3-YEAR-OLD WEWINABE STUDENT PARTICIPATES IN THE '1000 BOOKS BEFORE KINDERGARTEN' CHALLENGE
Photos and story by Vivian LaMoore, Inaajimowin Editor
“I wholeheartedly believe that introducing books is one of the best (and easiest!) parenting moves I've made,” said Jamie Rancor, mother of a 3-year-old girl who is on track to read 1,000 books before kindergarten.
Antonelle (Toni) is an enrolled member of the Leech Lake Band and a student at Wewinabi. Jamie has worked for Health and Human Services since the fall of 2011 including four years in Family Services. She has lived in the Mille Lacs area most of her life.
On a bright sunny spring day, Toni and Jamie were in the Isle public library in the children’s section. Toni waddled through the library and suddenly crouched down to the floor level shelf. “This one is good book!” She exclaimed in a tiny soft voice, picking out a book with a colorfucover, quickly stuffing it into her "pack-pack."
“Do you want to check that one out?” Mom said. “Yes!” Toni's eyes lit up as she exclaimed and instantly continued down the aisle to select another book. Opening the pages to the book, she asks her mom, “What is this boy name?”
Jamie has always read books to Toni, but she started participating in "1,000 Books Before Kindergarten" through the local East Central Regional Library in Isle. She started this challenge around Halloween, and as of late April, they have read 613 books and are at 88 days of consecutive reading, Jamie said.
As remarkable as that total number of books is, what Jamie has noticed is the significant improvement in Toni’s vocabulary and comprehension. Not only that, but reading together creates a fun time for closeness and togetherness with family members. Toni loves to read with “Grandma, papa, and momma,” Toni said.
“She enjoys doing it, too,” Jamie said. “I love the education piece, but as a family it is great bonding time. She actually prefers reading to screentime.”
The family often makes trips to museums such as the Historical Society, the Children’s Museum, the Science Museum, and the Bell Museum. The museum trips are often followed by a trip to the library where Toni will pick out books that correspond to the museum the visit. “She loves to go to museums. Recently, we checked out a book about mammoths after visiting the Bell Museum, and now she talks about museums and mammoths all the time.”
Reading is a magical way to spark creativity and open the windows of endless imagination. Reading with young children can enhance brain development and develop a skill they will use for the rest of their lives. Studies have shown that children who are exposed to reading prior to preschool tend to develop larger vocabularies and are more likely to succeed during their formal education.
The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten is a reading program designed to help caregivers prepare children for success in kindergarten. Children get ready to read years before they begin formal education. The most effective way to help children in your life is to read to them. This program is designed to encourage that endeavor.
“In my opinion, the most important benefits of reading to children are the togetherness it provides with our loved ones and connection to the larger world. The academic benefits follow,” said Caroline Avaire, Isle Branch Librarian, Mille Lacs Lake and Milaca Community Libraries.
Getting started is easy. Create a family account in Beanstack and enroll in the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge. Access Beanstack by visiting ecrlib.beanstack.org to view the desktop version, or download the Beanstack Tracker app on your smart phone or tablet.
How it works:
Keep track of books read to the child in your life. Books can be read by parents, grandparents, teachers, siblings — anyone! You can even count their favorite book each and every time it’s read.
Prizes are earned for every 100 books read. You will receive a Beanstack badge telling you when you have earned a prize. To claim the prize, simply visit the East Central Regional Library branch of your choice.
“The app is really cool because it motivates you to keep going,” Jamie said. “I like the accountability, too.”
The 1000 Books Foundation is a Nevada 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity which operates the nationwide (and in Canada) 1000 Books Before Kindergarten early literacy challenge. The challenge was designed to help parents and caregivers give young children the confidence to become strong readers and successful in school and life.
"We are happy to hear that we have students accessing books outside of school with their families! said Tricia Thomas, Head Start Services Coordinator at Mille Lacs Early Education. MLEE encourages families to read to their children daily. They also incorporate a reading challenge, "Drop Everything and Read," annually, which encourages families to read at home and get rewarded at the end of the challenge.
"We provide our community books during every State of the Band address," Thomas said. "We recently acquired a grant that allowed us to receive a Free Little Library that is in the front of the Wewinabi Early Education building. One of the benefits of reading to children is having a cherished bonding experience while learning words and language that can be expanded for many years to come."
Toni is developing a love for books and reading, not to mention a love of going to the library. “She wants to go to the library all the time,” Jamie said. “Almost every day, she asks, ‘can we go to the library today?’ and is heartbroken when we can’t go. She even has her own library card she carries in her own purse.”
The family loves to visit the library to read stories and check out books and activity pack-packs to bring home. Toni especially enjoys story time on Saturdays.
Jamie reads to Toni several times a day and before bedtime. “Since we have been reading to her more, she will tell us the stories and tell us what is happening on the pages. In such a short period of time, reading has really made a difference in her vocabulary, and her imaginative play is at a completely different level — it’s like day and night. I swear it is all because of the books. Whether she is playing by herself, or with others, she has such a huge imagination. And it is growing all the time.”
Libraries are full of ideas. Check out your local public library in Isle, Onamia, and beyond. It’s never too late to experience the magical world of books.
