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PBS KIDS Island Receives Accolades

On Oct. 15 PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) launched PBS KIDS Island,( http://pbskids.org/read/ )the centerpiece of the new PBS KIDS Raising Readers Web site, which provides free reading games and activities for children, parents, caregivers and teachers to use at home or in the classroom.

PBS KIDS Island gives children the tools to build an online island by playing reading games with PBS KIDS characters from SUPER WHY, WORDWORLD, BETWEEN THE LIONS and SESAME STREET. The site, built on a literacy framework, guides children as they build seven core reading skills, from phonological awareness to letter sequencing and vocabulary. The site offers a progress tracker to assist teachers as they cultivate their students' learning, and enables teachers to chart progress for an entire classroom with detailed reports on each child's needs and successes.

Since its launch, PBS KIDS Island has been selected as an Editor's Choice Award from Children's Technology Review, an honor reserved for the highest quality interactive media products. Well known parent blogger, Tech Savvy Mama, also raves "This site is not only a great learning tool, but also an incredible parent resource!"

PBS KIDS Raising Readers and PBS KIDS Island is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Ready to Learn grant.