One of the things I really miss about having small children at home is picture books. You know the kind I mean – large, easy-to-read books featuring lovely big pictures to help tell the story; the kind that are perfect when you hold a child on your lap and read aloud.

Listening to you read books aloud helps prepare preschoolers for school. Waukee Public Library offers a program called 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten. This is a year-round, self-paced program for infants through preschoolers who have not yet entered Kindergarten.  Studies show that children who are exposed to 1,000 books before kindergarten have a more solid foundation for school and are more prepared to learn.  Sign up at the library for your child to receive rewards for every 100 books read. After completing 1,000 books, a library staff member can take a photo of your child wearing a tiny cap and gown.

So pick up a stack of picture books and get started on a fun and easy way to help your child succeed in school – by reading picture books together. Snuggling up together and reading right before bed is an opportunity for you both to wind down at the end of the day.