IdahoPTV and 120 other public television stations have launched READY TO LEARN, an incredible resource to help parents, teachers and other care givers extend viewing to learning. This project uses popular PBS children's programs that have proven effective in helping preschoolers learn as the centerpiece of the effort. Workshops, parent/teacher guides and other activities put these programs in a more structured environment for use in childcare centers and in the home. IdahoPTV's fundamental goal is to help all youngsters arrive at school Ready To Learn! Watch "Right from Birth", a parenting series Saturdays at 6:00/5:00 a.m. MT/PT.

IdahoPTV's Ready to Learn resources pcleft.gif:

• Tuned In More than fifty hours every week of high quality, educational children's programs. Exciting, noncommercial messages between the award winning programs that concentrate on specific school readiness goals in concrete ways.

• Connections IdahoPTV has put together a monthly newsletter designed for those who care for children, birth through eight. Connections provides information in one place about the themes of each children's program, each day; along with book titles for infants, toddlers, and pre-schoolers, that tie to weekly themes. Add some related, and fun, activities and you've created some connections that enable engaging and powerful learning.

• Workshops for parents, teachers and caregivers designed to illustrate how the Ready to Learn children’s programs on IdahoPTV can be used to build literacy skills and enhance social growth.

• Parents Page Created with Parents in mind, this online resource provides you with activities to do with your child, ways to connect television to learning and links to other great parent tips and resources.

• Caregivers Page a page with Caregivers in mind, loaded with activities, caregiver guides, ways to promote tolerance and diversity and much more!

• IdahoPTV's First Book Idaho Public Television distributes 2300 books each month around the state to underprivileged children.