Operation Alphabet (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Operation Alphabet was a daily educational television program designed to teach literacy
to adults. Produced in Philadelphia by WFIL-TV (now WPVI-TV
) in association with the Philadelphia Junior Chamber of Commerce
and the National Association for Public School Adult Education, the program was hosted by Alexander Shevlin of the Philadelphia Board of Education
.
The series is designed to teach the basics of reading and writing to adults who were illiterate, using subjects that are relevant to adults; the program especially benefitted immigrants, prisoners and those in the military. Operation Alphabet was not only one of the first educational programs to deal with literacy, it was one of the first to be aimed at an adult population, rather than towards children. Two series of this program was produced—the first (100 episodes), aimed for reading at a fourth-grade level, was produced in 1961; a second series (90 episodes), for reading at an eighth-grade level, was filmed in 1964. Each series was designed for daily, weekday telecasts.
In Philadelphia, WFIL-TV broadcasted the series at 6AM on weekdays—the station opted to place the program in this early timeslot, so that adults could watch the program and take the coursework before going to work. The early hour also benefitted the viewer, as they can learn to read without fear of embarrassment.
An instructional book published for the Civic Adult Education Project by Noble and Noble was designed as support material for the program, featuring supplementary material that correlates with each show. In many areas, tutoring service, supported by "The Clubwomen Across America", was offered to viewers to help reinforce the material presented in the program.
Operation Alphabet was also syndicated by WFIL-TV to commercial and educational television stations nationwide—stations received tapes or films of the program free of charge, provided that they were returned after broadcast.
WFIL-TV and the later WPVI-TV had regularly included Operation Alphabet in their daily schedules from its 1962 debut into the early 1980s, making it one of Philadelphia's longest-running programs, despite the fact that it was only in production in the early 1960s.
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
to adults. Produced in Philadelphia by WFIL-TV (now WPVI-TV
WPVI-TV
WPVI-TV, channel 6, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. WPVI has its studios located on the border between Philadelphia and Bala Cynwyd, and its transmitter is located in the...
) in association with the Philadelphia Junior Chamber of Commerce
Junior Chamber International
Junior Chamber International is the only worldwide non-political and non-sectarian youth service organization. It is an international community of citizens between the ages of to with the aim and purpose of creating positive changes in the world...
and the National Association for Public School Adult Education, the program was hosted by Alexander Shevlin of the Philadelphia Board of Education
School District of Philadelphia
The School District of Philadelphia is a school district based in the School District of Philadelphia Education Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that includes all public schools in the city of Philadelphia. Established in 1818, it is the eighth largest school district in the nation.The School...
.
The series is designed to teach the basics of reading and writing to adults who were illiterate, using subjects that are relevant to adults; the program especially benefitted immigrants, prisoners and those in the military. Operation Alphabet was not only one of the first educational programs to deal with literacy, it was one of the first to be aimed at an adult population, rather than towards children. Two series of this program was produced—the first (100 episodes), aimed for reading at a fourth-grade level, was produced in 1961; a second series (90 episodes), for reading at an eighth-grade level, was filmed in 1964. Each series was designed for daily, weekday telecasts.
In Philadelphia, WFIL-TV broadcasted the series at 6AM on weekdays—the station opted to place the program in this early timeslot, so that adults could watch the program and take the coursework before going to work. The early hour also benefitted the viewer, as they can learn to read without fear of embarrassment.
An instructional book published for the Civic Adult Education Project by Noble and Noble was designed as support material for the program, featuring supplementary material that correlates with each show. In many areas, tutoring service, supported by "The Clubwomen Across America", was offered to viewers to help reinforce the material presented in the program.
Operation Alphabet was also syndicated by WFIL-TV to commercial and educational television stations nationwide—stations received tapes or films of the program free of charge, provided that they were returned after broadcast.
WFIL-TV and the later WPVI-TV had regularly included Operation Alphabet in their daily schedules from its 1962 debut into the early 1980s, making it one of Philadelphia's longest-running programs, despite the fact that it was only in production in the early 1960s.