1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge
About the Challenge
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is a simple, feel-good challenge: read—or listen to—1,000 books with a child before they start kindergarten, and yes, repeat readings are totally encouraged! It’s important because reading regularly to young kids gives their growing brains a head start—boosting vocabularies, pre-reading skills, and overall school readiness. It’s a proven foundation for long-term academic success and helps children enter kindergarten with confidence. Beyond literacy, bedtime stories and shared reading become moments of connection and emotion—creating memories that enrich parent-child bonds and embed a lasting love of books.
How It Works
1. Track the books you read.
You can use this downloadable tracking sheet or the Beanstack app to keep track of the books you have read. (Repeated books definitely count!)
Contact Jenn Keathley if you need paper logs printed for you.
2. Claim your prizes along the way.
OberlinKids will provide prizes for your child for every 100 books they read.
Show your log at the library (desk in the children’s section) to get your prize.
