Alabama Public Television is widely known for children’s programming. What many families and educators may not realize is how extensive its early childhood resources have become - and all of it is available at no cost.
Through the Education homepage of Alabama Public Television’s website, parents, childcare providers and early childhood educators can access a wide range of tools designed to support infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children.
For families, one of the easiest entry points is PBS Kids for Parents, a site organized specifically for caregivers.
Looking for a way to help your child learn how to measure things? A literacy activity for a rainy afternoon? On the website, parents can search by topic, activity type - crafts, games, cooking activities - or even by a child’s favorite PBS show.
Families can also explore PBS Kids programming. Educational shows reinforce foundational skills in reading, math, critical thinking and problem-solving. New literacy-focused programs like Phoebe and Jay are designed specifically to strengthen early reading development.
As Samantha Guy, APT’s PreK Training Specialist, explains, even small changes can make a difference.
“If you cannot afford childcare, the PBS resources are there,” Guy said. “And they’re free to use.”
For parents who want more structured materials, PBS LearningMedia offers lesson plans and skill-based resources often used by educators but accessible to motivated families as well.
APT also partners with schools and childcare centers to offer parent trainings. Many are held virtually to make participation easier for working families. These sessions provide practical strategies parents can use at home, along with books and materials they can keep.
All trainings are funded through Alabama’s Department of Human Resources, allowing APT to offer them statewide at no cost.
But the resources don’t stop with families. For early childhood professionals, APT’s Early Childhood team provides professional development trainings statewide.
Guy and Infant and Toddler Training Specialist, Allison Fuller, develop sessions based on feedback from Alabama educators and childcare providers across the state.
“We create the trainings based on what participants say they need,” Guy said. “We do the research and build the content ourselves.”
Fuller said the team works each year to identify gaps and build training content from scratch.
“We look at what teachers are asking for, and we develop those trainings ourselves,” Fuller said. Training are based on developmentally appropriate practice, she added.
Those in-person trainings are primarily designed for educators, childcare providers, family daycare providers and after-school staff. They are hands-on and include free books, materials and classroom-ready resources.
Marc Waters, the Afterschool and Summer Learning Training Specialist, develops courses based on community needs.
“One of my goals is to provide books and resources to help every child in Alabama,” he said.
The training course he is most passionate about is the Summer and Afterschool Learning kit, which covers everything from character to science. Providers receive more than 10 children’s books and over 60 activities for children to do at school or at home.
Whether you’re a parent looking for meaningful early learning support or an educator seeking practical classroom tools, APT’s early childhood resources are designed to be accessible, locally developed, and rooted in research.
Explore what’s available at aptv.org/education, and discover how much support is already within reach.
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