The PBS program, Read Between the Lions is one of my top five favorite shows for children currently on air. This show, seen daily, at 2:00 pm here in the Northwest, focuses on literacy for young children. As a prior kindergarten teacher, I often used this show in my classroom as fun way to review vowel sounds and/or to reinforce phonics lessons. Now as a mother of a toddler, it is one of the few shows I encourage my child to watch. (If my child is going to watch tv, and lets face it, most children do), I want her to be learning.
The show features segments focusing on letter sounds, and building phonological awareness, as well as beginning fluency and comprehension. Geared towards late preschoolers-early second graders, the show reinforces many of the state’s Grade Level Expectations. Here is a link for the Washington State reading GLE’s : reading-grade-level-expectations
Lovable lions and reoccurring characters such as Chicken Jane and Cliffhanger, thrown together with songs, read-along stories, and interactive phonics lessons, not only entertains your child, but helps to build the foundation for a life-long love of literacy.
