The leading character of the new weekly literacy series for children on the Public Broadcasting Service is a mysterious figure known as Ghostwriter. Ghostwriter has been trapped inside an ancient leatherbound book for an unknown number of years. After being unintentionally freed, this shy and invisible character befriends a group of schoolchildren in New York City and helps them solve various mysteries, such as the theft of students’ backpacks or the defacement of campaign posters during a school election. However, communicating with Ghostwriter isn’t easy since he cannot hear or speak. Instead, he uses a student’s computer or rearranges letters on a chalkboard to send messages to his six teammates. To talk to Ghostwriter, the students must write down their thoughts. Therefore, the show encourages reading and writing among its target audience of 7 to 10-year-olds.
Ghostwriter is described as one of the most ambitious educational television shows to be released in years. It will premiere on October 4th at 6 P.M. on PBS. Additionally, Fox Television will air a condensed version of the premiere on October 3rd. The show is the latest addition to the educational series produced by the Children’s Television Workshop, known for creating popular children’s shows like "Sesame Street," "The Electric Company," and "Square One TV." Liz Nealon, the executive producer of "Ghostwriter," believes that the show is exciting and has an emotional core centered around the relationship between the six kids and Ghostwriter.
The show presents each mystery tale in four or five half-hour episodes. The PBS premiere will include the first two episodes, with most stations repeating one episode per week before airing a new episode. The initial episodes introduce Ghostwriter and four of the six members of the mystery-solving team. The story revolves around a series of backpack robberies committed by a group of masked bullies called the THABTOS, who leave behind coded messages that eventually lead to their capture. As with other Children’s Television Workshop projects, the cast is diverse, positive social messages are woven into the narrative, and the educational elements seamlessly blend into the plot. According to Nealon, this approach ensures that the educational aspects do not disrupt the flow of the show.
The development of "Ghostwriter" has taken several years and has received support from various organizations, including the C.T.W., the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, the U.S. Education Department, and Nike Inc.’s Just Do It Fund. Nike, the sole corporate underwriter of the show, has contributed $5 million for the first season, which sets a record for the largest-ever single grant for a children’s educational television show. According to Virginia Henson, the director of public affairs for Nike, the company saw the goals of the "Ghostwriter" project aligning closely with their own, and therefore, they decided to fully support it.
Behind the scenes, a team of dedicated individuals has been working on bringing "Ghostwriter" to life.
The goal is to inspire children to find joy and value in reading and writing. It aims to teach them effective strategies for reading and writing. Moreover, it provides them with engaging opportunities to read and write.
According to Rita Weisskoff, an educator who became content director for the "Ghostwriter" project in 1988, there are a significant number of children who do not read for pleasure or write to a friend. These children have not yet experienced the personal benefits of reading or writing. The key element of the "Ghostwriter" storylines is that each one presents an obstacle that cannot be overcome without the use of reading and writing skills. Literacy plays a central role in the plotlines of the show, as highlighted by Ms. Nealon, the executive producer. Research has shown that children cannot discuss the story without mentioning reading and writing.
To ensure the show’s effectiveness, the research team visits schools in the New York area. They assess various aspects of the show, from the legibility of the printed materials used by Ghostwriter to the relatability and appeal of the student characters. Eve Hall, the show’s research director, emphasizes the significance of the children’s input, as they are the real experts in this area. The team conducts prototype research and tests early segments to fine-tune the show. Based on feedback, they make adjustments to make the content more understandable and user-friendly. However, the tests also reveal what is working well. For instance, one student quickly grasped the concept of the Ghostwriter character, understanding him as the spirit behind the words.
Educators who have seen the show are impressed with its captivating storyline. Sarah Warshauer Freedman, the director of the Center for the Study of Writing at the University of California at Berkeley, believes that the show can be a powerful model of good literacy behavior if the children in the show become role models. She argues against the notion that encouraging children to watch television is detrimental to their literacy skills. Instead, she believes that television is a part of our culture and youth culture and suggests that we should leverage it to promote literacy. Rita Weisskoff adds that many children in the target age group have had negative experiences with reading and writing. The aim of the show is to utilize the power of television to introduce them to the power of written words.
The television show itself is just one part of a comprehensive strategy to achieve the goals of "Ghostwriter." The show includes an unprecedented outreach effort dedicated to providing children with engaging opportunities to read and write.
Please rewrite the entire text using better vocabulary and phrasing to enhance its uniqueness while maintaining natural language. All revisions must be in English. The given text is as follows:
"Your assignment is to reword the entire passage using superior terminology and phrasing to maximize its distinctness without compromising its naturalness. All modifications should be in the English language."
