Early childhood education has been neglected for too long. Now, there is a clearer understanding of how crucial it is for children to be literate by the third grade. The axiom is that children spend their first years of education learning to read and the rest of the years reading to learn. A study by Commit!, a partnership of North Texas community and education leaders, showed that just 49 percent of local children enter kindergarten ready for school. That's not acceptable in a region where public education is a constant source of discord.