"Take a look, it's in a book..."

Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high.

Take a look, it's in a book - Reading Rainbow.

I can go anywhere!

Friends to know and ways to grow - Reading Rainbow.

I can be anything!

Take a look, it's in a book - Reading Rainbow.

Today on the way into work, I heard some very sad news on NPR. After 26 years, Reading Rainbow's last episode will air today, Friday, August 28. (You can find the NPR article here.)

Because of a "shift in the philosophy of educational TV programming," Reading Rainbow's broadcast rights were not renewed (several hundred thousand dollars which nobody would pay for -- not even PBS or the Corporation for Public Broadcasting). Apparently, shows today are all supposed to be about teaching kids how to read... not about teaching them why to read, or aiming to instill a love and joy for reading. I know my experience as an educator has been relatively short in terms of length/years, and I won't deny the importance of helping children learn how to read. But one of the big challenges I faced as a teacher, specifically in a low-income school, was really getting my kids to enjoy reading, to understand how reading could benefit them, and to get them to want to pick up a book whenever they had a free moment. It's much easier to create a love for reading when you're around, with, or observing someone else who loves it.

I grew up watching Reading Rainbow religiously (that and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood were about all we were allowed to watch, hehe), and I will truly miss it. I think the television world has lost something valuable by not renewing the rights (which is something I don't think I've ever said before). I hope reruns will be played... but even if not, I'm going to have to go find some copies of it somewhere so I can continue to enjoy it (and get inspiration for when I inevitably return to teaching).

Until then...