1,000 Books Before School!

Hi all!

Today I’m going to share with you a really wonderful program that is active in Victoria, Australia called 1,000 Books Before School.

It’s pretty self-explanatory. Basically, your baby/toddler/child is encouraged to read 1,000 books before school to encourage literacy and foster a love of reading. It’s completely free (all you need is one library membership to sign up a family) and you can commence anytime; provided it is before your child enters Primary Education.

Last week, I went to my local library and registered Abigail for the program. I was given a free tote bag, the first Reading Record, an information sheet and a page of stickers. Once Abigail has read 100 books, we need to return to the library with the completed record for a reward and the second sheet…and so it continues until we reach 1,000.

A sticker is placed on a circle after every book read. They can read the same book multiple times, listen to audio books, attend story time at the library and borrow books as well as read their own to meet the targets. So how will Abigail read at nearly 6 months old? Well, she won’t of course. I’ll be reading to her and that is what counts. As long as she’s paying some attention and we get to the end of the book, we can add a sticker to her sheet.

It’s no secret that I am, and always have been an avid reader, so programs like these make me very happy. I cannot wait to read with Abigail and watch her develop a love for books too. This is such a great way to prepare children for school and get them excited about learning.

Let me know if a program like this exists in your area of the world or how you have introduced books to your children. I would love to know!

Thanks for reading! I may document Abigail’s progress on this blog as we go.

Peace and Love xoxoxo