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Education starts at home. Through work with West Fargo Public Schools, the library found that nearly half of the children who enter Kindergarten in a given year are behind in their early literacy skills - skills that are essential to success in school.
To help students start off on the right foot, the West Fargo Public Library designed a program to help parents practice these important skills with their children at home before they ever head to school. This program is called 1000 Books Before Kindergarten.
The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program is exactly what it sounds like! The goal is to read a thousand books with your child before they head to Kindergarten. By reading books to your child, you are helping them practice important early literacy skills, which sets them up for success in school when they are older!
While a thousand seems like a lot, this is a common literacy goal, and the West Fargo Public Library has tools to help you get started. You don't have to read 1000 different books either. Any book will do! The earlier you start the program with your child, the easier it is to reach 1000 too. Plus, your child will earn fun and skill-boosting prizes along the way!
Young children who are read to on a regular basis are shown to have an advantage when learning to read independently. Reading to children is also a bonding experience between the child and their adult that reinforces a positive association with reading. Our 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program is based on other similar programs used by libraries nationwide.
The library offers a number of Ready to Read early literacy programs and services. Click the Ready to Read logo below to learn more.