Forty percent of fourth graders fail to reach even a basic level of reading prociency. Twenty percent of American adults read below a fifth-grade level. These grim statistics drove WGBH to ask a critical question: Can television teach children to read?

Between the Lions fosters language and early reading skills by combining innovative puppetry, animation, live action, and music. Using a research-based curriculum, every episode addresses the five key areas of reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension. And never has learning been more fun! "Between the Lions can help level the playing field for children at risk for illiteracy," says Judith Stoia, executive producer.

To test whether the program could make a difference for young children at high risk for reading failure, WGBH launched an eight-month research study in two Mississippi communities (Indianola and the Choctaw Indian Reservation), involving more than 50 first-grade, kindergarten, and Head Start teachers, and reaching more than 900 children and their families. The communities were saturated with Between the Lions programs, related children's books, Web site content, and other resources. The results? Children who watched Between the Lions regularly, and whose teachers carried out related activities, significantly improved their reading skills. Let's hear a big roar for reading!

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