Clifford the Big Red Dog Helps Families Kick Off Reading Resolutions

It’s that time of year when nearly everyone is thinking about making a new year’s resolution. For parents and families resolving to spend more quality time with their young children, Forsyth County Public Library has a bit of advice: read.

Sophia celebrated her 300-book reading
 milestone at the Cumming Library.
Her grandmother lifts her up to point out
the commemorative photo taken at her
200-book milestone.

“Not only is reading aloud with children a wonderful way to snuggle up and share a good story, but it’s also one of the best ways to prepare a young child for learning to read when they enter kindergarten,” says Outreach and Program Manager Tracy Walker.

In addition to encouraging families to make a resolution to read in 2018, the library will host a series of three early literacy events featuring beloved children’s book character Clifford the Big Red Dog.

Clifford will visit special 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten storytimes on Tuesday, January 2 at 11:15 a.m. at the Post Road Library, on Wednesday, January 3 at 10:30 a.m. at the Cumming Library, and Thursday, January 4 at 11:15 a.m. at the Hampton Park Library.

All three events are free and are designed for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers up to age five, with a caregiver.

“Each of these 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten storytimes will feature Clifford stories, songs, and crafts, as well as a chance for the children to meet Clifford. We believe that learning begins at home, so we’ll also be sharing practical reading tips that families can incorporate into everyday activities they’re already doing,” explains Walker.

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is a state-wide early literacy initiative led by Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS) to help infants, toddlers, and preschoolers develop the pre-reading skills they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.

Research cited by GPLS indicates that a significant number of Georgia’s students are entering kindergarten without the early literacy skills required to become independent readers, and children that have trouble reading are more likely have trouble learning new skills and concepts.

“Seeing a familiar book character in real life is a treat for most children and it sparks their continuing interest in reading, so we’re excited to welcome Clifford to visit with our youngest patrons and hope that meeting him will encourage families to set a goal to read 1,000 books,” adds Walker.

Reading 1,000 books might seem intimidating, until you do a little math. If you read just one book with your child at bedtime every night, then you can read 1,000 books in less than three years.

Then, consider that most board books and picture books take only about five minutes to read aloud. If you set a goal to read just 15 minutes each day with your child in 2018, you could finish over 1,000 books by the end of the year.

“The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program encourages families to track their reading progress with a free Reading Log. All stories and books count – even books read at grandma’s house, at preschool, at the library, and even books you’ve read more than once,” explains Walker.

As children reach reading milestones, they can visit the library for a commemorative photo and a stamp in their 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten reading passport. Children who are celebrating milestones will also be recognized at special 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten storytimes throughout the year, including next week’s events with Clifford the Big Red Dog.

For more information about the meet-and-greet events with Clifford the Big Red Dog or about the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten initiative, please visit www.forsythpl.org.