Oxford Public Library (OPL) is trying to help children improve early literacy skills by offering a reading challenge: read 1,000 books before kindergarten.

The library has joined a nationwide initiative called “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” to get parents on board with reading to their infants and toddlers.

OPL Head of Youth Services Kim Burean said the program will help give young children the best possible start in preparing for kindergarten.

“There’s a lot of research that shows that literacy begins at birth and that reading to your child every day will help prepare them for kindergarten by giving them those early literacy skills that they are going to need for the future. It also helps instill a love of reading into kids. There’s nothing better than cuddling up with your parent and sharing a book together,” said Burean.

According to a 2014 report by the American Academy of Pediatrics, reading regularly with young children stimulates brain development and strengthens parent-child relationships. Reading daily to children is also reported to help build language, literacy, and social-emotional skills.

“All of those things you don’t even think about when you’re reading and just enjoying time with your child… but everything is underlying. These skills are forming without you even realizing it,” Burean added.

The free program is easy. Every time you read to a child, you mark it down on a tracking sheet that counts 100 books. Once you complete 100 books, you start over with a new sheet until you reach 1,000 books.

If you register with the library, there are prizes at different completion levels so kids will be rewarded for reading.

Those who reach the 1,000-book milestone will be given a book to keep.

Burean added that the program is meant to inspire reading—not to create stress.

“There’s no time (limit) other than getting it done before kindergarten…it’s completely at their own pace and whatever works for their family. Even if they have a short amount of time until (their child) starts kindergarten, there’s no pressure. Any reading is better than no reading. It’s just that idea of incorporating reading into your everyday life,” said Burean.

Burean says the program has had a terrific response among local parents and kids. In its first month, more than 120 people have signed up for the program at OPL, with several of those having read over 200 books with their children.

The 1,000 Books Foundation is a Nevada-based nonprofit corporation which promotes reading to newborns, infants, and toddlers to encourage parent and child bonding through reading.

The OPL program is sponsored by the Oxford Library Friends.

To enroll in the program and receive a 1,000 Books reading log, visit the Oxford Public Library located at 530 Pontiac Rd. All pre-K children may register.

For more information, contact the youth services department at the library at (248) 628-3034.