Building Readers is a program intended to improve literacy skills for students in grades 3 through 5.   This new program was born from the success of the Raising Readers program which PBS39 has been providing to students in grades K through 2 for nearly ten years.

The need for a strong literacy development series in our community is great and PBS39 saw an opportunity to extend its reach to include school children in grades 3-5 by offering the Building Readers program to the students and their families.

Building Readers is a three-part literacy development series offered for students and their caregivers in collaboration with schools serving primarily urban, low-income communities. The Building Readers program is based on research from the National Reading Panel and the National Institute for Literacy.  PBS39 facilitators are
certified educators that conduct workshops focused on parental media literacy
and children’s reading skills. Through educational media and role modeling, Building Readers facilitators help adult caregivers develop the tools needed to incorporate reading in the home and encourage their child to experience greater overall success in school.

Building Readers uses a unique 360-degree approach to learning which surrounds
families, caregivers, teachers and parents with ready-to-use literacy resources.
The initiative uses the power of public media to enhance early literacy skills
using content from PBS KIDS television and online programming as a springboard
for quality learning, as well as inspire a lifetime love of reading.