Local educators support early reading in child development, but express concerns about Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s initiatives.

Blagojevich has plans to distribute one book each month to children ages 0 to 5 across Illinois. The program is designed to stimulate reading in Illinois and improve literacy levels across the state.

Blagojevich’s program will cost $26 million in Fiscal Year 2005, but the books come from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Libraries, an organization that has helped many communities improve literacy rates.

“I think anything that would have a positive impact on literacy is important to consider. If the books get to families, it is very important that the parents read them to their children and take care of the books. In addition to giving children books, I think it would be equally useful to find a way to give every child a library card,” said Tom Burski, principal at Lincoln Elementary School in DeKalb.

Children ages 0 to 5 benefit from early exposure to books. They show pre-reading skills, such as handling a book and recognizing whether the book is right side up, said Nancy Teboda, curriculum director at the Children’s Learning Center in DeKalb.

“It is imperative that we familiarize children with books early on. The earlier we expose children to books and reading experiences, the sooner they will develop a desire for reading,” Teboda said.

Parents can help children learn to read by reading stories aloud to them.

“I think reading out loud to children is important so they see there’s something fun and interesting about reading and they want to read themselves,” said Diane Tolhurst, assistant youth services manager at the DeKalb Public Library.

“You can really tell in kindergarten whether children have become familiar with books. You can tell from their vocabularies and their level of understanding. We, as educators, are most successful when children get an early start,” Burski said.

Blagojevich’s plan also needs to accommodate childrens’ ages and what they are learning in school, Teboda said.

“I don’t think the general public is aware of what books are appropriate for what age group. I would hope the program would have a suggested book list for each,” Teboda said. “I would also hope that Blagojevich’s program includes a team of people who choose the books who would take into account what is being taught and the quality of the writing.”

Through Blagojevich’s program, parents will be able to sign up for books at the hospital when their children are born, and they’ll be sent a new book every month. The child’s library will grow to 60 volumes by the time he or she turns 5 years old.

“I would like there to be a moral or a lesson in every book I read to the kids. I like to discuss it with them afterward,” Buski said.