Welcome to Pasadena’s 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge!
This campaign is a self-paced goal designed to promote early literacy and help children with lifelong educational and occupational success. But you don’t have to do this challenge alone! Pasadena Public Library will help you each step of the way with free books, Storytime, and even prizes to encourage your little ones (while supplies last)!
Information for Parents and Caregivers
What is 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten? The concept is simple: read 1,000 books to your child before they start kindergarten. This multi-year (or month) early learning initiative helps children gain familiarity with printed books, expand vocabulary and enter kindergarten ready to learn.
Do I need to attend a Kindergarten, Here I Come campaign Info Session to participate in the program? No, though we highly encourage you to. The kit you’ll first receive contains a wealth of information that may be overwhelming to sort through. The Info Session may help reduce anxiety and contains some great information about starting Kindergarten. (see more about K, Here I Come below)
Who can participate? Any child who has not yet started kindergarten. That means newborns all the way up to your Pre-K or TK child.
How long will the program take? The program is self-paced and will depend on how often you read together. It may be as short as a few months or as long as a few years.
Do books read at Storytime count? Absolutely! Any book that your child has read counts, as many times as it is read. Example: one book read 5 times before bedtime counts as 5 books.
My child has finished the program. Can they start again? Congratulations on your child’s reading! While we love the enthusiasm, the program is limited to one time per child. However, there are many other public libraries in the area offering the program as well. You can find the full list at https://1000booksbeforekindergarten.org/find-a-program/california/
How do we participate? Read to your child and track. Each time you reach 100 books, visit your local Pasadena library branch and show your Tracking Sheet or let staff know you participated online. You’ll receive a prize at each milestone, while supplies last. Use the Tracking Sheet brochure or track online at pasadena.beanstack.com (instructional video below).
I have more questions. Who can I call? Please call the Youth Services Division that’s currently serving out of the temporary Jefferson Branch location at (626) 744-8046.
Literacy Tips:
- Read to your child daily, even if it’s just for a few minutes at a time. Studies show that reading with your child provides a great opportunity for bonding. Reading together also helps your child associate books with affection and love.
- Allow your child to select their own books. Reading the same book over and over helps children start to recognize specific words.
- Talk about what you’re reading. Ask questions about the pictures. Invite your child to be part of the reading process.
- Talk to your child during regular daily routines. While shopping say “look at this purple eggplant” introducing new words and colors.
- Sing nursery rhymes with your child. Repetition helps a child learn.
- Sing songs with your child every day. It doesn’t matter if you’re not in tune, your child just wants to hear your voice.
- Share wordless books with your child and let them tell you the story that’s happening in the pictures.
- Get outside. Playing with bubbles, sand, modeling clay or paint is a great way for them to engage in pretend play and utilize their language skills.
- When asked for gift suggestions, always recommend books so you can build your child’s personal library.
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is part of the Kindergarten, Here I Come campaign
The Pasadena Public Health Department (PPHD), Pasadena Public Library and the Office of the Young Child have partnered with local schools, community organizations and early childhood experts to create the Kindergarten, Here I Come! campaign. This new campaign aims to provide parents and caregivers with the information, tools and resources they need to prepare their child for kindergarten and beyond.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), research shows that the early years of a child’s life are critical for their healthy development. Having a safe home and spending time with loved ones―playing, singing, reading, and talking―can support healthy development. Proper nutrition, exercise, and sleep can make a big difference as well. Children depend on parents, family members, and other caregivers as their first teachers to develop skills to become independent and lead healthy and successful lives.
Understanding the importance of this early phase, the Kindergarten, Here I Come! campaign was developed to provide information and resources that can help children stay healthy, be safe, and be successful in five key areas of development—physical health and wellbeing, emotions and feelings, social skills, communication skills and cognitive (thinking) skills.
To highlight the importance of literacy, parents are encouraged to participate in the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program with their preschoolers. Early literacy skills have a lifelong impact on educational and occupational success and the most important predictor of school success is being read to during early childhood according to the National Library of Medicine (NCIB).
To learn more about Kindergarten, Here I Come: https://cityofpasadena.net/kindergarten
Kindergarten, Here I Come info session
Join us for the launch of Pasadena’s Kindergarten, Here I Come! Learn about the skills your child will need for Kindergarten, pick up a FREE Transition to Kindergarten kit, plus start your child’s journey on 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten! The Info Sessions are for parents and caregivers of children ages 2-5 and will include play time or activities for children. Light refreshments served.
UPDATE: The live presentations and play times ran in January – June 2024. We will be pausing future sessions until the next season. The planning team (which includes partners from the Library, Health Department, School District, Pasadena Education Network, Office of the Young Child, and other partners) will be reconvening to discuss improvements to the sessions. Stay tuned for more updates. In the meantime, you can view the full recorded presentation in the link below (it will open a new window), and also continue the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program.
CLICK HERE for a recorded presentation
CLICK HERE for a copy of the slides
NEXT SESSION:
Kindergarten, Here I Come Info Session
When: Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at 5pm (approximately 60-90 minutes)
Where: Cleveland Children’s Center, 524 Palisade St, Pasadena, CA 91103
Learn about the skills your child will need for Kindergarten, information about enrollment and getting ready for TK or Kindergarten, pick up a free Transition to Kindergarten kit, and start your child’s journey on 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten.
These info sessions are for parents and caregivers of children ages 2-5 and will include a storytime, play time, and activities for children. Dinner provided. Please register here to attend.
Presented in partnership with the Pasadena Unified School District, Pasadena Public Health Department and Pasadena Education Network.
REGISTER ONLINE: https://www.cityofpasadena.net/library/calendar/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D177945829
Funding provided by:
Books for home libraries are sponsored by The Friends of the Pasadena Public Library.
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten was supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.
This project was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library. The project is part of Office of the Young Child‘s Shared Vision grant.
Funding for the Kindergarten, Here I Come campaign was provided by State of California General Funds as part of PPHD’s Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program, a home-based program for parents of children 2-5 years old.
For questions regarding the program, please contact Jane Gov at jgov@cityofpasadena.net