CPB and PBS Announce Plans for the Launch of 'PBS Kids Raising Readers' Reading Initiative

CPB and PBS Announce Plans for the Launch of 'PBS Kids Raising Readers' Reading Initiative

WASHINGTON and ARLINGTON, Va., Nov. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and PBS today announced plans to launch PBS KIDS Raising Readers, a literacy initiative designed to harness the power of public media content and tools to teach literacy skills to children ages 2 to 8, especially those from low income families. The effort, which is funded as part of the U.S. Department of Education's Ready To Learn grant, encourages parents and caregivers to take actions that will help children acquire critical reading skills. PBS KIDS Raising Readers will roll out beginning in January 2008.

Included under the PBS KIDS Raising Readers umbrella will be the two interactive literacy-oriented series for preschoolers, SUPER WHY! and WORDWORLD that launched in September; new web content from SESAME STREET and BETWEEN THE LIONS; and a literacy website for parents, caregivers, teachers and kids featuring content from each of the series. There is also a 32-week multi-media preschool, research-based curriculum and a PBS TeacherLine online professional development course for childcare providers.

The PBS KIDS Raising Readers campaign will include on-air spots that feature ways for parents to help build their kids' reading skills through everyday activities, along with parent, caregiver and educator-focused materials, such as DVDs, literacy tips, and activity books.

"We believe media can contribute to improving childhood literacy," said Lesli Rotenberg, senior vice president of PBS KIDS Next Generation Media. "PBS KIDS Raising Readers teaches fundamental reading skills to children from low income families. Our research with low income parents indicates that they recognize the importance of raising a reader and trust PBS KIDS as a guide for content that helps build reading skills."

Research is at the core of PBS KIDS Raising Readers. Fifty-three commissioned studies throughout the five-year initiative will provide new insights into how children learn from media, the best ways to build reading skills with content, activities and community engagement, and the effectiveness of the content specifically created for PBS KIDS Raising Readers.

All of the content is being developed using a shared research-based framework designed to teach young children, especially those from low-income families, the fundamentals of reading. The literacy framework is based on the recommendations of the National Reading Panel of 2000, which outlines building blocks for teaching young children how to read and key skills children need to master reading from preschool through third grade. These scientifically based reading research concepts, including phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension, support the development of all content - on-air, online and in formal and informal educational settings.

"In partnership with the U.S. Department of Education, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Ready To Learn Partnership and our member stations, PBS KIDS Raising Readers is a critical component of PBS' commitment to early childhood education," said Rob Lippincott, senior vice president of PBS Education. "This project builds on the knowledge base about how children learn to read and the role public media, based on curriculum, plays in building those skills."

"Children's literacy is strengthened when they are surrounded by an abundance of opportunities to practice their reading skills," said Peggy O'Brien, CPB senior vice president of educational programming and services. "Public broadcasting stations throughout the country are taking a Literacy 360 approach; delivering messages and digital media content across several platforms to kids, parents, caregivers and educators where they work, play and live."

A number of other media projects are in development from producers of some of the most imaginative educational programming ever created, including Sesame Workshop, WGBH Boston, Out of the Blue Enterprises and WordWorld LLC. Content slated to launch in fall 2008 includes MARTHA SPEAKS from WGBH Boston, an animated television series and online content featuring the humorous adventures of the loveable talking dog, Martha, from the popular children's book series.

About The Ready To Learn Grant

CPB, PBS and The Ready To Learn Partnership, in a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Education, have joined together under the Ready To Learn grant for an innovative, five-year project consisting of two programming awards (CPB/PBS and WTTW/The Ready to Learn Partnership) and one outreach award (CPB/PBS) designed to locate and connect with kids from low-income families in 20 target markets.

About CPB

CPB, a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government's investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1000 locally owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide, and is the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television, and related on-line services.

The contents of this release were developed under a grant, #P295B05003, from the Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

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Source: CPB; PBS

CONTACT: Lynn McReynolds, +1-410-268-0275, lynn@mcreynoldselek.com, or
Kimberly Elek, +1-410-956-0460, kim@mcreynoldselek.com, both of McReynolds
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Web site: http://www.pbs.org/pressroom

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Profile: International Entertainment