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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.