Lewis & Clark Library re-launching 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program

Helena, Mont – 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is getting a revamp! First established at Lewis & Clark Library in 2017, the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program has encouraged hundreds of families in the county to read 1,000 books before their child begins kindergarten. After five years, a remodel and a pandemic, we realized that we needed to reorganize the program to make it more accessible to our community. Thanks to generous funding from the Lewis & Clark Library Foundation, we implemented the new version of 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten at Lewis & Clark Library on March 14, 2022.

Reading out loud to your infant, toddler, and preschool-aged child is one of the most crucial ways for you to help their developing brain. When you read to your child, you are building a secure and loving bond with them, which fosters a positive learning environment. 1,000 books may seem daunting but if you read 1 book a day, you'll have read 365 books in a year, 730 books in two years, and 1,095 books in three years! The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program at Lewis & Clark Library is a free program for children between the ages of 0 and 6 and their caregivers.

Registration is easy, visit the Library's website and select "Kids and Teens" tab and then "1,000 Books Before Kindergarten," https://www.lclibrary.org/318/1000-Books-Before-Kindergarten. Beanstack is a web-based platform where individuals, groups, and families can track their reading and participate in library challenges. Beanstack is free for you to use, and also offers a free Beanstack Tracker mobile app.

When you register your child for 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten through Beanstack, you will be prompted to come to your local library branch to pick up a Welcome Bag with all the necessities to keep you and your child going strong and be able to select a free book to keep. Each time that your child reads 100 books, they'll get a special sticker to keep and get to add a sticker to the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten poster. When your child reads 200, 400, 600, and 800 books they'll be able to pick up a prize that was selected to promote early literacy, brain and body development, play, and joy. When you read 1,000 books with your child, they will get a t-shirt and brag tag to let everyone know that they read 1,000 books.

If your child is registered in the current version of 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, you will be unable to access it after March 14. Please contact Molly Hudson for help transferring the books read in the previous version to the new version.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program at Lewis & Clark Library, please contact Molly Hudson, Children Services Librarian at [email protected].