Parents and caregivers, you are a child's first teacher and role model, and they need your help to succeed. Reading aloud to infants and children encourages social, emotional, and cognitive development and the library is here to help support your family on its reading journey! We have joined the multitudes of libraries that offer resources for this self led program to promote reading and bonding between caregivers and young ones.

Studies have shown that children that are read to at an early age have bigger vocabularies and are more successful when they start school. It may sound hard to get to 1,000, but if you read just one book a night you will have read 365 books in a year. That is 730 books in two years and 1,095 books in three years. If you consider that most children start kindergarten around 5 years of age, you have more time than you think to get them ready.

Register Online Here – Parents you can create an account first to easily monitor your children's activity.

Track Your Reading – Log every book you read with your child here! 

Keep track of the number of books you read with your child using the booklet you picked up at sign up, the online website, or the ReadSquared app.

At each milestone, visit the Southgate Veterans Memorial Library to redeem a prize. Every 100 books your child will earn a sticker to commemorate their milestone! They will also get to add their name our 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten wall.

At 500 books read your child will get their sticker and a small prize!

At 1,000 books read your child will receive a certificate of completion, a small prize, a book, and an invitation to our yearly 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Celebration! We will also dedicate a picture book in their name to the Southgate Veterans Memorial Library collection!

Keep Reading! – Prepare your child for kindergarten by reaching 1,000 books before they enter kindergarten.

Who can participate in this program?

All of your children from birth until kindergarten can participate. Make sure to track the progress of each child.

How long will the program take?

This program can take anywhere from a few months to a few years. The program is self-paced and will depend on how often you read together.

Can I read to my child in another language?

Absolutely! Reading to your child in your native language will only benefit your child's future.

Can I read the same book over and over?

Yes. Every time your child is read to counts! It is important that they are excited about reading. Reading their favorite book multiple times will help make reading more exciting.

Do audiobooks, e-books, or virtual stories count?

Of course! There are many options that promote early literacy and reading skills, so use what’s best for you and your family. Need help fiding digital materials check out our eBooks and More page.

Do I need to be a Southgate Resident or have a Southgate library card to participate?

No. We welcome anyone interested in the program to participate.