DECATUR - Five-year-old Brandy Ryan's hand shot up after Katie Gross, head of the children's division at the Decatur Public Library, asked if any of the preschoolers with her in the library's story room were going to go get a library card right away.

"Yes, I will," the girl said, then pointed out her red flip-flops before holding up her rose-colored sunglasses. "I like reading, you know, but I can't read without these."

Brandy and her mother, Juneann Ryan, were among the children, parents and grandparents who attended the first Kindergarten Readiness at the Library presentation Wednesday evening sponsored by the Decatur Area Education Coalition and Decatur public schools.

Superintendent Gloria Davis welcomed the group and said the school district is stressing kindergarten readiness more than ever.

"We're putting the emphasis in the beginning because we know if they start right, they're going to end right," she said.

Gross then took the children to read to them some stories, while York Powers, coalition kindergarten readiness coordinator, explained to the adults how to use the free kindergarten readiness kits they had been given.

The "Preparing for Success" curriculum, developed two years ago by the early childhood consortium of the Community Foundation of Decatur/Macon County and based on Illinois learning goals for children 3 to 5, involves 10 lessons, 10 books and 10 sets of activities parents can do with their children at home.

"You are your child's first and most important teacher," Powers said.

To conclude, Gross encouraged parents to get their children a library card and the children to participate in the library's summer reading program and win prizes, including free passes for miniature golf, a puppet show at the library and the Children's Museum of Illinois.

Among those who also toured the children's library afterward were Ryan and Brandy, Terrance and LaQuerrie Hooper and their son T.J., and Jake Tolbert and his son Jonah.

"Brandy loves books, even though getting her to sit still is sometimes difficult," Ryan said. "I knew this would be a good thing for her."

Tolbert expressed similar sentiments about Jonah. "We want to make sure we give him every chance we can to be successful," he said.

Theresa Churchill can be reached at tchurchill@herald-review.com or 421-7978.