The Scandinavia Public Library will kick off 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten reading program at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8.

Through the 1,000 Books program, parents are encouraged to read 1,000 books to their child before they enter kindergarten.

This may sound like a lot of books, but it’s actually easy to do. If a parent reads just one book to their child per day, that child will have heard 365 books in one year, 730 books in two years, and 1,095 books in only three years.

Also, favorite books still count towards the goal every time they are read.

Reading to very young children offers many valuable rewards. Time spent reading together:

• Strengthens the bond between the reader and child.

• Promotes a love of books and learning in the child.

• Builds pre-reading skills that will help the child achieve more once they start school.

At the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten kick-off event, parents can learn more about and sign up for the 1,000 Books program. They can also learn more activities they can do with children of any age that will help ready them for future reading on their own.

Additionally, the library will showcase many resources available at the Scandinavia Public Library and through the online catalog, www.infosoup.org, that will help their children get ready to read.

For more information on 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten and other programs at the library, call 715-467-4636 or visit online at www.scandinavialibrary.org.