County Library and First 5 San Bernardino promote early literacy by expanding ‘1000 Books Before Kindergarten’ program

Spark a lifelong love of reading with ‘1000 Books Before Kindergarten’! Let’s build a strong foundation for little learners, one story at a time.

For many years, the San Bernardino County Library and First 5 San Bernardino have worked together to champion early literacy, and this enduring partnership continues with the expansion of the celebrated “1000 Books Before Kindergarten” initiative — an early literacy program designed to inspire parents and caregivers to read aloud to their children and prepare young learners for lifelong academic success.

The “1000 Books Before Kindergarten” program supports families in building reading habits from the earliest years of life. By engaging in daily reading, families not only strengthen early literacy skills, but build meaningful connections that help prepare children for kindergarten and beyond. The program is free and accessible at all San Bernardino County Library branches.

As part of the countywide Vision2Read initiative, the County Library continues its mission to improve literacy and expand access to high-quality learning opportunities for families across the region.

Vision2Read emphasizes the importance of early reading habits and supports programs that help children build the six essential early literacy skills:

Vocabulary building: Reading regularly expands your child’s vocabulary by introducing words that may not come in everyday conversations.
Print motivation: Having access to plenty of books as well as modeling an enjoyment of reading helps keep a young child excited about reading.
Print awareness: Words are everywhere, take the time to point them out to your child!
Narrative skills: Ask questions before, during and after reading to help build comprehension. Make up stories with your child to also build these skills.
Letter knowledge: Point out letters at every chance you get and tell your child the name and sound. See if they can repeat it back to you.
Phonological awareness: Rhyming is a wonderful way to introduce phonics and word sounds to your child. Singing is a fun way to introduce rhyming as well.

Through this initiative, programs like “1000 Books Before Kindergarten” play a vital role in preparing young learners for academic success while fostering a culture of reading throughout San Bernardino County.

“Early literacy is the foundation for future learning, and the simple act of reading together every day has a profound impact on a child’s development,” said County Librarian Melanie Orosco. “Our partnership with First 5 San Bernardino allows us to continue providing families with the tools, resources, and encouragement needed to help children thrive. We’re excited to see our communities embrace this program and celebrate each child’s reading journey.”

Through this collaboration, participating families will enjoy:

Free registration at any library branch.
A dedicated reading log system, both physical and digital, to track progress.
Milestone incentives to celebrate achievements along the way.
Access to early learning resources provided by First 5 SB.
Family-friendly programs, storytimes and hands-on early literacy activities.

“First 5 San Bernardino is committed to supporting early childhood development across the county,” said First 5 Community Engagement Specialist LuCretia Dowdy. “This program empowers families to take an active role in literacy, and together with the San Bernardino County Library, we’re helping build brighter futures for our youngest residents.”

Families can sign up today by visiting any one of the 32 County Library branches. Upon registering, each child receives a reading log and a welcome gift. As books are read and milestones are met, participants earn additional rewards to encourage continued progress toward the 1000-book goal.

For more information about the San Bernardino County Library system, visit library.sbcounty.gov, call 909-387-2220 or follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

The San Bernardino County Library system is a dynamic network of 32 branch libraries that serve a diverse population over a vast geographic area. The County Library strives to provide equal access to information, technology, events and services for all people who call San Bernardino County home.

About First 5 San Bernardino:
The Children and Families Commission for San Bernardino County (First 5 San Bernardino) was created in December 1998, in order to realize the benefits of Proposition 10 (California Children and Families Act) for the County’s youngest residents and their families. The act created a program for the purpose of promoting, supporting and improving the early development of children from the prenatal stage to 5 years of age, under the guidance of the Children and Families Commission for San Bernardino, and in collaboration with the community and agencies providing services to children.

Additional County Update News – December 11