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Reading Challenges
The concept is simple, the rewards are priceless. Read a book (any book) to your newborn, infant, or toddler. The goal? To read 1,000 books before starting kindergarten! This program is designed to help parents prepare their children for school. Children get ready to read years before they begin their formal education. The most effective way to get your child ready to learn is to read to them. You are your child’s first teacher!
1000 Books Before Kindergarten is intended for children ages birth through five (or until they enter kindergarten).
We encourage you to sign up even if your child is closer to age 5. Your child will still receive many benefits from participating in a structured reading program.
Ready to jump in? Click the "Getting Started" tab!
1. Visit orono.beanstack.org/reader365 and click "Register an Individual or Family."
2. Answer the questions and fill in the Adult and Reader information. If you would like to add multiple children to your account, you can add them later -- just start with one of them.
3. When you are finished entering all the information, click to enroll your child in the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program. You can begin logging your child's reading by clicking "Log Reading."
There's an App for That!
You can also track your books using the Beanstack app on your mobile device. Search for Beanstack on Google Play or the App Store for iPhones.
1000 books?! That sounds impossible!
We believe in you! Even if you only read one book a day, that's 365 books for the year. After two years, you'll have 730. You'll have read 1,095 books after three years. Considering most children start school around age 5, you have more time than you think to achieve this goal!
What books can be counted?
Any time your child listens to a book, it counts! It can be a library book, a book from home, a book read at story time, or an audio book or e-book (including TumbleBooks!). Better yet, you can count the same book more than once. If your child asks you to read the same book five times, it count as five books.
How long do I have to complete the program?
This program is self-paced and ongoing, so you can start and end at any time.
How do I keep track of books?
The library uses Beanstack for reading challenges. Create a Beanstack account, add your child as a reader, and enroll them in the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program. You can then begin logging books. Beanstack will keep a running total of your books and you will earn a badge at each reading milestone. To learn how to create a Beanstack account, visit the "Getting Started" tab.
If you would prefer to use a paper log, you may download one to print by clicking here, or contact the library for assistance.
This summer, we’re challenging kids and families to read for 20 minutes a day! Daily reading is a great way to keep kids’ minds engaged and active during the summer and to combat learning loss while promoting school readiness. Every reader who reads 20 minutes a day for 20 days will get to choose a book and adopt a block animal from our Reading Zoo. Readers who reach 30 days of reading will receive a gift certificate to The Briar Patch bookstore. Keep reading for 40 or 50 days to earn entries into cool prize drawings!
Visit orono.beanstack.org/reader365 to create a Beanstack account and enroll in the Summer Reading Program. Once enrolled, you will be able to start logging your reading minutes. For logging on the go, you can download the Beanstack app for your iPhone or Android device. You’ll receive a badge for each reading milestone achieved; this will notify you of your eligibility for prizes and prize drawing entries.
How do I log minutes?
Visit orono.beanstack.org/reader365 to create a Beanstack account and enroll in the Summer Reading Program. Once enrolled, you will be able to start logging your reading minutes. For logging on the go, you can download the Beanstack app for your iPhone or Android device. You’ll receive a badge for each reading milestone achieved; this will notify you of your eligibility for prizes and prize drawing entries.
Can I read more (or less) than 20 minutes a day?
Of course! We understand that some days kids will want to read more than 20 minutes, and other times less. The minutes are cumulative, so all of it counts and adds up. However, we feel that 20 minutes a day is a sustainable goal that will help your family develop and maintain a daily reading habit.
What happens if we miss a day or two of reading?
You don’t have to read for consecutive days to earn a prize. The Summer Reading Program runs for eight weeks, from June 28th to August 22nd, and reading can occur on any days during this time. For example, you could read for 12 days straight, take a break for two days, and read for another 8 days to reach 20 days. What counts as reading? Anything and everything, whether it’s from the library or your own collection. Books, graphic novels, magazines, audiobooks, eBooks, TumbleBooks, and being read to all count for this program.
What is the Reading Zoo?
The Reading Zoo is where our prize books and block animals live at the library! Choose a book, then pick an animal to adopt and assemble at home.