Getting Ready to Learn

Featuring a Foreword by Dr. Alice Wilder and Sir Ken Robinson Combining in-depth research analysis and practical case analysis, the collected authors in Shelley Pasnik's book present a hopeful vision of how technology and media can support children's learning. It models a kind of intentional, thoughtful, and creative approach that gives positive meaning to media and technology much needed in the often noisy world of mindless consumption. -Junlei Li, Fred Rogers Center/Zaentz Early Childhood, Harvard University, USA At last! A comprehensive and highly readable account of the CPB/PBS Ready to Learn initiative, which has fundamentally transformed children's television programming. This is the first and only volume that puts all the accumulated research together, and will be a valuable resource for anyone interested in educational media. It will prove once and for all that high quality programming can be a valuable resource for children's social-emotional learning and cognitive development. -Susan B. Neuman, Professor of Childhood and Literacy Education, New York University, USA In this well-researched collection, Pasnik and her colleagues distinguish what makes the Ready To Learn initiative so unique, how it's made a positive difference in the lives of many families, and why it is an excellent public investment. Getting Ready to Learn makes an extremely strong case for why and how thoughtful, intentionally produced media can make a big difference in the lives of young children, especially children who are most in need of additional support and resources. -Michael Robb, Senior Director of Research, Common Sense Media, USA This book brings together scholarly articles from a wide range of contributors who each bring their own expertise to bear, bringing us a truly authoritative book. Educational media has a significant and seemingly ever-increasing role to play in meeting the learning needs of children, parents, and teachers. This book draws on years of meaningful data from the CPB-PBS Ready To Learn Initiative, with chapters exploring how to develop engaging, playful, and developmentally appropriate content. From Emmy-Award-winning series to randomised controlled trials, this book covers the media production, scholarly research and technological advances surrounding some of the US's most beloved programming. - Sarah Brew, Parents in Touch