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Our 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program keeps getting better! On October 14, we held a private online celebration for the 74 children who completed their 1000 Books between August 2020 and September 2021. Our guest of honor was author Lindsay Barret George, whose beautifully illustrated books make for wonderful story times.
What’s 1000 Books?
1000 Books Before Kindergarten helps caregivers and parents give children the gift of reading and literacy! The idea is simple: Between the day the child is born until the day they start kindergarten, try to read 1000 books (or more!) with your child. The benefits of this simple activity carry well into your child’s academic years.
Getting started is easy! Sign up your child for their own library card, register them for 1000 Books, and visit your local library for a fun “1000 Books” kit. Then use the Beanstack app to keep track. The app even has a barcode scanner to make tracking easy. Numbers can add up quickly: Read a favorite picture book 10 times? That counts as 10 books! At each 100 books, make a visit to your local library to document the achievement. If your child reaches 1000 Books before starting Kindergarten, you’ll be invited to our annual celebration event!
Not Only for Children
Kids aren’t the only ones who benefit from the 1000 Books program! Caregivers, parents, and educators all play a role in a child’s growth, and YCL works hard to support them also. We have some wonderful, free online workshops available on our YouTube channel just for our 1000 Books families. (You can also find video Story Time–they count toward your goal!)
The video workshops were created with local early child development experts, and they will be available until November 30, 2021. They are available for free on our YouTube channel (once registered, you can pause, come back later, or re-watch videos if you’d like).
To get your invitation to this exclusive playlist, first register your child’s library card for 1000 Books and then complete the RSVP form. We’ll email you a private link to the workshops. Don’t forget to like and subscribe!
Workshop Descriptions
We are pleased to offer several workshops relating to helping your child grow! They are exclusively available to YCL 1000 Books Before Kindergarten families and educators.
- Using Puppets and Art to Develop Language Skills—Children’s author and illustrator Lindsay Barrett George explains how to use books, puppets, and art to help young children develop language skills. She was the first featured author for Pennsylvania’s One Book Every Young Child program!
- Weaving Social Emotional Learning into Daily Life—Child Care Consultant Quality Coach Jenn Wertz shares three key strategies to help children self-regulate their emotions and also how to weave social emotional learning into daily routines at home and in the classroom.
- Connecting Nature and Learning: Winter Edition—Elizabeth Marcello, quality coach for Child Care Consultants, Inc., walks through the basics of nature-based early childhood education and why it is important for optimal child development. She shares great activity ideas to keep children learning about nature in winter.
- Learn the Basics: Developmentally Appropriate Practice—Child Care Consultants Inclusion Support Coach Kim Alloway will answer questions including: Do one-year-old children need blocks? Should babies be exposed to screen time? Does a two-year-old share? She’ll also talk about the basics of Developmentally Appropriate Practice and how to appropriately set expectations with children to help them learn.
- Picture Books that Build Resilience—York County Libraries Director of Youth Services Jaclyn Cassidy and Youth Services Program Manager Lisa Schmittle highlight 30 beautiful picture books. These books can inspire children to overcome obstacles and bounce back. They will also suggest new resources and activities to pair with the books to enhance learning.
Share Your 1000 Books Story
We’d love to hear how the 1000 Books program (or these workshops) help the children in your lives! Send us a video or message through social media and use the hastag #YCL1000Books. We’re @YorkLibraries on Twitter, and @YorkCountyLibraries on Facebook and Instagram. No social media? Reach out using our Contact Us form at https://www.yorklibraries.org/about-us/contact-us/ or make an in person visit to your local library!
Questions?
Questions about the 1000 Books program or workshops? Please contact [email protected].