nursery rhymes, a parent note with a ECRTR fact/tidbit/info, and other items to promote reading and the six skills.

• When 1000 book have been read to the child the library awards them with a book with a special nameplate.

Designing the Journal Needed to be able to add pages. A three-ring binder seemed a

logical choice. We wanted the book more child-sized so we selected the 8 ½ x 5 ½ size.

We designed our own art work with 10 animals (each animal a 100 book level) so we didn’t have any copyright issues. Terrie Bickel, a staff member of our children’s department, created all the art work.

We made each 100 book’s pages a different color. We chose heavy paper (67 lb/250 sheet) for sturdiness. We used pastels so that the titles of the books written in by the parents could be seen.

See Bremen Public Library’s website for pages:

http://www.bremen.lib.in.us/ecrtr/index.htm

Designing the Book Bag We contacted JanWay.

They sent us many different bags as we made our selection of style and color of bag.

We wanted the bag to be big enough to hold a lot of picture books and sturdy enough to do so.

We wanted the straps of the bag to go over the shoulder.

We wanted the color to be dark to hide soiling.

We also had to factor in expense. We gave up a small zippered pocket to put the library card in and a top zipper because of expense.

We sent JanWay our art work which they redid to work for the book bag.

Decided and Ordered other items to include at 100 levels

• CD’s

• Nursery Rhyme Booklets

• Magnetic Picture Holder

for Fridge

How to Register

• We designed the following registration form.

We record from the registration form into a Microsoft Access file, but a spreadsheet could be used.

Book Awarded for Completion

• You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You, Very Short Mother Goose Tales to Read Together by Mary Ann Hoberman

Checklist:

1. Size and type of binder for journal

2. 10 different pastel colors of heavy paper

3. Book Bags

4. CD’s

5. Nursery Rhymes Booklets

6. Registration form/method

7. Design and make ECRTR items for each level

8. Other incentive items

9. Choose book for completion with special nameplate

How We Funded the Program:• Letters were written to the four main

charitable organizations in our town to ask if they could fund a specific area.– Kiwanis – funded the journals– Psi Iota Xi – funded the CD’s– Kappa Kappa Kappa – funded the book bags– Lion’s Club – Nursery Rhyme Booklets – The library provides the staff to administer the

program, the paper and copying of the pages, final book at the end.

Other Ideas for Funding:

• Friend’s Group

• Grants from other sources – Community Foundation

• Community businesses

Companies/Products Used• Bags: JanWay, 11 Academy Road

Cogan Station, PA 17728-9300

1-800-877-5242

www.janway.com• CD’s: Continental Promotions, http://www.continentalpromo.com/cd.html• Binders: Mueller Art Cover,

20000 Westwood DrStrongsville, OH , 44149-4043  Phone: 440-238-3303FAX: 440-238-5574Toll Free Phone: 888-238-6311

http://www.muellerartcover.com/index.asp• Nursery Rhymes, Songs and Fingerplays: West Bloomfield Public Library,

7321 Commerce Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48323

248-682-2120

www.wblib.org

Questions?

Things we would like to do, but haven’t yet:• Additional 100 book items

– Foam shapes in different colors– “1000 Books Before Kindergarten” clings for vehicle window– Magnetic Upper and Lower Case Letters– Magnetic Numbers– Find source for CD’s that are no longer available

• Follow-up– Send motivational postcards to parents who haven’t been back to get

additional levels– Send notices of Toddler Time, Preschool Story Hour, and other age

appropriate programs at the library

• Wall of Fame– Display pictures of children who have completed 1000 Books

Laura McConnellChildren’s/Teen Librarian

East Morgan County LibraryBrush, Colorado

•To increase literacy in the lives of the youngest members of our community.

•To help children find the “magic” of reading and books.

•Help parents teach their children to learn to read so they will read to learn.

•To help children know books and reading can be fun.

“There is no substitute for books in the life of a child.” 

 - May Ellen Chase

• Heard about the idea from the emails we receive.

• Searched what other libraries were doing.

• Changed it to fit the community we serve – service area is approximately 8,100 people.

• Easy on staff and parents.

"To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark."— Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

•Fill out form, take picture, give packet.

•For every packet of 100 books turned in, child receives prize and another picture is taken.

•Displayed on wall with “book” labeled with level and date.

•When all ten levels are turned in, we plan to have a party and present family with a scrapbook of all the pictures of the child.

•Repetition is encouraged. If a book is read more than once, count it each time!

Sample of Registration form and Level Packets. Each level has its own color at the top of the page.

Recommend program to parents of young children.

Take picture (if possible) of child.

Let child pick prize Give parent next

level packet.

Levels 1-5 Prizes Levels 6-10 Prizes

Our staff – they are incredibly amazing and helpful.

The pictures on the wall – parents and public comment all the time.

Story time parents Making a big deal

about each level for the kids.

I cut around the pictures, use the wallpaper pieces we use for the Cricut, fold it like a book, then put the Level on the front and the name and date n the back.

This has been an unexpected success for our library.

The staff has gone above and beyond in encouraging patrons – even giving reading tips to young parents.

Parents don’t seem to mind filling out the logs.

Works well with year-round reading contest.

"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all."— Jacqueline Kennedy

What to do if we are not able to get a photo?

What the final party will look like – when to do it?

How long do we keep the pictures up if they don’t do another level?

Writing books down with multiple children – solutions.

"Oh, magic hour, when a child first knows she can read printed words!"— A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, 1943

East Morgan County Library – Laura McConnelllaura.m@emcl.info

970-842-4596

"Reading aloud with children is known to be the single most important activity for building the knowledge and skills they will eventually require for learning to read."— Marilyn Jager Adams

“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island."— Walt Disney

Please complete the webinar evaluation:https://www.research.net/s/1000Books

Thanks for attending the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Webinar!

Go to http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdelib/LibraryDevelopment/YouthServices/1000Books.htm for related handouts and the archived webinar.