NORTH JAY — Families are invited to join the free 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program at the Jay Niles Memorial Library. The library will have a drop-in registration party on Saturday, September 9 from 9 a.m. to noon. Any child who attends will be entered to win a prize. The library will have a visit from a therapy dog as well.

If families can’t make it to the registration party, you can sign-up at the library anytime. The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program is a nationwide challenge that encourages parents and caregivers to regularly read aloud to their children. By reading just one book a night, families can reach the 1,000-book goal in three years and provide their children with essential early literacy skills.

Research shows that the most reliable predictor of school success is being read to during early childhood. Reading to children from an early age can help close the vocabulary gap and prepare children to enter kindergarten with the skills they need to succeed. Most importantly, sharing books with children promotes a lifelong love of books and reading.

The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program is available to all families with children between the ages of birth and five years. For more information, call the library at 645-4062 or send an email to lhopkins@jaynileslibrary.com.