My son, Conor, emailed me the sad news that "Reading Rainbow" will be going off the air today after 26 years. Conor as a child was a devoted viewer and as an adult recalled stories and books that had left a lasting impression. I know that it was just one of the pieces of the puzzle that has made him a lover of the written word and a lifelong reader and writer.
To those of you who are new parents, "Reading Rainbow" took a look at a book and led the viewer on a related adventure. It didn't preach; it didn't teach phonics and spelling. What it did do was impart a love of reading and an appreciation for a good book through good literature. It instilled an excitement and curiosity in pre- and early readers. Being able to read does not ensure a love of reading or a lifelong reader; reading good books does. (Of course, one does need to be taught to read to get the most out of a book. Now if we can just meet in the middle between the hardcore phonics folks with the literature lovers...)
But enough preaching. If you're a fan of RR - past or present - you may wish to write to the PBS affiliate in Buffalo WNED. Email John Grant, Chief of Program and Production Officer at: Viewerservices@wned.org. I bet he'd be glad to hear from you.
Happy reading!
2 comments:
I can still see the cartoonish opening credits and hear the song in my head....I probably watched the first season....
This is so sad. RR was one of my all-time favorite shows as a kid and I was looking forward to having my daughter watch it... I read the NPR article and they're saying that they simply can't get the "several hundred thousand dollars" it needs to be extended. Not millions or billions like the taxpayer-supported bailouts, just a couple hundred thousand. I guess promoting the joy of reading isn't worth it.
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