Early Literacy is everything that children learn about reading and writing before they can actually read and write. Reading aloud and bringing books into daily life is the key to encouraging and developing a young child’s ability to read. By reading, talking, singing, playing, and writing with your child – you give them the foundation for literacy and success! Literacy development begins at birth and is closely linked to a baby’s earliest experiences with books and stories. Babies learn language through social literacy experiences – parents interacting with them using books. These experiences also serve to associate books with parental affection, attention, and approval.

Young children need a variety of skills to become successful readers. Reading experts have determined that five specific literacy skills become the building blocks for later reading and writing. Research indicates that children who enter school with more of these skills are better able to benefit from reading instruction they receive. From day one, a child’s brain begins forming connections very quickly—connections which build the foundation for all learning he or she will do later in life. In fact 90% of children’s critical brain development occurs by age 5. Children who are read to, sung to, and talked to from a young age develop bigger vocabularies, become better readers, and are more likely to succeed in school. Research indicates that when children are reached with high quality early learning experiences, they are 40% less likely to fall behind in school and 70% more likely to graduate from high school.

The Otsego District Library is excited to offer 1000 Books Before Kindergarten to local preschool aged children(Established in Fall 2016), along with ten other Allegan County Libraries! ODL is leading the way on this program for Allegan County. The Allegan County Library Association has partnered with the Allegan County United Way and Volunteer Center. The Allegan County United Way and Volunteer Center has given a $7000 grant to fund supplies for the children of Allegan County for five years! Developing literacy skills begins at birth and continues through toddler and preschool years. The best way to ensure a child has the skills necessary to learn to read is having someone read aloud to them. A well written picture book is three times richer in vocabulary than conversation. Talk, sing, read, write, and play with your child to help them get ready to read. Visiting the library with your child also helps instill the excitement for reading into their life!

What does reading 1000 book look like?

Sign up at your home library and get your welcome packet and first tracking sheet. Bring back your tracking sheet after you have read your first 100 books together and get your bookmark and sticker. After each tracking sheet come back to the library for another tracking sheet. Visit the library ten times throughout the program to pick up your tracking sheets. When you have read 1000 books, return to the library for a special prize and photo opportunity/celebration. Most importantly, read for the fun of it and enjoy the time with your child!

Check out the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Apple App by the 1000 Books Foundation once you register your child at your home library.

Sign up at the library for our easy, fun, FREE, new 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers! Any child that has not started kindergarten this fall is eligible to participate. Anyone in Allegan County can sign up at their home library for this program. Tell your Allegan County friends to check their libraries for this exciting program!