Continuing its longstanding relationship with the San Bernardino County’s 32 branch Library System, First 5 San Bernardino recently funded a new program called ‘1,000 Books Before Kindergarten.’ Among First 5 San Bernardino’s top priorities is promoting early literacy, and this program is specifically designed to inspire young children and their parents to start quality reading habits right from the start.
“We encourage parents to read to or with their kids every day and maintain a library of age-appropriate books,” said First 5 San Bernardino Assistant Director Cindy Faulkner. “The self-competitive nature of this program will make kids want to rise to the challenge and start kindergarten with a solid foundation in literacy,” Faulkner stated.
San Bernardino County residents with children ages 0-5 are eligible to participate in the ‘1,000 Books Before Kindergarten’ campaign by registering on Beanstack and logging books read. Children will earn rewards for reaching different levels of the program such as:
- A digital badge for every 25 books read
- A fun incentive for every 100 books read (to be picked up at the local county library)
- A special reward for 500 books read, and
- Automatic entry into a Grand Prize Opportunity drawing when 1,000 books are read (drawing held every six months)
“The ‘1,000 Books Before Kindergarten’ campaign is another opportunity to celebrate and support the Countywide Vision’s literacy campaign, Vision2Read,” added Faulkner. “Reading at grade level by the third grade is one of the greatest predictors of children’s success in school, their likelihood of going to college and their future earning potential,” Faulkner concluded.
For more information on the San Bernardino County library system, visit or call (909) 387-2220.