For Other Professionals
March 2006
ReadingRockets.org Wins Parents’ Choice Award
WASHINGTON, D.C. — ReadingRockets.org, the multimedia project designed to help all children learn to read, has just won the Silver Medal in the Parents' Choice Awards program. The Parents' Choice Foundation has been reviewing and awarding children's media products since 1978. The goal is to help parents and caregivers make informed choices about which products are best for their children.
"We are honored to receive such praise from a group dedicated to improving the lives of parents and their children," said Noel Gunther, executive director of ReadingRockets.org. "This distinction means that our resources will reach a broader number of families who want to bring the joy of reading to their children, including those youngsters who are struggling to learn to read."
ReadingRockets.org includes PBS television programs that also are available on videotape and DVD; a comprehensive Web site, including author interviews; Webcasts on key topics; interactive features; extensive research and strategies for helping children who struggle to read. Sister projects include www.ColorinColorado.org, a bilingual site for parents and teachers of Spanish English language learners, and www.LDOnline.org, a site focused on learning disabilities. ReadingRockets.org, a project of public broadcasting station WETA Washington, D.C., is funded primarily by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
WETA is the third-largest producing station of programming for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and the flagship public broadcaster in the nation's capital. Reading Rockets recently produced the PBS television documentaries "Becoming Bilingual," hosted by acclaimed actress Rita Moreno, which looks at how different schools and programs are finding success in teaching English language learners to read, and "Empowering Parents," hosted by Al Roker of NBC's "Today Show," which offers a roadmap for parents whose children are struggling to learn to read. Sharon Percy Rockefeller is president and CEO of WETA. Visit www.ReadingRockets.org to learn more.
