One of WQPT's missions is to prepare young children to arrive at
school Ready to Learn and to assist their parents, caregivers and
teachers with ideas on how to be Ready to Teach. Through
research at the Carnegie Institute of Teaching we know that our award-winning
programs like Arthur, Between The Lions, Clifford and Sesame Street
are excellent tools for accomplishing
these goals, but we educate far beyond the television set. Our workshops
for adults provide "basic training" on child development, age appropriate
programming, limited television viewing, reading strategies and hands-on
activities.
Young children learn by doing. They need to play, to
manipulate, to connect and to repeat things again and again. To get
the most from television as a learning tool, use the Ready to Learn
Triangle
with your child. We call it Smart TV.
First you watch a specially selected
program with your child. For instance, if you watch a Between the Lions
episode called The Popcorn Popper, you could popcorn—for real
or pretend and measure it in cups for an activity. Then read Tomi dePaola's
The Popcorn Book about fascinating facts
and stories about popcorn. Make a game out of it too—by jumping
up and down like a kernel of popping corn. It is important to extend
and reinforce your child’s learning by turning off the TV when
the program is over, suggesting fun and easy activities that relate
to what they just saw, and seeking out books on the same topic the
next time you visit the library.
Select a favorite, age appropriate program and watch it with your child,
if possible. Limit screen time to around 10 hours per week.
Encourage your child to draw, write, sing, and dance, to do anything
creative that relates to the book or program.
Visit the library and select a book that relates to the
theme of the program. Read it together, discuss it, and ask questions.
Check out these websites for more information and activities on Ready
To Learn and children’s programming:
  wqpt.org/kids
pbs.org/parents
pbs.org/Teachers
You may also download
a copy of our Ready To Learn brochure which
contains all the information on this web page, as well as "When is
Television a Positive Learning Tool", "WQPT and First Book", and an
overview of the "Share a Story"
campagin.
If you need additional information about downloading PDF files, go
to our help section on "downloading".
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