The Learning Triangle

A Ready To Learn workshop is a substantive training intended to help adults extend the educational value of PBS children's programming using the Ready To Learn Learning Triangle — View, Do, and Read. For example, participants might watch a video clip about friendship from a PBS KIDS program — "view," make a list of qualities a good friend should have — "do," and read or share a storybook about making friends — "read."

View
KLRN Ready To Learn provides viewing techniques, suggestions for related activities to reinforce a program's goals and objectives, and recommended children's books to enhance early literacy skills.

On Television

Viewed selectively, television can contribute to school readiness.

Each weekday, KLRN broadcasts free of charge 8 hours of nonviolent, commercial-free, educational children’s television, reaching millions of households.

These television programs set the standard for excellence by developing key school readiness skills in language, literacy, numeracy, and the social and emotional skills necessary for cognitive learning.

PBS Ready To Learn supports production of PBS KIDS Programs, including Arthur, Between The Lions, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Dragon Tales, Reading Rainbow, and Sesame Street, and helps develop new high-quality programming.

KLRN Ready To Learn gives child care providers a variety of creative ideas for engaging youngsters in PBS children's shows by encouraging them to:

Predict what might happen next
Talk about what they see on the show and ask questions
Talk to the characters; clap, dance, sing along and count out loud with their favorites
Recall their own experiences and relate them to what they see on the shows
Repeat new words they hear and see

Television That Teaches

PBS Ready To Learn provides funding for Between the Lions, the award-winning PBS KIDS program that helps children ages 4-7 begin to read. An independent study by the University of Kansas found that kindergarten students’ reading skills and scores rose significantly after watching just 8.5 hours of Between the Lions. This unique, research-based programming is available for free in every household, school, and child-care setting with a TV. Its award-winning website offers free materials and activities that extend learning. Best of all, Between the Lions is so much fun, kids want to learn! See it on the web here.

Learn the educational aim of your child's favorite Ready To Learn TV program by clicking here.

Do Exciting Activities

The learning can continue by doing activities that go along with the children's books that you've read and the children's program that you've watched. Engage your child in games and activities that explore the themes of educational programs. For example, if the show is about the bugs, you can help your child name certain bugs, go on a "bug hunt" in your neighborhood, or help your child draw a bug at home. The main components of a good activity are planning ahead, making sure that the activity matches your child's abilities and talking about how the activity relates to what the child watched. Creating art projects, playing outdoors, using dramatic and creative play--even activities from our everyday routines can be made into exciting learning activities.

Here are some examples:

Freight Train
Splash
Clifford

Read

Research has shown that reading aloud to children is the single most important thing adults can do to ensure youngsters' future learning success. Take this a step further by making connections between what you view and what you read. Enliven story time by:

Asking children questions about the story
Encouraging them to explore how characters might feel in certain situations
Having kids predict what a character will do next or guess how the story will end
Using different voices for different characters

KLRN unites the power of television with the magic of books, language and literacy-furthering our commitment to family education. For the many families who have not made reading a regular part of their life, public television can be a bridge that leads to books. Find out how you can help your child be ready for school by attending one of our Ready To Learn workshops.

Look for these books at your local library or bookstore:

Children 0-2 years
1 2 3 written and illustrated by Tom Slaughter
This simple counting book offers multiple ways to count and to discuss color and shape.

Children 3-5 years
Hairs/ Pelitos by Sandra Cisneros
A child describes how each person in the family has hair that looks very different. The differences within the family highlight the individuality of each member and the love that makes them a unit.

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
A cap peddler wakes from a nap to find all his caps are gone-a bunch of naughty monkeys have taken them up a tree. Find out how the peddler finally gets his caps back.

Fiesta written by Ginger Foglesong Guy; illustrated by Rene King Moreno
This is a colorful bilingual counting book, three children prepare for a birthday party with a visit to the market. Children learn to count from 1-10 as they help the children shop.

Children 6-8 years
New Shoes for Silvia by Johanna Hurwitz
For every child who has ever felt too small, here is a reassuring read aloud tale about a South American girl who finds unusual ways to use her new red shoes until she’s big enough to wear them.

Ready To Learn & First Book

Working with local organizations and social service agencies who serve families and children, KLRN is able to place at least 300 storybooks in the hands of children who would not ordinarily have an opportunity to own a book. Representatives from agencies receiving books are required to be trained by station personnel to present the books using the “View-Read-Do” method.

The program, called First Book, is made possible by a grant from PBS Ready To Learn, administered by the U.S. Department of Education.