'Reading Rainbow' to Return as an App
RSSBy Lauren Barack
So says the popular show's former host, who has kept the flame alive for the beloved children's series, which launched on PBS Kids in 1983. Instead of a television show, Burton is planning to launch a mobile application, which will offer books to children. Burton has a soft spot for Reading Rainbow, and successfully won the rights back to the @readingrainbow Twitter handle earlier this month from a squatter. A simple tweet to @twitter asking for help to reclaim the handle on Jan. 31 galvanized followers who retweeted the plea. Burton got the show's name back by the following day, which will fold into a business plan to resurrect the show's legacy for a digital audience. Reading Rainbow went off the air in 2009, but by then the network was only broadcasting re-runs of 155 older episodes. Production actually ended in 2006, as executives at PBS and at public television station WNED, which owned the rights, decided that the show had lost interest among young viewers. Pulling the plug on the show in 2009 was a financial decision, as underwriting grants for the publishing and residual fees had run out, John Grant, an executive producer for Reading Rainbow, told SLJ at the time. By then, programming to teach kids to read through phonics had grown trendier than Reading Rainbow's format, which featured celebrities—everybody from Bill Cosby to Flavor Flav—reading stories and having children review the books on air. But Burton never gave up the fight. He launched a new website, RRKidz, in September, which hopes to offer a subscription-based, reading experience through iPad and Android devices, but currently sells only DVDs of the original show. How the actual app will eventually look isn't known yet, and Burton did not return requests for comment. But he has tweeted for his 1.7 million followers to stay tuned. "Hey kids!" he wrote. "Don't forget to follow @ReadingRainbow for the latest info and news about the release of our App." This article originally appeared in the newsletter Extra Helping. Go here to subscribe. As a teacher, I thought Reading Rainbow was absolutely the best format
for sharing good books! "Informative" information accompanied the
stories, informing students about the places the stories took place. Lavar,
I would love to see "global" reads on your app as well as the wonderful
graphic novels that are starting to hold firm in classrooms. I would love
the app to contain children's "tracks of thinking" as someone reads, or
they discuss a book. I would love to help in this venture. Aside from an TBD app, would love to see a return of the show itself. My 8 year-old absolutely loved it, as did I, her librarian mom. The whole concept of getting children to love reading (versus focusing on phonics and evidence-based outcomes) was not appreciated by the "deciders." Reading Rainbow in the digital age is an awesome opportunity for our kids and their parents!! Thanks LeVar!
-a third grade teacher and parent Well, I am not excited for an app thing, but it's cool.
Reading Rainbow is my favorite show, but I want them
bring on the air on TV. * = Required information
February 21, 2012
Actor LeVar Burton wants to bring Reading Rainbow back—as an app.
Reader Comments (5)
Posted by Marcy Prager on February 22, 2012 07:42:33AM
Posted by ANP on February 22, 2012 03:58:46PM
Posted by Chris Shave on February 25, 2012 10:09:45AM
Posted by Deon Flood on May 22, 2012 03:05:06PM
