Executive producer of award-winning project offers ideas for replication
The idea for Grace Foxwell Murdock’s “Ready for School” program came to her on a snow day—a rare opportunity to watch a few minutes of television. She saw a notice on PAC 14, the local public access channel in Salisbury, Maryland, seeking shows produced by local people.
Seeing that notice, Murdock recalled that the kindergarten teachers at the school where she was a vice principal at the time were saying that many students were coming to school without the proper skills. From that was born the idea of creating a local television program aimed at helping to solve that problem.
During its three seasons so far, “Ready for School” has focused on the following topics:
Season 1: Alphabet
Season 2: Math
Season 3: Reading
Season 4, now in the planning stages for airing in the summer of 2007, will focus on speech problems, and Murdock is working with a speech pathologist to develop the programs. “Ready for School” received the International Reading Association’s Broadcast Media Award for Television in the Children’s Programming category in 2006.
Typically, production is done during the summer in conjunction with PAC. The first two seasons were filmed in the PAC studios, and the reading shows were done in a classroom. Nineteen shows have been recorded, with each running about 24 minutes in length.
In addition to the programs, which air during the summer, program components include Learning Boxes, which include DVDs of the television programs, scissors, crayons, counters for math, an alphabet and number strip, index cards, a book, a tablet, a primary (fat) pencil, a brochure for parents, a post card for feedback, and glue sticks—all of which fit into a shoe box or plastic container.
Children receive the boxes when they conclude their 4-year-old preschool program. Thus far, funding for the project has come from grants, Rotary clubs, banks, and other sources. The Eastern Shore Reading Council has supported “Ready for School” as one of its major projects with funding and volunteers. This year, Wicomico County is designating $10,000 for the project. Murdock hopes to prepare a grant proposal for funding from the U.S. Department of Education to expand the program.
In 2006, 450 Learning Boxes were distributed; Murdock hopes to soon get one into the hands of every child in the county before they enter kindergarten. At this year’s IRA convention, where she received her award, Murdock talked with various exhibitors about donating books to the project.
Murdock notes that the program has generated positive publicity. Each spring the local media provide coverage when school children and volunteers from the community pack the Learning Boxes for distribution to the preschool children. The boxes are sent home just prior to the end of the school year.
“I think we’re missing an opportunity if we don’t use local channels as an outreach vehicle,” Murdock says. “These shows are informative for parents and entertaining as well as educational for the children.”
One of the good things about the “Ready for School” program is that it can be easily replicated. Executive Producer Grace Foxwell Murdock offers these tips.
Buy a large three-ring binder to organize all steps of the process for reference and documentation.
Begin the search for funding. Possible sources include clubs, local foundations, banks, lodges, and other groups that offer donations or grants.
Make arrangements with your local public access channel.
Select a host who relates well to young children and is comfortable on camera.
Determine skills to be covered in the videos.
Collect or purchase all support materials needed to teach the skills.
Determine elements needed in the Learning Box for children to use as they view the programs.
Obtain permissions from authors to use any books read on the shows. You can usually contact publishing companies via the Internet.
Do a practice tape to determine length, timing, film shots, voice, and management of materials in the shots. We found that four 25-minute shows fit well on one DVD for copying.
Film the shows.
Edit the material, adding theme song, artwork, and credits.
Shop for prices on dubbing the tapes, chaptering, copying and inserting the DVDs, artwork, and plastic CD cases.
Order plastic boxes to hold all of the materials.
Set up and pack the boxes. (School children can help with this assembly line process; donors also like to help.)
Arrange dates for training for day care providers, educators, and parents to explain the Learning Boxes and videos.
Distribute the Learning Boxes at libraries, school sites, and Head Start sites.
Enjoy placing learning resources in the hands of children.
Start the process over.
For further information, contact Murdock by e-mail.
Television programs get kids “Ready for School.” (August 2006). Reading Today, 24(1), 42.
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