1,000 books before kindergarten: Encourage reading while children are young

■ BY SUE ERWIN
Kelly Borza started reading to her sons Granger and Grayson before they were born. She had heard that babies could hear words spoken by their moms as they developed, so she started reading out loud at night daily while they were still in her womb. And after her first son was born, she would make a weekly trip to the library to check out 20 books, reading a few each evening with him.
Johann Fust Librarian and Branch Manager Toni Vanover told her about the program.
“Granger has read more than 1,000 books, and he doesn’t turn 4 until October,” Borza said. “His little brother, Grayson, is about half way there and he will be 2 in August.”
The program is parent-guided, but the children are actively looking at the pages as the parent reads.
Borza said Granger and Grayson have memorized many of the stories from the books.
“We’ve read some more than once, so they can actually recite some of the stories,” she said.
“I particularly love the children’s room at the library, so when Granger was little we started going there to read. You get a little bit of a sense of accomplishment when you check them out from the library.”
When asked what he likes best about reading, Granger said, “I like all of it.”
Their favorite books are the “Daniel Tiger series” and “Monster Trucks.”
Their mom said they read books together regularly at naptime, bedtime and throughout the day.
“The important thing is to spend time together and use our imaginations,” she said. “If they find a book they really love, I’ll look for more books on that subject so we can learn more about it. Reading is so important, and the younger kids start the better.”
For more information on the program, visit the library at 1040 10th St. W. in Boca Grande.