TVOKids's Get Ready for School series launches on iTunes in Canada

- Get Ready for School gives early learners a headstart in the classroom

TORONTO, March 22 /CNW/ - Is your child ready for school? TVOKids' Get Ready for School series is available as a digital download for the first time today on iTunes in Canada. This new offering on iTunes in Canada was facilitated through distributor, E1 Entertainment Canada. The Get Ready for School series is produced by TVOKids.

Current TVO products available on iTunes in Canada include music, podcasts and an app. Today brings the launch of the Get Ready for School TV series, now available for $0.99 per episode, or as a full season download for $4.99.

The six-part Get Ready for School series is child and teacher tested, based on the Ontario kindergarten curriculum, and developed in conjunction with TVO's in-house educational specialist. It uses fun videos and educational games to help early learners prepare for their first classroom experience. The series includes academics for early learners, such as ABCs, 123s, shapes and healthy eating. It also offers resources for parents and teachers as they help young students prepare to succeed in school.

Popular TVOKids characters like Gisèle, Melvin the skunk, Jay the blue jay and Sticks the squirrel help young children overcome their fear of school. They answer questions like: How do I make a friend? What do I do if I have a question? What if I get hungry or have to go to the bathroom? These common fears are addressed by friendly characters who reassure kids that school will be fun.

"The series is designed to help early learners overcome any fears they might have about going to school for the first time," says Patricia Ellingson, TVO's creative head of Children's Media Content and Programming. "The TVOKids characters answer practical questions to prepare early learners for school and make their first experience in the classroom a positive one."

    
    About E1 Entertainment
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E1 Entertainment (AIM: ETO) is a leading independent entertainment content enterprise that acquires and exploits world-class film, television and music properties around the globe. Its four primary businesses units (E1 Television, E1 Films, E1 Music and E1 Distribution) operate in Canada, the U.S., the UK and Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Holland and Belgium, providing extensive expertise in film distribution, television and music production and distribution, kids programming, and merchandising and licensing.

E1's growing content library, which currently includes more than 4,000 feature films, 2,700 hours of original television programming and 15,000 music tracks, is distributed across all media formats in more than 190 countries.

    
    About TVO
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TVO is Ontario's public educational media organization and a trusted source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and stimulates curiosity and thought. TVO's vision is to empower people to be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. For more information, visit tvo.org.

Where to find TVO

Cable channel 2 (channel may vary in some areas), Bell TV channel 265, Shaw Direct channel 353.

For further information: Media contact: Lesley Horlick, TVO, Marketing and Communications, [phone] ext. 2281, [email protected]; E1 Entertainment contact: Michael Smith, Vice President, Television and Digital Sales, [phone] ext. 152, [email protected]