At 11 days old, Zella might be the Library’s youngest cardholder, thanks to an early literacy initiative funded by the St. Charles City-County Library Foundation, Born to Read.
Her parents, Rachel and Brian Page of O’Fallon, received a Born to Read Kit at the hospital shortly after Zella was born. The kit included a board book, an insulated cooler, and a special library card for their baby. In October, they visited the Middendorf-Kredell branch to activate the card and begin Zella’s library journey, before she could even say her first words.
“Studies have shown that the number one marker for academic success is a child’s access to books, whether it’s reading them or being read to,” Kristen Sherry, Outreach Services manager, said. “With the Born to Read kits, we provide families with their first book to start an at-home library and a library card that gives them access to even more books as they grow.”
A year later, Zella has read nearly ______ books with her family.
“It’s fun to see her experience the books as she gets older. At the beginning, it was kind of us reading to her, but then as she has gotten older, she’s wanted to hold the books and turn the pages for us and look at the pictures,” Rachel said.
“Reading with Zella has become a part of every night before going to bed,” Brian said.
“I would suggest that anyone who has a child - or anyone at all - should come to the Library, get a library card, and experience the love for reading,” Rachel said. “And if you don’t necessarily want to check out books, there are so many opportunities that the Library offers with different classes, or technology you can utilize.”
The Born to Read Kits are delivered by the Library's Outreach team and made possible by the generous support of the St. Charles City-County Library Foundation.
Learn more: https://www.stchlibrary.org/community-partnerships
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