Since 1997, Alabama Public Television, through its Educational Services Department, provides Ready To Learn programs, services, and resources to child care professionals, teachers, and parents of children birth through the elementary years.

Currently, the Alabama Ready to Learn Service, working in the areas of Parent Education, School Readiness and Success, Early Literacy Development, and Extended-Care Education, supports 3 state-wide initiatives:

First Teachers

First Teachers brings current parenting information and resources to Alabama parents and child care providers of children, birth through five, based upon nationally recognized programs, such as Parenting Counts, Right from Birth, Going to School, The Whole Child, and A Place of Our Own. For more information, contact Caroline Martin, cmartin@aptv.org, 1-800-239-5233.

Ready To Learn

Utilizing research-based PBS KIDS programming with its rich web content and resources, the Ready To Learn Initiative works in partnerships with state and local agencies to ensure Alabama’s children experience school readiness and school success. Ready To Learn workshops are unique sources of critical information on developmentally appropriate media for children and media literacy for parents, caregivers, and teachers of children, ages 2 through 6. For more information, contact Tiffany Armstrong at 800-239-5233 or tconner@aptv.org

Ready To Grow

The Ready To Grow Initiative reaches out to extended care programs serving school-aged children throughout the state. The core of Ready To Grow is an Activities On the Go Curriculum Kit containing hundreds of hands-on activity plans, children’s books, video clips, and curriculum guides. For more information, contact Salaam Green at 800-239-5233 or sgreen@aptv.org

Workshops/Events

All three RTL initiatives provide on-site workshops, resources, and books for child care professionals, teachers, and parents across the state. In addition, the RTL staff serves on and participates in many community, regional, and state-wide educational committees, events, and projects.

View our Community Page to see upcoming workshops in your area.

Broadcasting

An important component of the Ready To Learn Service in Alabama is the PBS KIDS block of commercial free, non-violent educational children’s programming 7 days a week. APT broadcasts a 10 ½ hour block of children’s programming each weekday with a 5-hour block on weekends.