What do cartoons have to do with learning to read?

A lot, if you follow the arguments made by representatives for PBS. who gave a presentation at the NAEYC Institute yesterday.

Super Why! and Word World, two new TV shows for children ages 4 to 6, are part of a national five-year research project investigating whether targeted media can help young kids learn to read.

"We want to tap into the powers of characters that are so beloved on PBS," said Jayne W. James, executive director of the Ready to Learn program for the Corporation of Public Broadcasting. Leaders of the program stress, however, that this is not about simply getting kids to fall in love with Princess Presto (a SuperWhy character with a magic spelling wand and a bouncy pink dress). "The shows don't evolve from a cute idea," James said. "They are grounded in research."

The shows are also making their way across platforms, onto the Web and into iPods, and the research project includes a study of how -- and if -- that makes a difference. Audience members got a peek at one part of this yesterday: Jen Rodriguez of PBS showed the beta version of PBS Kids Island, a free carnival-like world where children can play literacy games on the computer.

I've been interested in the Ready to Learn program for several years and will be waiting with baited breath for the results of the current studies. Alas, solid data won't be out for many more years, but I'll be keeping my eyes open for tidbits.