Reading Rockets offers a wealth of reading strategies, lessons, and activities designed to help young children learn how to read and read better. Our reading resources assist parents, teachers, and other educators in working with struggling readers who require additional help in reading fundamentals and comprehension skills development.

You are here: > Our Shows on PBS > Launching Young Readers > Reading Rocks!

Reading Rocks!

An empowering, upbeat, and totally hip show for kids ages 7-12

Reading Rocks! is a buoyant PBS television special that appeals to kids and encourages struggling readers to keep trying. The Disney Channel's Nick Spano (Even Stevens) hosts the special, which uses wacky humor to offer stories of hope to children who are trying to learn to read. Set to a hip-hop soundtrack, Reading Rocks! features a kid author, a claymation movie, inspiring profiles, and silly moments with Spano.

The television show is the first project of Reading Rockets created expressly for kids. While Reading Rocks! is designed for children ages seven to twelve, the special was also created with parents and teachers in mind so they can watch, understand, and encourage struggling readers at home and school. It is a special episode of the award-winning Launching Young Readers series.

Reading Rocks! features actress Vivica A. Fox (Ella Enchanted) in an entertaining segment about some of the oddities of the English language and author/illustrator Christopher Myers (Wings and Harlem) in an elementary school visit where he uses his big feet to show children that being different is something to celebrate.

For more information, click below to:

About the program

Meet Sam, Madeleine, Oliver, and the rest of the kids at the Lab School of Washington, D.C., a school designed especially for children with learning disabilities. Watch as the students create a claymation movie called "From Zero to Hero" that vividly illustrates their feelings about struggling to learn to read.

Ben may be dyslexic, but he's also a published author! With the help of people who believed in him, he was able to overcome his difficulties and write the children's book, My Year with Harry Potter.

Maricely was in danger of repeating the fifth grade. Born in Puerto Rico and a native Spanish speaker, she found it doubly hard to learn to read… in English. She doesn't give up, though, and with the help of her family and teachers, Maricely graduates to middle school.

Children's author and illustrator Christopher Myers (Wings and Harlem) visits some of his biggest fans at P.S. 304 in New York City. There he uses his humongous feet to show children that being different is something to celebrate.

AJ is frustrated! He's eight years old, lives in Nashville, and desperately wants to read chapter books. By working with a peer tutor, AJ achieves his dream.

Awards

Parents' Choice Silver Honor Award winner
"Parents of children who have learning disabilities might find this especially reassuring, interesting, and informative… [T]he show… is enlightening and fun to watch."

"As both an educator and parent the information I receive from your comprehensive website helps my son on his journey to becoming a reader and helps my students on their journeys to becoming better teachers."
~ Nadine F.

Learn how to respond to a child who is discouraged with reading or school with our tool called 'Put Downs & Comebacks.' Read more.

Reading Rockets is a national multimedia project that offers research-based and best-practice information on teaching kids to read and helping those who struggle. It is an educational service of public television station WETA in Washington, D.C.

Visit WETA's educational web sites:

© Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. Reading Rockets is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. Reading Rockets® is a registered trademark of WETA.

Stay informed! Subscribe to our e-mail newsletters.