Production of educational programming

In addition to a variety of literacy-based activities and educational video spots, Ready-to-Learn funding has supported the development of two new children's shows. The first of these shows, Dragon Tales, premiered in the fall of 1999; the second, Between the Lions, premiered in the spring of 2000.

• The children's Television Workshop (CTW) and Columbia TriStar Television Distribution developed Dragon Tales, a daily animated preschool series of half-hour shows that seeks to develop problem-solving, cooperation, and other life skills in children ages 2 through 5. By combining interactive musical components with animated segments, Dragon Tales engages children on multiple levels and develops important learning readiness traits. A related website for parents, Parent Tales, provides resources for parents on the subjects of parenting and child development.

• WGBH Boston and Sirius Thinking developed a daily half-hour literacy series, called Between the Lions, for 4- to 7-year-olds. This series uses a mix of puppetry, animation, and live action sequences to teach children how to read English, and is designed for both English and non-English-speaking children. The website also provides information for parents and teachers, including books related to each episode, literacy tips, and online links to literacy resources.

Additional programs supported by Ready-to-Learn include Arthur, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Reading Rainbow, and Sesame Street. In February 2002, PBS released a Request for Proposals to fund one additional multi-media children's television series with integrated Internet content, educational materials, and outreach components.

To build on the themes of these programs, the grantee is developing a series of short educational video spots to be aired between programs. Recent spots were designed to promote reading as an activity that is fun, and to teach specific skills related to literacy and reading such as letter-sound combinations. Additional slots, aired in prime time for adults, are designed to demonstrate the importance of reading with children. By integrating Ready-to-Learn ideals into the overall fabric of public broadcasting, Ready-to-Learn hopes to create general community awareness about the importance of preparing all children to learn before they start school.

Training parents and caregivers through community partnerships

An essential component of Ready-to-Learn program implementation involves working with local public television stations. Each of the 133 Ready-to-Learn stations enters into subcontracts that detail responsibilities and obligations. Ready-to-Learn stations agree to broadcast at least 6.5 hours of PBS Kids programming each day; give special attention to serving identified priority audiences; conduct at least 20 workshops for parents, teachers, and caregivers; distribute free children's books and the PBS Families magazine; and develop collaborative relationships with early childhood and family educational and service organizations in their communities. Stations report collaboration with Head Start programs, center-based and family-based child-care providers, public school pre-kindergarten programs, Even Start programs, family literacy programs, and 21st Century Community Learning Centers.

One goal of these activities is to ensure that all adults have the knowledge and skills necessary to use television as a tool for teaching and learning. Adult workshops engage participants in discussions, role-playing, reading, sharing books, and other hands-on activities. Supplemental learning resources are also distributed for adults to use with their children at home, such as PBS Families magazine and free children's books. Local Ready-to-Learn coordinators adapt the workshops to meet local community needs on topics ranging from media literacy to the social and emotional development of young children to health and safety issues.

Publication of PBS Families and PBS para la familia

A free newsletter (published in both English and Spanish), PBS Families/para la familia, is distributed through the Ready-to-Learn program. The newsletter, which is developed and published by WGBH-Boston and the Learning Network with the guidance of educational advisors and oversight by Ready-to-Learn, provides suggestions for books and learning activities related to the PBS children's programs. Copies are distributed through stations, partner organizations such as Head Start, elementary schools, libraries, and at community events. Ready-to-Learn Coordinators may insert information on local programming events before distribution.

Purchase and distribution of free children's books

Ready-to-Learn supports the distribution of free books to children with limited access to such materials. Local stations each receive 300 books per month for distribution. To ensure the quality of the books, Ready-to-Learn distributes lists of books recommended by the American Library Association and the International Reading Association to local coordinators. The books distributed are written in English and other languages as requested by local recipients. Stations work with local community organizations to identify children most in need.