Oct. 20, 2025 – In September 2024, the library launched a new reading challenge, 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten – and participating pre-K children have read almost 54,000 books since then.
Caregivers track each book they read with their child, from birth until they start kindergarten. A simple way for families and children to build a love of reading together, the program is part of a national effort to help prepare kids for school by building reading habits. It also seeks to encourage caregiver and child bonding through reading.
“1,000 Books Before Kindergarten was started to encourage parents to read with their children before school begins, because literacy development starts at a very young age,” said Programming Manager Kevin Delecki. “It was designed to follow our Growing Readers reading program and complement Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.”
Growing Readers encourages expectant parents to develop a reading habit even before their child is born, and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library sends free books to Cedar Rapids children each month until they turn 5.
Delecki said all three programs work together toward the library’s goal of supporting literacy.
According to 1,000 Books, the nonprofit that started the nationwide initiative:
“Numerous studies estimate that as many as one in five children have difficulties learning to read. Reading has been associated as an early indicator of academic success. Public formal education does not typically start until ages 5-6. Before then, parents and caregivers are the first education providers during the 0-5 early critical years.”
In the first nine months of the program, more than 300 children registered, and 21 read more than 1,000 books.
“Finding ways to motivate kids and build excitement around books is fundamental to what we do,” Delecki said. “We’re excited to watch this program continue to grow.”
Learn more: CRLibrary.org/children/1000books
FY 2025 Annual Report
This story is from the library's FY 2025 Annual Report.