Many ongoing education-policy debates examine topics complex enough to perpetuate confusion over how best to improve our schools. But one educational basic remains beyond debate: children who learn to read at an early age are far more likely to succeed in the classroom - and beyond - than those who don't.

That's the common-sense focus of the national Born to Read program, which began a local effort Wednesday through a collaboration of the Trident United Way, MUSC, the Charleston County Public Library and the Friends of the Charleston County Library.

As The Post and Courier's Mindy Hagen reported, MUSC will give mothers of newborns bags of material designed to enhance literacy skills, including board books displaying simple vocabulary words, shapes and colors - and a coupon for a free book at the library. Catherine Threadgill, children's librarian at the Charleston County Public Library, told our reporter: "It doesn't occur to some parents to bring babies that are so young to the library. We want them to come to the library, use books, check them out and bring them home to share with their young children."

Experts agree that the earlier a child is connected to reading, the better. Gov. Mark Sanford and former Gov. Jim Hodges sounded a similar theme Wednesday while signing a bill extending First Steps through 2013. Mr. Hodges, who initiated the program as governor, stressed bipartisan recognition of the "importance of early education initiatives and getting kids ready" to join the modern workforce.

Unfortunately, far too few kids are ready for school. Born to Read, First Steps and other programs can help change that. Donna Wooldridge, executive director of the Early Learning Partnership of York County, said that thanks to Born to Read and other programs, only 11 percent of children in her area are now classified as unprepared when entering the first grade - a significant improvement over the 25 percent of 1999.

In a state where nearly half of our children don't graduate from high school, any boost in educational preparation is a positive step. So is any program that instills children - and their parents - with the joys of reading.