MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — The Manitowoc Public Library is helping families get a head start on school readiness with a program that challenges them to read 1,000 books before their child starts kindergarten.
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Families can track their progress on paper or through the free Beanstack app. Inside the library, kids can add a sticker to the wall every time they reach another 100 books. When they hit 1,000, they get their picture on the library's "I Read 1,000 Books" wall, with small prizes along the way.
Tracie Callahan, a Manitowoc County resident, is working toward the goal with her three children, ages 5, 3, and 1.5. She homeschools her kids and says reading is already part of their daily routine.
"I kinda grew up in the library, one of my favorite things to do is read books," Callahan said.
She says the program has been a natural fit for her family.
"We like to read to our kids because they're fun stories, they're imagination goes wild and they take it and run with it," Callahan said.
"My younger one he always goes and grabs books from the shelf," Callahan said.
Sharon Verbeten, the library's youth services manager, says the benefits of early reading go beyond the program itself.
"It's all about engaging... even just the act of paging through a book can be helpful," Verbeten said.
"Studies have shown kids that have books in the home or books introduced to them definitely helps with school readiness," Verbeten said.
Verbeten says access to physical books also plays an important role in early childhood development.
"Even just getting a free book at the library it's a sense of ownership … they can touch it, it's tactile, it's theirs and that's super important," Verbeten said.
No library card is required to take part. The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program and other library programs are free. Baby and preschool story times are also starting back up this week, with sessions on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
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