LeVar Burton seeks to bring back Reading Rainbow

[Metalhead]

Dude. Geordi. Laforge.

 

 

 

.... and books, I guess.

[tnguy]

Encouraging kids to read? Check.

Voluntary contributions, not taxes? Check.

 

What's not to like? Unless you're a Romulan.

[Murgatroy]

So I still don't know what Reading Rainbow was, having never seen it, but from watching the promo video it sounds like a normal kid's show which just references things from certain books, thus encouraging the kids to read those books. Sounds like a great idea, and must have worked if many of you recall watching it and liked it as kids. But I wonder about the following:

Surely there are hundreds (if not thousands) of similar content providers online today, delivering tons of audio/video programs for kids and classrooms, including many which are tied to books. So why re-invent the wheel? What will be unique about this program? The promo video says it will be free, which sounds great, but they must have a plan to generate revenue somehow or they would never survive once the initial funding runs out. I suspect they will be making money from advertisements, book sales, and possibly subscription services for optional content. So in the end it won't be totally free for everyone, and thus it will have to compete with whatever else is out there.

There is already a lot of totally free content available on the internet, including free eBooks that don't require any purchase or subscription whatever, in addition to many sites which have free learning games and tutorials, self tests, etc. So still wondering what they plan to do that will be so unique.

Anything that gets kids to read more is a good thing, but I think the days of kids reading paper books is limited, as even the youngest kids are adopting tablets and cell phones before many of us were even old enough to use the rotary phone unsupervised. Remember those? :)

The gig is that this is the original. It also allows regular kids to talk about what their take, feelings, opinion on a certain book was. It has been nearly thirty years since I have last seen one, but the general premise was a topic, say a certain bird. LaVar would go to the bird's habitat, or a zoo etc and research the bird, or the author of a book about the bird. A celebrity would then read a book about the bird. The show would end with LaVar giving suggestions similar to what was just read, then would say 'But don't just take my word for it' and a kid would then give their review on the suggest book or books.

 

The show focused more on the 'feel' of the read than than the 'knowing how' to read. But immersing the viewer into the imagination of the reading, the personal visualization. 

 

And again, this was one of the first shows of this kind, it was a forerunner of current (and much historical, given the context) shows similar. This show aired with Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers. That is a serious pedigree.

 

The learning app based on the show is award winning as well, same as the show was.

 

I think where LaVar and the producers want to take the show is into the classroom, like the old RiF (Reading is Fun) programs that would come and give one free book of your choice to a student from a 1000+ options. Or to go farther, similar to the Whittle broadcasts that we had in the early nineties. Bring it to the classroom, through the internet, tablets (my daughter's class has an assigned tablet for general use) even bring a celebrity to chosen schools to read a book.

 

 

 

Reading comprehension is one of the most valuable skills that a child can learn. If a child enjoys reading, they don't even notice that they are learning, their vocabulary will broaden, their grammar and spelling will improve, all while exercising the imagination and flying airplanes, fighting dragons or travelling through time. While math may be the universal language that the world operates on, reading comprehension is an individual skill that opens limitless opportunities.

[Murgatroy]

As for the funding, generating two million in under 24 hours is hardcore, and I am certain that publishers will want to get on board, or even more powerful, Amazon or Google. This would be a drop in the bucket for them and they could create proprietary software on which the program could run. I personally think targeted devices such as the iPad or Kindle are amazingly simple and POWERFUL marketing tools. With a bigger nod to the Kindle in my experience. By directly tying you and your device to a store (Big Brother warning) that logs your habits, hobbies and likes/dislikes allows a personally tailored shopping experience that said vendor (Apple/Amazon) can control and profit on. 

 

Tie in something with an obvious nostalgia kick which Reading Rainbow obviously just showed (I am sure many of us hadn't though of this show in twenty years other than an occasional quote/pop culture reference,) and you have a juggernaut. While it is no lie that these companies are in it for money, I like to believe that they can use their power for good too. 

 

At the end of the day though, you have to have a product that the end user wants. And I think that Reading Rainbow could be that product.

[monkeylizard]

Then there's this:

 

http://youtu.be/llDlxHVbA_g

[wileecoyote]

[quote name="monkeylizard" post="1153412" timestamp="1401421245"]Then there's this: http://youtu.be/llDlxHVbA_g[/quote] Exactly why I was asking questions. It just didn't make sense what I saw in the promo video. Probably still a good thing, but I personally would be pissed if I donated money based solely on the promo video, which implies they are bringing back that nostalgic TV show many of you seem to remember and loved, only to find out they are NOT bringing back the TV show and it will NOT be free, and the person plugging it is doing it for profit. Boo.

[tnguy]

OMG, not for profit. The scoundrels.

 

</sarcasm>

Edited May 30, 2014 by tnguy

[wewoapsiak]

A couple of quotes from his Reddit AMA:

Let me be clear, if you will, that this generation of Reading Rainbow will be delivered in, is new content - books currently available in the marketplace, and brand-new video field trips with LeVar. Yes, I will be creating new episodes and hosting them, and for clarity's sake, when you say new episodes, this is NOT a television show or web series - the model for this version of Reading Rainbow can be found in the app: http://www.readingrainbow.com/rr-app

The offering will be a hybrid, inasmuch as there will be a consumer product on the web, and a separate product for schools and classrooms, and that product will be subsidized for Title 1 schools.

... Why isn't your website free for all kids? ... Is there any way it could be made available to all kids?

Yes, absolutely, that is a key part of our strategy. A large part of the Kickstarter funds will be dedicated to making the product designed specifically for classrooms, making it available for free, to schools in need, schools that can't afford it. With every million dollars raised, we will be able to *give* Reading Rainbow away for free to an additional 1500 classrooms.

Sent from the blue lagoon.

[tnguy]

... Why isn't your website free for all kids? ... Is there any way it could be made available to all kids?

 

When you're not suckling at the government teat, someone still has to pay the bills.

[monkeylizard]

I didn't post the video to say this is a BAD THING^tm. I just wanted to inform anyone wanting to donate to the kickstarter campaign what this is and what this isn't. The full kickstarter campaign text makes it pretty clear that there isn't going to be a TV show. LeVar is going to making more app and web deliverable content. The kickstarter text is pretty clear to me that it's to be able to make that content and to make it free to needy schools.

 

Seeing this:

 

With every million dollars raised, we will be able to *give* Reading Rainbow away for free to an additional 1500 classrooms.

 

makes it even better. This is my first participation in kickstarter. Even after seeing the video that I linked, I still think that this is a GOOD THING^tm and worth supporting.

[Daniel]

 Never seen it.

[wileecoyote]

It is good news to see that they have a plan to make money, so that the program actually has a chance of surviving after the initial donations are used up. And anything which gets kids to read and learn will definitely have a positive impact with lasting value, at least for those who use it and find it beneficial. So it will likely be a good thing, as long as the organization remains efficient and doesn't end up squandering the funds or giving very few things away to those in need.

My only criticism of the campaign is that the bold title of the Kickstarter web page says "Bring Reading Rainbow Back for Every Child, Everywhere." which strongly implies that they are going to "bring back" something that formerly existed, namely the old TV show, however this is simply not true. They are instead planning to create something new and different (electronic media content) and deliver it in a different way (online and mobile interfaces via a subscription model). Also, the video more or less reinforces that initial impression, remaining sufficiently vague so that most folks who simply read the title and watched the short video (or only saw a short news story or forum post like this one) would be under the impression that the old TV show was coming back, and that it would be free for many or all. I am sure they did this intentionally, to take advantage of the nostalgic emotion that would motivate people to donate based on their desire to see an old favorite TV show restored.

Despite the misleading yet typical marketing approach, I have no issue with what they are doing. Those who donate are responsible to read the details and decide for themselves if it is worthy of their donation. Personally I prefer to donate to organizations that are a bit more direct and transparent in their marketing efforts, and ideally to those that are non-profit and non-government-funded. So if any of you start up an effort to bring back Captain Kangaroo or Mister Rogers on TV free for all, in a non-profit manner then I will definitely send you some funds. :)

[Daniel]

It is good news to see that they have a plan to make money, so that the program actually has a chance of surviving after the initial donations are used up. And anything which gets kids to read and learn will definitely have a positive impact with lasting value, at least for those who use it and find it beneficial. So it will likely be a good thing, as long as the organization remains efficient and doesn't end up squandering the funds or giving very few things away to those in need.

My only criticism of the campaign is that the bold title of the Kickstarter web page says "Bring Reading Rainbow Back for Every Child, Everywhere." which strongly implies that they are going to "bring back" something that formerly existed, namely the old TV show, however this is simply not true. They are instead planning to create something new and different (electronic media content) and deliver it in a different way (online and mobile interfaces via a subscription model). Also, the video more or less reinforces that initial impression, remaining sufficiently vague so that most folks who simply read the title and watched the short video (or only saw a short news story or forum post like this one) would be under the impression that the old TV show was coming back, and that it would be free for many or all. I am sure they did this intentionally, to take advantage of the nostalgic emotion that would motivate people to donate based on their desire to see an old favorite TV show restored.

Despite the misleading yet typical marketing approach, I have no issue with what they are doing. Those who donate are responsible to read the details and decide for themselves if it is worthy of their donation. Personally I prefer to donate to organizations that are a bit more direct and transparent in their marketing efforts, and ideally to those that are non-profit and non-government-funded. So if any of you start up an effort to bring back Captain Kangaroo or Mister Rogers on TV free for all, in a non-profit manner then I will definitely send you some funds. :)

TLDR

Dont throw your money at things without researching them first.

Edited May 30, 2014 by Daniel

[TMF]

[quote name="Daniel" post="1153543" timestamp="1401466565"] Never seen it.[/quote] It was on for over 20 years. Wish the old episodes were on Netflix streaming. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TrickyNicky]

It was on for over 20 years. Wish the old episodes were on Netflix streaming.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Few episodes up on YouTube I think...