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Kooken’s 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

Cecila Rodriguez loves reading. In fact, she read over 1,700 books with her parents this year!

The pre-K 3 student from Kooken Educational Center is one of seven at the school who have read 1,000 books this year – all before even reaching pre-K 4!

“It’s an amazing accomplishment, and we’re immensely proud of them!” said Kooken’s librarian Mary Eldredge.

Reading at Kooken is a big deal. Pre-K 3 families at the school participate in a worldwide program called . Students can check out a book bag of ten library books (English or Spanish) form their library as often as they like to help reach that goal.

This year, parents checked out over 10,000 books, and seven students reached or are on the cusp of reaching the goal of 1,000 books.

 “Our teachers see a marked difference in student growth and assessments of those who participated in the program,” Eldredge said.

The impact of reading at a young age lasts a lifetime. In fact, research shows that if a student reads or is read to for 20 minutes a day, they’ll likely score in the top 10% on standardized tests ().

“That amount of reading will change the trajectory of their academic future,” Eldredge said. “But even more than that, they now have wonderful memories.”

Memories made even better thanks to the , the women’s group from , and a private donor who surprised the seven students with a scooter for their reading achievement at Kooken’s awards ceremonies.

Pre-K registration event this Saturday, May 30

Pre-K – like reading – can change the trajectory of a child’s future. And now is the time to register your little one for 91ֱ��’s best-in-class pre-K for 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds. Registration is open online, or come to our fun Pre-K Registration Event this Saturday, May 30, to register in person. Come when you can from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the 91ֱ�� Athletics Center ().