Rubber Ducky Club

(a.k.a. 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten)

THE CONCEPT IS SIMPLE:

Read a book (any book) with your newborn, infant, toddler, or preschool-aged child. The goal is to read 1,000 books before your little one starts kindergarten.

Sound hard? It really isn’t if you think about it. If you read only 1 book per night, you will have read about 365 books in a year. That’s 730 books in two years and 1,095 books in three years! If you consider that most children start kindergarten at about 5 years of age, you have more time than you think!

Or if your child is already nearing kindergarten age, this is still totally doable in as little as 15 minutes a day:

The average picture book takes just 5 minutes to read

          – and –

3 books a day (just 15 minutes) for 1 year = 1,095 books!!!

THE REWARDS ARE PRICELESS:

Reading with children builds vocabulary and language skills, and it introduces them to a wide range of books and stories to spark their imaginations. A child’s brain develops most before the age of three, and a toddler’s brain creates up to two million new connections every second. Studies have also shown that the earlier we read, sing, and speak to children, the earlier they have a desire to learn and the skills to do so. Starting early—before kindergarten—is key to a child’s success through their school years and into adulthood.

Plus, 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten goes beyond helping children develop early literacy skills and preparing for kindergarten. Reading aloud to infants and children encourages social, emotional, and cognitive development. This is also a great way to spend quality time with your child that the whole family can get involved in.

The key here is perseverance, and we will provide incentives to help celebrate and motivate further reading in the program so you can meet the goal of 1,000 books with your child.

SUPER SIBLING PROGRAM:

Any sibling who reads 50 books to a brother or sister enrolled in the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program will also receive a prize! Use the Super Sibling Reading Log available to download or pick it up at the library for the sibling to keep track of the books they read to your little one. When they're done, bring the completed sheet to the Library to claim their prize! Each sibling is eligible to fill out one form/receive one prize for the duration of their brother/sister’s 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten journey.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

        1.     Register for the program through your child’s Beanstack account.

                +   First time using Beanstack? No worries! It’s super easy to sign-up. You can register an individual or the whole family. If you need help you can visit us at the library and a staff member

                      will assist you or we can help over the phone.

        2.     Keep track of the titles of the books that you read with your child and log them into your child’s Beanstack account.

        3.     Each book gets added towards a badge completion. When you earn a badge, it will light up in full color. If you earn a reward with a badge completion, a pop-up message will come up.

        4.     When you earn a reward, visit the Library to claim it!

BOOK COUNTING RULES:

• Picture books count. E-books count. Audiobooks, read alongs, beginning readers, and early chapter books count. If you consider it a book—it counts.

  
  

• Yes, you can repeat books! Every time you—or your friend or relative or anyone!—read a book with your child, it counts. Even if your little one wants to hear a favorite book over and over and over.

  
  

• Don’t forget to count the books you listen to in Tiny Tots Storytime, Preschool Storytime, or other special reading at the Library!

  
  

• So, basically… There are no rules! If a book is read with your child, it counts. Every time.

  
   

MILESTONES, REWARDS, & MORE:

• The first reward is awarded once you register for the program.

  
  

• Badges are awarded in Beanstack starting at 50 books.

  
  

• Badges with bubbles earn no rewards, but badges with a duck earn rewards.

  
  

• Duck Badges are awarded at milestones: 100, 250, 500, 750, and 1,000.

  
  

• Each Duck Badge earns your child a different prize! Since this is a Rubber Ducky Club, the prizes are ducky themed.

  
  

• Upon completion of the program, your child will receive a free book, award metal duck, and completion certificate in a book bag.

  
  

• With permission, we will commemorate each milestone with a photo.

Click on the Beanstack Banner below to register!