The View From Terrence Quinsaat
PBS Hawaii’s Ready To Learn Outreach Coordinator

What is Ready to Learn?

Ready to Learn, PBS Hawaii’s community outreach effort, was established in 2002 to offer a comprehensive literacy learning program, targeting children between preschool and 2nd grade. I meet with teachers, caregivers, parents, and their children statewide to share with them the importance of “going beyond” by not merely watching television, but by using the award-winning children’s programs on PBS Hawaii to teach literacy. By matching books with the content of these shows and engaging children in activities based on the books, children learn the connection between what they see on television and the printed word.

What does the program consist of?

A visual “triangle” presentation, emphasizing “view, read, and do,” serves to form the basis of Ready to Learn and preparing children to learn involves the important three-part combination of:

1. View: watching our children’s programs, like Between the Lions, Sesame Street, and Reading Rainbow.

2. Read: turning the television off and reading books based on our programs to your children.

3. Do: further supplementing their learning with activities.

Should I get involved?

I conduct approximately 80 workshops in a year, over a third of them on the neighbor islands. I have accommodated anywhere from 10 to 50 participants in a single session. You merely need to provide the space and a viewing screen. Each workshop takes between an hour to an hour and a half to complete. It’s hands on. It’s fun, and you walk away with books to read to your children, all at no cost whatsoever. If you’d like to learn more about these workshops, call or email Terrence Quinsaat, tel: 973-1386 or email: tquinsaat@pbshawaii.org.

For more information about the Ready To Learn program, click here.