PAPILLION, Neb. (KMTV) — One thousand books before kindergarten may seem like a lot, but many kids in our area are taking on the challenge.
Through a national initiative, local libraries in Papillion and Gretna are helping kids learn how to read. The rules are simple, any book read by a parent or caregiver counts and repeating reads is encouraged.
"I know there are parents in this country who've read, I mean just to pick a book, 'Chicka Chicka Boom Boom', you know, 100 times. You know, if that's 10% of your 1,000 books, that's fantastic. Mark every single time," said Gretna children's Librarian, Jennifer Lockwood.
Both Papillion and Gretna Libraries started their programs in 2021 and have prizes for kids who complete milestones for every 100 books read.
"It's amazing," said Kelly Warehime, Papillion Public Library Youth Services manager. "Especially them getting to come in and see their name going up the wall."
"They get to hold up their sign that says 'I read 500 books,' 'I read 600 books,' and they are very enthusiastic about it and we try to be enthusiastic about it with them," said Lockwood.
While prizes are a good incentive, the challenge is an opportunity for young readers to grow.
"It helps kids develop a love of not only reading but a love of learning at an early age and that can feed into other areas," said Warehime.
Nicole Raphael reads two books to her five-year-old son, Ted, every night. It's something that has helped him a lot.
"He actually goes to speech therapy through the Papillion schools foundation and from his very first of his journey of talking it was pretty minimal and throughout the summer. He has an older brother who's 10 and he's just, he doesn't stop talking now," she said.
Forty-three kids have completed the program in Gretna with 59 in Papillion.
The time it takes varies by reader, but if parents read kids just one book a day, they can accomplish the goal in less than three years. Or, if kids read three books every day, they can accomplish the goal in less than one year.
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