eSpotlight – 1000 Books Before Kindergarten

We are excited to announce a new way to participate in our 1,000 Books before Kindergarten program. You can now track all of your shared reading online using Beanstack. Beanstack offers a range of special features, from weekly book recommendations to specially curated booklists created by your San José librarians.

What is 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten? 1,000 Books before Kindergarten is a great way to introduce and encourage a love of reading with your young child. Log every book you read to your child before they enter kindergarten. That’s 1 book a day for 3 years, or 3 books a day for 1 year. Once you reach 1,000 books, come to the library to pick up a Kindergarten School Supply Kit and the option to add your child’s name to our 1,000 Books Wall of Fame. The program doubles as a keepsake for what your child is reading during this wonderful period in their lives. Repetition is one of the best ways for children to learn new skills and information, so make sure to track all of the favorite books you reread to your log!

How to Play – Online

1. Register: Sign up for a Beanstack account and register for the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten reading program.
2. Track Your Reading: Each time you share a book, track the title in your online log.
3. Your Progress: Each time you read 100 books, you will automatically receive a progress badge. The more you read, the more badges you will receive!
4. Keep Reading! When you reach 1,000 books, you’ll receive a Kindergarten School Supply Kit and the option to add your child’s name to our 1,000 Books Wall of Fame.

How to Play – Paper

1. Register: Pick up a reading log at your nearest San José Public Library location.
2. Track Your Reading: Each time you share a book, write down the title in your log.
3. Show us Your Progress: Each time you read 100 books, take your log to any San José Public Library location to get a progress sticker.
4. Keep Reading! When you reach 1,000 books, you’ll receive a Kindergarten School Supply Kit and the option to add your child’s name to our 1,000 Books Wall of Fame.

Ways to share a book

• Read together - see Early Literacy Milestones for your child
• Talk about the pictures in a book
• Attend a library storytime
• Read the same book over and over
• Let your baby play with a book while you talk to your baby

Written by Nari Federer, Early Education Librarian