The Edvocate

Top Menu

Main Menu

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • Books
    • Contact Us
    • Edupedia
  • PreK-12
    • Assessment
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development
    • Classroom Management
    • Early Childhood
    • EdTech & Innovation
    • Education Leadership
    • Equity
    • First Year Teachers
    • Gifted and Talented Education
    • Parental Involvement
    • Policy & Reform
    • Special Education
    • Teachers
  • Higher Ed
    • Best Colleges and Universities
    • Best College and University Programs
    • Diversity
    • HBCU’s
    • Higher Education
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • International Education
  • Advertise
    • Request a Product Review
  • The Tech Edvocate Awards
    • The Awards Process
    • Finalists and Winners of The 2020 Tech Edvocate Awards
    • Finalists and Winners of The 2019 Tech Edvocate Awards
    • Finalists and Winners of The 2018 Tech Edvocate Awards
    • Finalists and Winners of The 2017 Tech Edvocate Awards
    • Award Seals
  • Apps
    • GPA Calculator for College
    • GPA Calculator for High School
    • Cumulative GPA Calculator
    • Grade Calculator
    • Weighted Grade Calculator
    • Final Grade Calculator
  • The Tech Edvocate
  • Pedagogue
  • The Edvocate Podcast

logo

The Edvocate

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
        • My Speaking Page
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • Books
    • Contact Us
    • Edupedia
  • PreK-12
    • Assessment
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development
    • Classroom Management
    • Early Childhood
    • EdTech & Innovation
    • Education Leadership
    • Equity
    • First Year Teachers
    • Gifted and Talented Education
    • Parental Involvement
    • Policy & Reform
    • Special Education
    • Teachers
  • Higher Ed
    • Best Colleges and Universities
    • Best College and University Programs
    • Diversity
    • HBCU’s
    • Higher Education
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • International Education
  • Advertise
    • Request a Product Review
  • The Tech Edvocate Awards
    • The Awards Process
    • Finalists and Winners of The 2020 Tech Edvocate Awards
    • Finalists and Winners of The 2019 Tech Edvocate Awards
    • Finalists and Winners of The 2018 Tech Edvocate Awards
    • Finalists and Winners of The 2017 Tech Edvocate Awards
    • Award Seals
  • Apps
    • GPA Calculator for College
    • GPA Calculator for High School
    • Cumulative GPA Calculator
    • Grade Calculator
    • Weighted Grade Calculator
    • Final Grade Calculator
  • The Tech Edvocate
  • Pedagogue
  • The Edvocate Podcast
  • How Building Foundational Literacy Skills Leads to a Lifetime of Lightbulb Moments

  • Why We Must Change the Way Our Children Are Taught How To Read

  • The Edvocate’s Guide to Learning Pathways

  • 2022 Best Online Doctorate in Psychology

  • Why Are Teachers Unprepared To Teach Reading Skills?

  • What are the Pros and Cons of Learning Pathways

  • 2022 Best Doctorate in Clinical Psychology

  • The Best Jobs For People Who Love Nature

  • All About the Orton-Gillingham Teaching Approach

  • What is a Block Schedule?

EdTech & Innovation
Home›EdTech & Innovation›#captionsON™ Reading Campaign Inspires Kids to Turn Screen Time into Reading Time

#captionsON™ Reading Campaign Inspires Kids to Turn Screen Time into Reading Time

By Chris Piehler
September 10, 2020
Spread the love

Just 30 minutes of screen time with captions ON is like reading 30 pages of a 5th grade book, motivating struggling readers to ‘Be. CAPTION.COOL’™ during TV, online shows, and games.

TROY, Ohio (Sept. 2, 2020) — Recognizing that 65% of American children are not proficient in reading—yet spend hours daily “glued” to screens—the new #captionsON Reading Campaign educates parents and teachers that screen time can be a form of reading time. All TV’s and channels, as well as online videos and most games, have built-in Closed Captioning functionality (CC), and it is easy, free, and cool to click captions ON. The #captionsON campaign is geared toward kids ages 8-12 but can benefit anyone with literacy challenges.

Many educators and parents have a visceral reaction against students spending time looking at screens, but screen time can and should be productive,” said Leib Lurie, Caption.Cool  Founder and co-founder of Kids Read Now. “With captions on, 30 minutes of screen time has a similar benefit, in building reading skills as 30 pages of a book. Our core mission is to improve literacy. A key success factor will come from turning captions on as automatic as buckling your seatbelt when you get in the car.”

Most tweens and teens spend 5 – 7 hours a day consuming screen time, which is increasing as a result of school closures and other learning disruptions related to COVID-19. As so many students struggle with reading, teachers and parents need better ways to boost reading scores. Evidence-based research shows the use of closed captioning can improve reading skills.

Chris Piper, the superintendent of Troy City (Ohio) Schools, commented: “At Troy City Schools, we have worked to deepen our literacy instruction and seek innovative ways to encourage our students to read. We endorse #captionsON because we believe it will motivate more children, particularly disadvantaged youth and English language learners, to turn their screen time into reading time.”

The #captionsON campaign is part of the Caption.Cool broader mandate to fuse literacy, technology, and empathy.  The Caption.Cool Reading Family, a diverse set of characters led by Capty, the Caption Cool unicorn will champion literacy to kids through relatable life stories of the characters and grow with the influence of Caption.Cool Literacy Champions. The C.C Champions are passionate literacy advocates from all walks of life who openly share their motivation behind promoting #captionsON and being ‘Caption.Cool’ to incentivize kids to improve their reading skills by sharing their love of reading.

CC Literacy Champion Laura Bemus, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, said, “I’m Caption.Cool because reading is so important and exposure to text, like captions, builds fluency and comprehension for students. My lifelong love of reading was established as a child and through making choices of great reading material of high interest.”

The campaign’s launch initiatives include an engaging 60-second animated video and the #captionsOn Reading Family Engagement Kit containing information for parents, and a full sheet of vibrant stickers for kids to pre-order at Caption.Cool. A social media Face-Swap E-card campaign geared towards younger kids and parents to share their faces in Caption.Cool characters complement the launch initiatives.

The CAPTION.COOL journey began in 1992

In 1992, serial entrepreneur Leib Lurie started his first Closed Captioning reading initiative and never wavered in his belief that closed captioning could improve reading skills. (click video here) Even in 1992 he was concerned about kids and “screen time” (then TV time), although the term “screen time” had not yet been coined!

In 2012, Leib and his wife, Barbara Lurie, a teacher and reading specialist who saw the effects of children who weren’t reading at grade level, co-founded Kids Read Now, a K-3 in-home summer reading program. Kids Read Now, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, gifted 400,000 books this year to 60,000 students in 18 states.

Leib’s long-time passion project to “turn screen time into reading time” came to creative life when he and Barb reached out to long-time marketing partner Gloria Maxx who created the Caption.Cool concept, brand, and diverse cast of empathy-based characters inspired by her experiences as a bullied immigrant child whose best friends were books.

“Charlotte’s Web is the first book I read as a kid.  I loved the characters as their actions gave me strength to find my voice through life’s adversities,” says Gloria Maxx, Caption.Cool Co-Founder and COO. “We want to emulate that experience to kids who struggle with reading by offering them stories they can resonate with which champion reading with captions on.”

With #captionsON, kids read along with closed captions during screen time, which allows children with low literacy rates who consume several hours of screen time daily to improve their reading skills, which ultimately improves their lives and future potential. Caption.Cool is an innovative, independent campaign for literacy with a single focus on making the use of captions (subtitles) an “automatic reflex” during all screen time, as it is now second nature to “buckle up” seat belts when driving. The diverse Caption.Cool team members hail from six countries, including the United States and Canada. Learn more at Caption.Cool and click #captionsON!

 

CAPTION.COOL contact:
Leib Lurie
Founder, CEO
(937) 339-8115
[email protected]

Press contact:
Cici Allen
PR with Panache!
(612) 401-4488
[email protected]


Spread the love
Previous Article

Lynchburg College Admissions: Everything You Want to ...

Next Article

Understanding the Neuroscience of Student Stress, Resilience, ...

Chris Piehler

Related articles More from author

  • EdTech & Innovation

    Ed Leadership Sims Debuts New PD Simulations for School Leaders

    July 10, 2019
    By Chris Piehler
  • EdTech & InnovationMatthew Lynch

    Smart Seating Charts: The Key to Better Student Performance?

    April 19, 2016
    By Matthew Lynch
  • EdTech & Innovation

    Digital Storytelling for Younger & Older Learners

    September 19, 2016
    By Matthew Lynch
  • EdTech & Innovation

    The Lowdown on How Technology Is Impacting the Education Sector

    November 6, 2018
    By Matthew Lynch
  • EdTech & Innovation

    Independent Study Finds Waterford UPSTART Most Impactful School Readiness Program

    February 1, 2019
    By Chris Piehler
  • EdTech & Innovation

    Twig Education Announces Launch of Twig Create Multimedia Makerspace

    March 24, 2021
    By Chris Piehler

  • Artificial IntelligenceEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTech

    The Effects of Artificial Intelligence on Education

  • Artificial Intelligence

    How Artificial Intelligence is Boosting Personalization in Higher Education

  • Artificial Intelligence

    What will AI Mean for Higher Education?

Search

Registration and Login

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Newsletter

Signup for The Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in P-20 education news and opinion delivered to your email address!

Subscribe to The Edvocate Podcast

Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsAndroidby EmailRSS
  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • How Building Foundational Literacy Skills Leads to a Lifetime of Lightbulb Moments

    By Chris Piehler
    April 20, 2021
  • Why We Must Change the Way Our Children Are Taught How To Read

    By Matthew Lynch
    April 20, 2021
  • The Edvocate’s Guide to Learning Pathways

    By Matthew Lynch
    April 20, 2021
  • 2022 Best Online Doctorate in Psychology

    By Matthew Lynch
    April 20, 2021
  • Why Are Teachers Unprepared To Teach Reading Skills?

    By Matthew Lynch
    April 19, 2021
  • 18 Reasons the U.S. Education System is Failing

    By Matthew Lynch
    April 3, 2017
  • The Top 5 Unexpected Benefits of Early Childhood Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    February 29, 2016
  • 7 Benefits of STEM Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    January 12, 2019
  • The Dark Side of Educational Technology

    By Matthew Lynch
    October 15, 2016
  • Transformational vs. Contemporary Leadership Styles

    By Matthew Lynch
    February 28, 2016
  • Dharlene
    on
    April 19, 2021

    6 Ways to Implement a Real Multicultural Education in the Classroom

    May i ask you ...
  • School Facility Service in San Francisco With Golden West Betterway
    on
    April 6, 2021

    Dirty Schools: 3 Interesting Statistics on School Cleanliness

    […] in busy environments ...
  • American Education: Child Indoctrination, Struggle Sessions and Debt Slavery | Metropolis.Café
    on
    April 4, 2021

    How to Implement Critical Pedagogy into your Classroom

    […] by accident. It ...
  • The Right’s New Higher-Ed Target Is Community Colleges | Headline News
    on
    April 3, 2021

    Is it time to eliminate tenure for professors?

    […] have been other ...
  • The Right’s New Higher-Ed Target: Community Colleges | All-American News
    on
    April 3, 2021

    Is it time to eliminate tenure for professors?

    […] have been other ...

Ask an Expert

  • Ask An Expert

    How Dumbed Down Education Is Creating a National Security Crisis

    Spread the loveFor the past few decades, our country’s educational system has seen both struggle and tremendous change. With the various ailments plaguing our educational system, education reforms have attempted ...
  • Ask An Expert

    21 Inspirational Quotes That Nelson Mandela Made About Education

    Spread the loveWe all have our heroes. Those human beings that seem larger than life and almost achieve Godlike status. One of my heroes is the late-great Nelson Mandela, who ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssistive TechnologyCareer ReadinessChild Development TechClassroom ManagementDigital & Mobile TechnologyDigital LeadershipDisabilitiesDiversityEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEducation LeadershipElementary EducationElementary SchoolEquityFirst Year TeachersFreshHigh SchoolK-12Middle SchoolModern ParentingParent & Family TechParental InvolvementParentingPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformPreK-12Special EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachers

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 7: How Digital Age Teachers Can Win Over Parents

    Spread the loveEducation is a collaborative process, as it takes many stakeholders working in unison to help students succeed academically. One of the most integral parts of this collaborative team ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssessmentAssistive TechnologyBlack Boys in CrisisChild Development TechClassroom ManagementDigital & Mobile TechnologyDigital LeadershipDisabilitiesEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformEducation LeadershipElementary EducationElementary SchoolEquityFeaturedFirst Year TeachersFreshGamificationGifted and Talented EducationHBCU'sHigh SchoolHigher EducationK-12Online Learning & eLearningOpEducationPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformRetention & Social Promotion SeriesSpecial EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachersTesting

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 6: 8 Ways That Digital Age Teachers Avoid Burning Out

    Spread the loveBeing a teacher is a tough job. So much so, many new teachers end up leaving the field within their first three years. To ensure that the next ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssessmentAssistive TechnologyBlack Boys in CrisisBullyingChild DevelopmentChild Development TechClassroom ManagementCurrent Ed NewsDigital LeadershipEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformEdTech Startups & BusinessesEducation LeadershipEquityFeaturedFirst Year TeachersFreshGamificationGifted and Talented EducationHBCU'sHigh SchoolHigher EducationHigher Education EdTechK-12Matthew LynchModern ParentingOnline Learning & eLearningOpEducationPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformRetention & Social Promotion SeriesSpecial EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachersTestingYear-Round Schooling

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 5: The Archetype of a Great Teacher

    Spread the loveOne of the questions that I am frequently asked is, what does a good teacher look like? I respond by mentioning my 10th-grade Biology teacher, Mrs. Minor, and ...

International Education

  • AssessmentElementary EducationHigh SchoolHigher EducationInternational EducationLiteracy

    Have Weighted Grades Outlived Their Usefulness?

    Spread the loveThe foundational rationale for weighted grades is that the practice provides an incentive for learners to challenge themselves academically. By placing greater value on grades earned in more ...
  • International EducationLanguage DevelopmentLanguage EducationMultilingual Education

    Using Choral Responses as a Tool for Teaching Multilingual Learners

    Spread the loveChoral responses are a  tool for teaching a different language to a class. Choral responses are the oral response to a prompt. In the classroom setting, you might ...
  • Higher EducationInternational Education

    Is Medical School for Me?

    Spread the loveThere is no doubt that a medical career is regarded with high prestige. To be honest, being identified as a “Doctor” is fantastic. It not only shows that ...
  • International Education

    How Can We Improve Teacher Training in the World’s Poorest Countries?

    Spread the loveAccess to education is a basic human right and a subject of importance in every part of the world. The desire and dedication to go to school are ...
  • International Education

    How COVID-19 is Creating a Global Education Crisis

    Spread the loveWhile the novel coronavirus has brought the entire world to a standstill, it’s the education sector that will suffer the most consequences. Almost all across the globe, the ...

Early Childhood Education

  • Early Childhood

    How Has the Nature of Kindergarten Changed Since the Era of Accountability?

    Spread the loveBased on recent studies and reports, experts have identified that the nature of kindergarten has changed significantly since the era of accountability, but how has this change come ...
  • Early ChildhoodK-12Reading & LiteracyReading Education

    Using Picture Walks to Motivate Students to Read

    Spread the lovePicture walks are an activity that is completed before reading occurs. The reader views the pictures of the story and predicts what they think is occurring. This activates ...
  • Early ChildhoodK-12Reading & LiteracyReading Education

    Helping Kids Learn to Read with Automaticity

    Spread the loveAutomacity is the ability to look at a word and read it within one second of seeing it. Word automaticity is essential for fluency and comprehension. Fluency develops ...
  • Early ChildhoodK-12Reading & LiteracyReading Education

    Helping a Student Increase Their WCPM (Words Correct Per Minute) and Reading Accuracy

    Spread the loveAn educator must utilize assessments such as the WCPM (Words Correct Per Minute) to plan for responsive instruction, especially among learners struggling with reading skills. Educators fail to ...
  • Early ChildhoodK-12Reading & LiteracyReading Education

    Helping Students Learn to Read With Accuracy

    Spread the loveThe evaluation of reading accuracy depends on the capability to make words in a manuscript. Reading accuracy is the automatic process of interpretation and integration of appropriate expressions ...

Gifted and Talented Education

  • Gifted and Talented EducationK-12Psychology and Education

    Understanding Intrapersonal Intelligence

    Spread the loveIntrapersonal intelligence is one of the eight multiple intelligences coined by Howard Gardner. The Multiple Intelligence Theory suggests that there are eight “modalities of intelligence,” which challenges the ...
  • Gifted and Talented Education

    All About Child Prodigies

    Spread the loveWhether you are reading this article as a student, parent, or educator, you have undoubtedly heard about the term child prodigy at least once in your lifetime. Although ...
  • Gifted and Talented Education

    The Edvocate’s Guide to Working With Twice-Exceptional Students

    Spread the loveTwice-exceptional is a term used to explain kids who have exceptional talents in some educational areas and challenges in others. In some instances, a twice-exceptional learner could theoretically ...
  • Gifted and Talented Education

    Implementing Curriculum Compacting in Your Classroom

    Spread the loveAll educators agree that differentiating instruction for students is very important. Yet, many districts cannot put this policy into practice. An almost unlimited amount of remedial curricular content ...
  • Gifted and Talented Education

    What Does Academic Enrichment Involve?

    Spread the loveAcademic enrichment activities in the class can take numerous forms and do not always involve prescribed lessons from the curriculum. Enrichment encourages learners to take a more expansive ...

Black Boys in Crisis Series

  • Black Boys in Crisis

    The Importance of Mentoring Young African-American Males

    Spread the loveTeachers need to realize that at home, in their neighborhoods, and in school, many students face difficulties that can interfere with learning. Compared to their middle-class counterparts, it ...
  • Black Boys in CrisisDiversityEquity

    7 Ways That Black Students are Discriminated Against in U.S K-12 Schools

    Spread the loveAfrican Africans have a long history of being mistreated in the United States, starting with slavery. It should come as no surprise that their children face the same ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssessmentAssistive TechnologyBlack Boys in CrisisChild Development TechClassroom ManagementDigital & Mobile TechnologyDigital LeadershipDisabilitiesEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformEducation LeadershipElementary EducationElementary SchoolEquityFeaturedFirst Year TeachersFreshGamificationGifted and Talented EducationHBCU'sHigh SchoolHigher EducationK-12Online Learning & eLearningOpEducationPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformRetention & Social Promotion SeriesSpecial EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachersTesting

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 6: 8 Ways That Digital Age Teachers Avoid Burning Out

    Spread the loveBeing a teacher is a tough job. So much so, many new teachers end up leaving the field within their first three years. To ensure that the next ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssessmentAssistive TechnologyBlack Boys in CrisisBullyingChild DevelopmentChild Development TechClassroom ManagementCurrent Ed NewsDigital LeadershipEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformEdTech Startups & BusinessesEducation LeadershipEquityFeaturedFirst Year TeachersFreshGamificationGifted and Talented EducationHBCU'sHigh SchoolHigher EducationHigher Education EdTechK-12Matthew LynchModern ParentingOnline Learning & eLearningOpEducationPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformRetention & Social Promotion SeriesSpecial EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachersTestingYear-Round Schooling

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 5: The Archetype of a Great Teacher

    Spread the loveOne of the questions that I am frequently asked is, what does a good teacher look like? I respond by mentioning my 10th-grade Biology teacher, Mrs. Minor, and ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssistive TechnologyBlack Boys in CrisisBullyingChild DevelopmentChild Development TechClassroom ManagementDisabilitiesDiversityEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformEducation LeadershipElementary EducationElementary SchoolEquityFeaturedFirst Year TeachersFreshGifted and Talented EducationHigh SchoolHigher EducationHigher Education EdTechK-12Middle SchoolModern ParentingOnline Learning & eLearningParent & Family TechParentingPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformSecondary EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachersTesting

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 4: How to Create a Culturally Responsive Classroom

    Spread the loveBuilding a culturally responsive classroom is hard. To help you along your journey, here is your guide to exploring and respecting the cultural backgrounds of your students while ...

RSS Matthew on Education Week

  • Au Revoir from Education Futures November 20, 2018 Matthew Lynch
  • 6 Steps to Data-Driven Literacy Instruction October 17, 2018 Matthew Lynch
  • Four Keys to a Modern IT Approach in K-12 Schools October 2, 2018 Matthew Lynch
  • What's the Difference Between Burnout and Demoralization, and What Can Teachers Do About It? September 27, 2018 Matthew Lynch
  • Revisiting Using Edtech for Bullying and Suicide Prevention September 10, 2018 Matthew Lynch

About Us

The Edvocate was created in 2014 to argue for shifts in education policy and organization in order to enhance the quality of education and the opportunities for learning afforded to P-20 students in America. What we envisage may not be the most straightforward or the most conventional ideas. We call for a relatively radical and certainly quite comprehensive reorganization of American’s P-20 system.

That reorganization, though, and the underlying effort, will have much to do with reviving the American education system, and reviving a national love of learning.  The Edvocate plans to be one of key architects of this revival, as it continues to advocate for education reform, equity, and innovation.

Newsletter

Signup for The Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in P-20 education news and opinion delivered to your email address!

Contact

The Edvocate
5322 Markel Road, Suite 104
Richmond, VA 23230
(601) 630-5238
[email protected]

Follow us

Copyright (c) 2021 Matthew Lynch. All rights reserved.