Volusia County Library Services is looking to boost readership through the One Thousand Books Before Kindergarten challenge.

Written by Anthony Bicy

Belden Communications News

The Volusia County Library Services division has re-launched its One Thousand Books Before Kindergarten challenge, a self-paced program, which helps build reading confidence and boosts pre-reading skills in children from birth to six years old. The plan is for parents and caregivers to read one thousand books to their children before they enter kindergarten, instilling a love for reading into the child.

The One Thousand Books program first started in 2015, and the county is bringing it back to increase awareness about the program and promote participation.

“Reading is fundamental to all learning,” said Volusia County Library Services Director Lucinda Colee. “Encouraging reading is our core mission at Library Services. One Thousand Books Before Kindergarten is a wonderful program that helps children develop those basic educational building blocks and puts them on a path to success.”

It can take three years to complete the challenge by reading one book a day, or it can take one by reading three a day. 

“As with all learning, reading starts at home,” said Colee. “This program will not only help children grow academically, but it will also create bonding time and cherished family memories. Parents and caregivers, they’ll find the program just as rewarding as the children.”

Visit https://volusialibrary.beanstack.org/reader365 to sign up. Parents can then track and log their child’s reading through the program account page, or the Beanstack Tracker app. Spanish material is also available to participants.