Creating Families of Readers through the "Between the Lions" Reading Den

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Sirius Thinking, Ltd., proposes to make a significant improvement in the reading skills of young children by creating, implementing, and scientifically testing the educational impact of a cost-effective, affordable, scalable, and enjoyable family literacy program featuring the systematic and synergistic use in public libraries, and through a supervised lending program, in the home -- of video, print, interactive, audio, and tactile materials based on, derived from, or relevant to the award-winning children's literacy education television program, Between the Lions. Our collaborators include the WGBH Education Foundation and Family Place Libraries. In the Reading Den, specially trained librarians will organize viewings and activities designed to complement the literacy strategies embedded in our broadcast programs. The librarians will work closely with the children in the Reading Den in accessing the early literacy materials. They will also work with the parents in the complementary Parent Program, a component of the Reading Den that focuses on family literacy knowledge and practices. A specific target audience for our library program will be children and families at risk due to poverty, or whose primary language in the home is not English (hence the planned inclusion in our project of the BTL shows that have been modified for English language learners). In Phase I, Sirius Thinking will test the feasibility of the Reading Den through a mixed-design study that includes experimental research and focus group interviews. We will test early literacy gains of kindergarten participants in the Reading Den vs. kindergartners who did not participate. Once feasibility is established, Sirius Thinking will embark on Phase II. We will develop numerous multimedia and print materials for the Reading Den kits, implement a six-month early literacy and family literacy program in three public libraries, and, through an experimental research design, test for overall gains in early literacy for participating children. Parental changes in family literacy practices and knowledge will be measured through a pre- and post-survey, individual interviews, and parent focus groups. Sirius Thinking, Ltd., proposes to improve the reading skills of young children by creating, implementing, and scientifically testing the educational impact of a cost- effective, affordable, scalable, and enjoyable family literacy program featuring the systematic and synergistic use in public libraries, and in the home -- of video, print, interactive, audio, and tactile materials derived from, or relevant to, the award-winning children's literacy education television series, Between the Lions. A specific target audience for our library initiative will be children and families at risk due to poverty, or whose primary language in the home is not English (hence the planned inclusion in our project of Between the Lions episodes that have been modified for English language learners).