Ottawa Library, in cooperation with the 1000 Books Foundation, invites you to participate in this free program which encourages you to read 1,000 books with your children before they start kindergarten.

If you read just one book a night, you will read 365 books in a year. In two years, the number will grow to 730. In the third year, you will surpass the goal at 1,095 books. If you consider that most children start kindergarten at age 5 or 6, you have more time than you think and it’s never too late to start!

Why participate?

Studies have shown that reading with your child provides a great opportunity for bonding. Reading together is fun and will create life-long memories for both of you, whether you are reading books your family owns, picking them out on a visit to the library, or downloading them onto an e-reader device. Experts agree that children who learn the necessary skills early do better in school and later in life. Participating in 1000 Books Before Kindergarten can help put your child on the right track.

How does the program work?

• Pick out books at home or at the Library and start reading to your pre-kindergarten age child today!

• Keep track of the titles of the books you read or the care-giver or family member might read to your child.

Attending storytime or participating in the Summer Reading Program at the Library also counts towards your total! You may read a book multiple times if it’s a family favorite. The book logs will make a great keepsake item for your child later on. You can track book through our Beanstack Reading Logs.