Jungnang-gu Accelerates Creating a Reading Culture by Expanding '1000 Books Before School' Program

Five Jungnang District Public Libraries Receive Great Response from Residents for 'Reading 1,000 Books Before School' Project... Cultivating Reading Habits from Childhood by Reading One Book a Day

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Jungnang-gu (Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) announced that the local district libraries will embark on creating a reading culture in Jungnang through the expanded "Pre-school 1000 Books Reading" project in 2021.

The "Pre-school 1000 Books Reading" project is a program designed for children aged 5 to 7 to read 1,000 books over three years, aiming to cultivate reading habits during early childhood, a period when the brain develops intensively.

Notably, it is not only the children who participate, but parents can also read together to help foster their children's reading habits, which has received strong support from residents.

Currently, the program is operated at six district libraries, 18 public small libraries, and 27 daycare centers and kindergartens in the area. Starting this year, the number of participating institutions will be gradually expanded to include 137 locations such as national/public and private daycare centers and kindergartens, allowing 4,125 young children to participate.

Participation in the "1000 Books Reading" can be applied for by visiting the libraries and each institution.

Moreover, this year, various linked programs such as the "1000 Books Reading" Children's Festival for children who have completed the reading, parent education for participating children's parents, and experiential activities will be prepared, making the project even more diverse.

In addition, to widely promote the purpose and content of the "Pre-school 1000 Books Reading" project, related videos have been produced, attracting attention.

These include "Everything about Pre-school 1000 Books Reading" introduced by the official character of the 1000 Books Reading project, "Gachi," and "Our Happy 1000 Book Story," which contains vivid testimonials from participating families. Both promotional videos can be viewed on the official Jungnang-gu Office YouTube channel.

Meanwhile, as of now, a total of 2,565 young children have participated in the Pre-school 1000 Books Reading, and 52 children have achieved the goal of reading 1,000 books.