TV411 Television Series and Videos
TV411 In Print
TV411 Online
TV411 Teacher's
Guide
Literacy Kits
TV411 Television Series and Videos
I like this program because, above all, it tackles
the plain, everyday living problems in the way of providing
and teaching adult literacy.
- Sheila Shin, tutor
 TV411
has garnered two Emmys from the New York Chapter
of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, including "Outstanding
Educational Program."
Each half-hour episode of TV411 consists of discrete segments hosted by both fictional and real-life personalities: John Fugelsang, star of America's Funniest Home Videos, demonstrates the importance of reading the fine print on those "too good to be true" credit card offers; poet Jimmy Baca conducts a writing workshop with steelworkers; and the lovable Laverne, a regular in the TV411 cast of characters, uses statistics on breast cancer to explain the concept of probability.
Perhaps most inspiring are the stories of real
adult learners presented in the "Milestones"
segments. Viewers relate to Sheila Greene, a single mother from Pittsburgh,
who mastered test-taking and reading tactics
that helped her become a travel agent. They admire the caring and
courage of Sam Santiago, who despite having a reading disability,
teaches others how to pass the motor vehicle exam.
TV411 gave me an emotional
kind of learning…You've got the ability to learn down inside
you, but for most of your life, it's hidden.
I reached those points so many times in my
life when it was just not coming to me…It just wasn't coming.
Now when I struggle, I think of the "Milestones"
and the inspiration they gave me, and I know that I still have
it.
- Deborah Gardner, adult learner
All 30 episodes of TV411 are available on DVD
and videocassette and can be ordered for classroom use from our distributor Kentucky
Educational Television.
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 TV411
In Print
Each episode of TV411 correlates with a colorful magazine-style workbook. The workbooks, which you can use as a supplement to the videos or on their own, are filled with practical exercises (e.g., filling out a job application, reading a mortgage chart, deciphering a pay stub), as well as a wealth of articles, excerpts from literature, and profiles of writers, adult learners, and other personalities.
I tried to go through [the GED books] and was overwhelmed.
I wasn't
getting anywhere with them. It was too much, and
I didn't know where
to start. Plus I just couldn't get into
them–they were boring, and I could
not relate to
them at all. So when I started with the TV411 workbooks,
I was so pleased. They were just right for me. They made
it fun, and I
could really get into the topics. I loved working
on them!
- Deborah Gardner, adult learner
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TV411 Online
The feedback that I'm getting [with TV411 Online]
is teaching me. It's working with me, giving me feedback
while I'm giving to it. I enjoyed myself.
- adult learner
TV411 Online (www.tv411.org) is an interactive site for hands-on learning. The easy-to-navigate site features about 100 lessons and activities (with more always on the way!) that guide the learner with frequent and instructive feedback. Subjects range from context clues and complaint letters to understanding compound interest. For teachers, there's curriculum support, including sample lesson plans, guidelines for correlating TV411 with educational standards, and an interactive index.
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TV411 Teacher's Guide 
For teachers who are pressed for planning time, the TV411
Teacher's Guide offers
full-length, step-by-step lesson plans, with activities, discussion topics, classroom
questions, and more.
Click here to see sample
lesson plans from our teacher's guide.
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Literacy
Kits
The Think Math DVDs were an integral part of our curriculum and were instrumental in students' overcoming their math phobias and passing
the GED test.
- Delores Tyler, ABE Teacher and Program Manager, Support for Training and Educational Program Services, (STEPS) Inc.
 Our
theme-based literacy kits combine selected
TV411 video and print materials with specially
designed handouts, discussion questions,
and activities:
• The TV411 Family Learning
Kit brings parents
and children together, and its arts
and crafts style activities make
literacy fun. Lessons include "What's
Cooking?," "Lots of Letters," and "Surfing
Cyberspace." Available now
through  .
• The TV411 Read All
About Kit is a series
of eight lessons promoting newspaper
literacy. Students learn to navigate
newspapers, tackle challenging articles,
decode the help wanted ads, and more. Available
now through .
• The TV411 Health Smarts
Kit teaches
health literacy and health management
skills. Topics include taking medications,
managing a chronic illness, and understanding
breast cancer screening and statistics. Available
now through .
• The TV411 Financial Literacy
Kit introduces learners
to some of the basics of personal finance,
such as taking out a mortgage, choosing
a credit card, and making a budget. Available
now through .
• The TV411 Think Math DVD explores
four fundamental math concepts: fractions
and percents, basic geometry, rates and ratios,
and number patterns. The DVD has video,
a downloadable teacher’s
guide and student handouts, and links to
interactive lessons and games on our website. Email
Nancy Fournierat EEC (nfournier@edc.org) for more information.
• The TV411 Save
Smart DVD teaches the reading and math skills behind savings and investing. Students develop strategies for saving for retirement and explore the risks and rewards of mutual funds. Email
Nancy Fournierat EEC (nfournier@edc.org) for more information.
• TV411 Health Smarts While You Wait provides volunteer instructors with an arsenal of teaching tools in a convenient tote bag. Intended for use with patients in hospital waiting rooms, the kit teaches health management skills, such as reading drug labels and keeping a medical journal. To order your copy, email
Shelley Ruchti at EEC (sruchti@edc.org).
I need math each and every day. Before, I just accepted what they said I earned. Now I can figure it out for myself. I calculate the deductions and make sure they are right.
- adult learner
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