Adult learners can practice basic skills using TV411 materials in many ways: by watching the show at home; enrolling in a distance learning program that uses TV411 video, print, and web; using the materials under the guidance of a teacher in a literacy classroom; or using them with the help of a facilitator or tutor in informal settings like hospital waiting rooms, libraries, or financial institutions. We have worked to make this access as easy as possible, whatever the venue.

Here are the highlights of TV411’s dissemination:

Broadcast
Thirty-one half-hour episodes, with 258 distinct educational segments, are currently being broadcast or cablecast throughout the nation. The series is closed-captioned for viewers with hearing disabilities. Episodes 21-31 also have an audio track for the visually impaired. Since September 1999, TV411 has aired over 40,000 times on hundreds public television and cable television stations and has been available to 65% of all households in the United States. In the markets for which we have ratings data, TV411 has been viewed over 21 million times.

In Print
The 30 issues of TV411 In Print feature 198 articles and lessons that teach the specific reading, writing, and math skills featured in the series. 700,000 copies of the magazine-style workbook are in distribution.

Web
TV411’s website features over 100 interactive lessons and activities (including six lessons in Spanish) that extend and deepen the reading, writing, and math featured in the video and print materials. In 2006, the site had over 17 million page views and nearly 500,000 unique visitors. In 2006 there were around 27,000 downloads of our teacher resource materials.

On the Ground
Twenty states hold licenses to broadcast TV411. In each of those states, adult education, family literacy, and other community programs can acquire TV411 multimedia materials at a substantially reduced cost. In many of these states, ALMA has provided training and technical support on the use of TV411 materials for teachers and administrators, with far-reaching results. In Oklahoma alone, an estimated 6,000 students have worked with TV411.

ALMA has conducted a range of training sessions—from professional development workshops for adult education teachers to “train the trainer” workshops. The hundreds of organizations whose staff we have trained include public television stations, literacy providers, Even Start programs, healthcare facilities, social service organizations, and state departments of education.

TV411 materials are used by thousands of community-based organizations throughout the country. These include public libraries, job training groups, health education centers, correctional facilities, multi-service organizations, and housing programs. And the list continues to grow.