an television be the key that unlocks a child's love of reading? Put that question to Theo, Cleo, Leona and Lionel - the funny feline stars of Between the Lions - and the answer will be a roaring "Yes!" In the Emmy-winning series from WGBH in Boston, the doors of a wondrous library swing open to reveal a magical place where characters literally pop off the pages of books, vowels sing, and words take on a life of their own. Developed in concert with leading education experts, this revolutionary series for ages four to seven brings language and literacy to life with puppetry, animation, live action and music, sweeping kids up in the joys and delights of reading. And read they do. A University of Kansas study found that kindergarten students who watch Between the Lions significantly outperform those who don't in key reading skills. But while PBS KIDS series like Between the Lions are the leaders in getting kids to laugh and learn at the same time, the education professionals at PBS know that the power of these programs for teaching can be even stronger when public television stations build on their potential in the community.

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"There are all kinds of television techniques ideally suited to teach reading. You can highlight words, animate letters, sound them out, and move them around. But the home-school connection is crucial to reinforce the goal of Between the Lions to teach reading skills while sharing the joy of reading. Through Ready To Learn, public television stations nationwide help make that connection. They introduce WGBH's acclaimed Between the Lions educational training materials to Head Start, classrooms, and libraries to help parents and teachers in the important work of teaching children to read." -- Judy Stoia, Executive Producer Between the Lions

"WGTE was one of the first 11 model stations when Ready To Learn was launched, and we keep growing and innovating. This year we provided over 150 training workshops and developed a special curriculum on early literacy using the excellent material from Between the Lions. The delightful characters in the series are our best asset. What better way to introduce a love of reading than with a clip of 'Martha Reader and the Vowelles' teaching the short 'a' sound for hat." -- Kathy Smith Director of Learning and Outreach WGTE, Toledo, Ohio

verybody's favorite daddy, Theo the Lion always has time for a story and a song with his rambunctious cubs Leona and Lionel and his clever wife Cleo in their library lair. When books come alive and imaginations shift into high gear, the unexpected is part of the fun. Between the Lions exemplifies the wholesome, non-violent, noncommercial children's programming that is synonymous with PBS. For kids watching PBS, learning comes naturally.