Ada Public Library

ABOVE) Accomplished readers Millie and Natalie Freytag

By Paula Pyzik Scott

Does 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten sound like a staggering goal? Let’s say you begin when your child is one year old: that’s reading ⅔ of a book every day for four years. Okay, so what’s a book? An average board book is about 14 pages. An early reader book averages 32 pages (500-2,000 words) Still sound daunting?

Fortunately, the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten nonprofit and hundreds of libraries across the United States are ready to give families and caregivers a helping hand, providing encouragement and resources.