1000 Books Before School

1,000 Books Before School is an initiative aimed at children 0-5 years of age that seeks to arm families, preschools, playgroups and child-care centres with the knowledge that reading 1,000 Books with their child/children prior to them beginning school will prepare them for a lifetime of learning and a love of reading.

Children who participate in this program will receive a “1,000 Books Before School Bag” after they read 100 books. Then each time they read the next 100 books they collect a patch to iron on to their bag until they reach 1,000 books.

Once they have reached their goal children and parents have the joy and satisfaction that they have encouraged and help develop their child’s literacy skills, encourage a daily reading habit, instil a love of learning, engage children with language, help them understand themselves and others

Research has shown that building the literacy skills of children before they start school is fundamental to their success at school.

How the program works

Register on the library's online resource called Beanstack, which will allow parents/caregivers to register their children and log their books. Each time you reach a milestone, bring your email confirmation in to any Parramatta Library to receive your iron patch for your bag.

• Children must be a member of Parramatta Library to participate in this program. If not a member registration is Free.
• All books count towards the 1,000 book total, whether they be physical books borrowed from the library, e-books online, books borrowed at story time, day care, playgroup or shared by family and friends.
• Every book your child reads or listens to counts!
• The program finishes once a child has read 1000 books, or when they turn six.

This highly successful program originated in the United States and then rolled out to libraries across Victoria.

Parramatta Library is the first metropolitan library in NSW to offer this program.