Remember, if you have not yet registered, there are two ways to participate in 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten:
- You can visit a Library location to receive a paper log. Staff will take your information and provide you with a booklet to keep track of all the books your child reads.
- Or sign up on Beanstack to track books online, the Library’s online reading platform. Just create an account and log books as your child completes them. You can even download the Beanstack app to log books by scanning their barcode with your phone!
Literacy at Home
Think about the book that you’re currently reading. Chances are you’re not reading it because it was assigned to you. Someone may have suggested it to you, or there was a lot of buzz surrounding it, or you just happened to stumble across it while browsing at the library. Something about the book sparked your interest, be it the premise, the author, or even just the cover itself. The point is, you’re reading the book because you want to.
The same also applies to your child. When they are younger, obviously as the caregiver you will be picking what books to read, but as they grow older, it’s important to let them browse and pick books on their own. According to Scholastic’s Kids & Family Reading Report, across demographics “the majority of kids (89%) agree their favorite books are the ones that they have picked out themselves.” Furthermore, the studies found that “nearly nine in ten children (88%) say they are more likely to finish a book that they have picked out themselves and eight in ten (82%) say they feel a sense of accomplishment when they finish reading a book.”
Benefits of letting your child pick their own reading material are:
- Helps develop print motivation - Print motivation is a child’s interest in and enjoyment of books and reading. As previously stated, according to Scholastic, a child is more apt to enjoy a book that they themselves have picked out, especially if it aligns with their interests.
- Boosts reading skills - The more children read–or are read to–the more they are building their vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency skills. By reading books they enjoy, even if it’s only for a few minutes every day, they are continually building these skills.
- Builds empathy and understanding - According to Teachhub.com, allowing your child to read books based on topics or characters that they are interested in or relate to can build empathy and understanding.
Book Recommendations
Check out these great picture books with some familiar faces to get started!
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