An ongoing program in the Jefferson Library Youth Services Department allows for youth to get a jumpstart on literacy.

Youth Services Librarian Bailey Mount invites parents or guardians to enroll their child in the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program, which is sponsored by the Friends of the Jefferson Library. She explains that it is a program to help the youngest children be engaged with reading before they start school. Mount says parents/guardians are meant to read to their kids because they are gaining different skills.

“If you start reading to your newborn, they don’t need to understand (and) we know they don’t understand you, but they’re understanding words, they’re starting to very tentatively build that image-word association. They’re seeing the way your mouth moves, and they’re hearing the noises, and that’s helping them learn how to form their own words. So, it’s all important, like we all know like they’re just blank staring at you, but they’re taking it in, in ways that we can’t even begin to understand.”       

Mount points out that this task might be overwhelming at first blush, but if families read one book per night, they can meet the 1,000 book threshold within three years. She states that for every 100 books read, participants will get an incentive prize and a sticker. Once someone reaches 1,000 books, Mount reveals that that individual will get a certificate and a free picture book. Contact the Youth Services Department at 515-386-2835 or click here to sign up.