The tri-county library systems are working to help improve literacy levels for children before they start kindergarten.

The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program started in the Lowcountry in 2021 and was adopted based on other United Way programs around the country, according to Devon Wade, content and communications manager at Trident United Way.

A partnership between Trident United Way, Charleston County Public Library, Berkeley County Library System and Dorchester County Library, the program was started to address early childhood literacy skills from birth to kindergarten, Wade said. The program is run mostly by the library systems, with support from Trident United Way.

Cassie Welch, children’s system coordinator at Charleston County Public Library, oversees the program for the organization. Her role is to promote the program to all library patrons and the Charleston County community.

She said the program has shown to improve school readiness and prepare children for kindergarten by helping them learn vocabulary, social and emotional skills.

Welch added that it also helps kids bond with their parents and build a strong relationship.

“One little boy just recently completed the program,” Welch said. “They would check out a wagon full of books every time they would come to the library to participate in our 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program.”

Over the summer, 82 percent of their registered readers signed up for the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program, which is a little over 1,700 kids in the program, she said.

Children get rewards for different milestones, Welch said. Once a child logs 100 books, she gets a milestone sticker. Welch said other prizes include toys, chalk or bubbles. When a kid reaches 1,000 books, he gets a certificate that says he completed the program, as well as a tote bag and a free book to encourage more reading.

Welch said all branches of the county’s library system have reader walls of fame for the program, and the kids love to see their name displayed and watch as it moves up with different milestones.

Welch said she’s seen for herself the effect of the program; her 5-year-old son’s language skills have improved because of the reading.

“It’s incredible to see the words that they pick up on and how they use them correctly, because our picture books have more rare words than you would find in other literature you might read,” she said. “You’re getting words like ‘preposterous’ in a picture book, when you might not necessarily see that you don’t use that language in everyday speech.”

Welch said kids that have gone through the program, and kids who read in general, are usually more prepared once they enter kindergarten to participate and learn.

“They’re used to sitting for an amount of time and listening to a story from beginning to end,” she said. “They’re used to hearing an adult’s voice. They have stronger language skills. They’ve been exposed to letters, so they know that the little black squiggles on the page actually represent language. They have those core skills that you need to be able to interpret the world around you.”