kids

KLRU 2012 Summer Learning Challenge

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Now that it’s REALLY HOT outside, not just HOT, we know kids will be spending more time indoors and screen time will go up. To make sure that kids have access to quality content and quality activities, along with our friends at the Literacy Coalition of Central Texas, we’ve started the KRLU Summer Challenge.  To get started, read and download the materials below!

PBS highlights one show each week during the summertime. KLRU starts from here and asks kids to do the following:

WATCH – Here are the shows for each week, and the times they air

June 4-8: Wild Kratts, Zach Attack Week 4:00 pm
June 11-15: WordGirl, Tobey's Robot Summer 3:30 pm
June 18-22: Arthur, Baby Kate Adventure Week 3:00 pm
June 25-29: Curious George, Monkey Business Week 8:00 am
July 2-6: Super Why! Royal Reading Week 9:00 am
July 9-13: The Electric Company Prankster Planet Week 4:30 pm
July 16-20: Dinosaur Train Gone Fishing Week 9:30 am
July 23-27: Martha Speaks Dog Daze Week 2:30 pm
July 30-August 3: The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That Creepy Crawley Week 8:30 am
August 6-10: Sid the Science Kid Get Up and Move Week 10:00 am

READ – We want kids to read at least 15 minutes a day, or 75 minutes a week. To track progress you can download a chart here or download Scholastic’s Reading Timer for iPhone, iPad, or Android devices.

DO – Whether your kids are completing pages in the packet or playing PBS games online or on mobile devices, they are learning!

Click here to download an activity packet for ages 4-7.

Click here to download an activity packet for ages 6-10.

Click here to download a Reading Progress Chart.

For online games, go to:

PBS Kids (ages 2-5)
PBS Kids Go! (ages 4-8)
PBS Kids It's My Life (ages 8-12)
PBS Kids Mobile for all mobile downloads (all ages)

PLAY – Not just video games! Get off the couch and go swimming, ride a bike, and run around. Kids should be active at least one hour a day, 365 days a year.

And when you’ve done all of these things, after August 13th you will be able to download a certificate that you can complete and show to your child’s teacher in the new school year.

Monkey around this Thanksgiving with Curious George

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PBS KIDS is monkeying around this holiday season. On Wednesday, Nov. 23, 8 am to noon, KLRU will feature the broadcast premiere of the original Curious George movie, which will air as part of the Curious George Holiday Spectacular. A three-movie on-air event that is sure to be a new family tradition, the Holiday Spectacular kicks off with Curious George, featuring the voices of Will Ferrell, Drew Barrymore and Dick Van Dyke, as well as the music of Jack Johnson, followed by Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey and Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas. The Curious George Holiday Spectacular will also air on Saturday, Nov. 26, from 6 am to 10 am.
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Verizon Foundation Supports PBS Kids Raising Readers at KLRU

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Photo, from left to right: Maury Sullivan, KLRU’s VP of Community Engagement; Bill Stotesbery, KLRU’s CEO and President; Carl E. Erhart, Verizon’s President [Southwest Region]; Helen Soto Knaggs, Verizon’s Director of External Affairs

KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, Announces $15,000 Grant from Verizon Foundation

Grant to support PBS Raising Readers, a project to help teach literacy using public media in our schools

KLRU announced today that it has received a $15,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation in support of local implementation of the PBS Kids Raising Readers program, a national partnership with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting that surrounds children ages 2 to 8 with research-based literacy content.   Funded by a Ready To Learn grant from the U.S. Department of Education, from 2005 to 2010 Raising Readers developed an innovative blend of media across all platforms – TV, online, mobile, and more – and related community engagement activities designed to help young children learn to read.

“KLRU is first and foremost, an educational organization,” said Bill Stotesbery, CEO and GM of KLRU. “Through the generosity of the Verizon Foundation and other foundations we are able to help bridge the gap for young children entering school, using PBS’ award-winning programs such as Super Why and Between the Lions.”

Raising Readers helps empower parents and caregivers to create language–rich environments by teaching strategies that build early literacy skills anytime, anywhere – strategies that incorporate PBS children’s media.  In Central Texas, KLRU’s workshops assist low-income families with children between the from birth to eight-years-old, some of whom have English as a second language at home.  In the 2010-11 school year, the program is partnering with educational nonprofits and Austin-area schools to serve thousands of parents, caregivers and children through workshops and events.

“Providing educational resources to help students develop a strong foundation for success in the classroom is a key priority for the Verizon Foundation,” said Carl E. Erhart, Central Region President for Verizon Communications.  “We are proud to support initiatives such as KLRU’s Raising Readers and the effort to help Austin-area school districts develop young minds.’’
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Curious George 2: Follow that Monkey

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Curious George 2: Follow That MonkeyThe world’s most beloved and inquisitive monkey is back in Curious George 2: Follow that Monkey, the fun-filled sequel to the hit animated movie. Join Curious George and The Man with the Yellow Hat as they set out on a madcap cross-country adventure to reunite Kayla, a homesick elephant, with her family. This unlikely trio faces all types of comic calamities and colorful characters and in the end learn that with family, friends and determination you can achieve anything. Featuring the voices of Tim Curry, Matt Lauer, Jamie Kennedy and Jerry Lewis. Curious George 2: Follow that Monkey, “proves that family, friends-and-curiosity- are number one.” – Francine Brokaw, Los Angeles Family Magazine.

Broadcast Dates:
Wednesday, November 24th, 8-9 a.m.
Thursday, November 25th, 2-3 p.m.
Saturday, November 27th, 8-9 a.m.

KLRU receives Dell Foundation grant for early education initiatives

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KLRU is the proud recipient of a Dell Foundation Equipping Youth Literate Communities grant. This two-year, $50,000 contribution will serve to empower youth to learn and excel in a digitally-driven economy — specifically, through support of Sesame Street and our Ready to Learn literacy program. We are grateful for the Dell Foundation’s generous and ongoing support of early education in Central Texas.

WordGirl's Season Premiere

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Word Girl and her sidekick HuggyA STUPENDOUS new season of WordGirl kicks off with the back-to-school special episode “Bummertime/The Home Run King,” premiering Monday, August 23rd at 3:30pm on KLRU.
(repeats: Tuesday, September 7 at 3:30pm)

Becky just wants to read a book on the last day of summer but Tobey and his latest robot creation are AGGRAVATING her. Can WordGirl figure out how to stop crime and PROLONG her last day of vacation?

Then, when TJ foils a crime during his baseball game with an EXTRAORDINARY home run, he becomes “the Home Run King,” the city’s latest superhero. FORTUNATELY, WordGirl steps in to save the day when he gets in over his head fighting real crimes.

Six new episodes will broadcast throughout the fall beginning September 13th.

Dinosaur Train Under the Sea

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Dinosaur Train Under the SeaClimb aboard for a 1-hour Underwater Adventure special!

Premieres Friday, August 20th,  9:30-10:30am

Climb aboard as Buddy and the entire Pteranodon family board the DINOSAUR TRAIN to embark on their first underwater adventure in the new one-hour special “Dinosaur Train Under the Sea,” airing Friday, August 20 on KLRU. The Pteranodon family learns about new aquatic creatures when they ride the train through a glass-encased time tunnel that dives down under the sea to explore the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic oceans. The train also features the new Aquacar, and open car filled with sea water for carrying their new friends.

Meet Our New Underwater Friends!

Elmer Elasmosaurus: The Dinosaur Train’s new Aquacar gets its first passenger when the Pteranodon family helps transport Elmer back to his home in the ocean.  This long-necked, giant marine reptile is a deep-sea diver with a special talent for holding his breath.

Carla Cretoxyrhina: On their underwater excursion, the Pteranodon family meets up with a young shark named Carla Cretoxyrhina, who turns out to be much nicer than her reputation suggests.

The Amazing Michelinoceras Brothers: Buddy and his family continue their underwater adventure by traveling deep underwater on the Dinosaur Train to view two backwards-bounding brothers named Max and Mitch Michelinoceras.

Paulie Pliosaurus: The Pteranodon family wrap up  their  Dinosaur Train underwater exploration with a visit to a marine reptile called  Paulie Pliosaurus, a creature known as the “T. rex of the Ocean.”

There’s great reproducible activity sheet for children and a step-by-step instruction sheet for parents and caregivers on conducting a watery science learning activity with kids. Dinosaur Train colorful hypothesis

There's a New Villain in Town!

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Word Girl's Villain groupWordGirl will have a week of summer episodes July 19-22 at 3:30 pm featuring two new episodes and the latest vocabulary villains to threaten the city!

July 19: Episode 225 – NEW episode featuring Seymour Smooth and Ms. Question

July 20: Episode 226 – NEW episode featuring Amazing Rope Guy

July 21: Episode 217 – Featuring Nocan the Contrarian and The Butcher’s Dad, Kid Potato

July 22: Episode 224 – Featuring Seymour Smooth, Lady Redundant Woman and Royal Dandy

Check out these new villains before WordGirl gets her heroic hands on them!