Say hello to Reading Rainbow and Book It!
Welcome back to another week of Retro-Specs where we are holding strong looking at 1980-1984. Last week was a focus on the big screen while this week we will look at the small screen and how literacy leads the way with programming such as Reading Rainbow and Book It coming our way!
Literacy Push
In 1983 then-President Ronald Reagan had created a new initiative to raise the literacy rates in the United States. A large focus of the push was to help the 23 million adults become literate. With this concept, there is also a push to increase literacy opportunities for children to help prevent such high numbers of illiterate adults. Children’s programming was already popular with shows such as Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers, Pinwheel, and Mr. Wizard. While all of the shows share a focus on developmental concepts for children there was eventually one that would come in to help boost the literacy focus.
Reading Rainbow
In June of 1983 Reading Rainbow hit the air on PBS Kids and ran through 2006. The wonderfully charismatic executive producer and host is the LeVar Burton who, at the time, was best known for his role in Roots. The show would consist of Burton introducing a new book each episode which would be read by a different celebrity. After each reading, Burton takes to different environments with the celebrity to explore the theme of the book.
In developing literacy, the best skill for young children is to have reading modeled to them which is why the show is so important. The exposure of having the visual aspect, Burton’s engaging personality, and celebrities many of the children would know in essence reading to them is a crucial part of the literacy journey. Burton’s love for learning provides buy-in from the viewers.
Even if you are an individual who did not watch the show I am willing to bet you can at least sing part of the theme song! Still, the part I enjoy the most is…
Book Reviews From Kids
How great is this part? Let’s be real, as a teacher I can tell a student something is important, but are they going to believe us or a close friend? Duh, the friend of course! A final segment of the show brings Burton’s trademark line, “But You Don’t Have To Take My Word For It”. He discusses books for kids to further explore, but he leaves it to the real pros to explain.
At the end of the show, a different child has close to 90 seconds to share a book they read and what they enjoy about it. This was also a smart move. Having kids read and share not only creates more buy-in but makes the kids encourage each other, not just adults. I remember watching some of these, then going to the library at my school, heading to the card catalog, and using the Dewey Decimal System to find the treasure I saw on TV.
Book It!
Luckily I enjoy reading, so Book It was an added bonus for me. My sister, not so much, but she tells me that Book It was an actual incentive for her. Picture it: Friday after a long week of school and it is clearly pizza night. The family goes to the neighborhood Pizza Hut where you ask for some quarters to play the table-top arcade. Once you are done you head back to your table, pick up that red plastic cup filled with your favorite pop (that somehow makes it taste so much better) and proudly display your Book It button on your jean jacket. For your efforts, you receive a free personal pan pizza and a star sticker to add to your Book It badge. The thing is, I do remember kids wearing their buttons or having them on their backpacks.
The Book It program began in 1984 as part of President Reagan’s way of leading the way with literacy. He told businesses that there was a need for them to become involved with education. The 1984 Pizza Hut President, Arthur Gunther’s son struggled with reading. He then chose to meet with local educators to create a program encouraging kids to read and helping to provide the developmental skills to foster literacy. The rest…is history!
Book It seems like a simple rewards system. The more kids read the more merchandise they can get, adding a star to that big, blue button and a FREE personal pan pizza. Everyone wins. Children are reading more and developing the skills they need while parents don’t have to pay for a pizza every once in a while and can be involved in their child’s development.
Just a month after release over 7 million grade school level students began to participate in the program. Gunther states that three-quarters of the participating children ranked above their grade-level reading standards. As more proof that Pizza Hut and Book It are leading the way with literacy, the free pizzas have cost the company over $50 million, but it continues!
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The early 80s brings Reading Rainbow and Boot It, which both lead the way with literacy. Even though they both may seem like ideas from our nationalistic past, both are still working. In 2012 Reading Rainbow created an app for the iPad. There have been some legal hold-ups recently, but those with current administrative rights claim that they are working on the net phase of the program. Meanwhile, Book It is still alive and kicking! The Literacy Project with Pizza Hut is still a thing and more information can be found here: Book It Program
Are you a Reading Rainbow fan? Can you still see that butterfly in the sky? What was your favorite part of the show? What about Book It? Did you walk into Pizza Hut like a badass knowing you were going to get your sticker? Is there a TV show from 1980-84 that you would like to see us dig into? Leave your thoughts in the usual spot, and thanks for reading!
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SOURCES: EdWeek, MentalFloss
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