Editing Reading Rainbow (section)

===Later years===
Original production of the series was to have ended after April 4, 2005, with the show continuing to air in [[rerun]]s, but Burton said on February 7, 2006, that five new episodes of the show would be shot the same year despite the continuing financial issues of PBS.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.trektoday.com/news/070206_02.shtml|title=TrekToday - Burton Talks Drama, Diversity, Respect & 'Reading Rainbow'|date=October 3, 2021 }}</ref> The show aired its final original episode on November 10, 2006, and continued to air reruns until August 28, 2009.

Not only was PBS unable to secure enough funds to cover the costs associated with renewing broadcast rights and continuing reruns, the show's core philosophy was challenged as well. ''Reading Rainbow'' prominently featured published books throughout each episode, and licensing those books to be read aloud on the air was costly—an expensive move that producing station WNED decided not to make.<ref>{{cite web |title=LeVar Burton: Criticism Of Reading Rainbow Is 'Bullsh*t' |date=June 4, 2014 |url=https://archive.thinkprogress.org/levar-burton-criticism-of-reading-rainbow-is-bullsh-t-ab292d2c3355/ |publisher=Think Progress |access-date=29 January 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title='Reading Rainbow' Was Canceled After 26 Years Due to This Sad Reason |date=July 27, 2021 |url=https://www.distractify.com/p/why-did-reading-rainbow-get-canceled |access-date=29 January 2023}}</ref> Prior to the cancellation, the [[Corporation for Public Broadcasting]] and the [[U.S. Department of Education]] provided funds for the production of ''Reading Rainbow'' and a number of other PBS children's series throughout the early 2000s. The "[[Ready-to-Learn]]" grant was designed for television programming that encourages early childhood learning and development. However, under the [[No Child Left Behind Act]], this grant was focused much more narrowly toward programs that teach literacy skills, phonics, and spelling after 2005. Since ''Reading Rainbow'' was originally developed upon fostering a love of reading books, and not necessarily developing reading skills, the funding was redirected toward other programs, and led to the launch of new skills-based programming, like ''[[Super Why!]]'', ''[[WordWorld]]'', and a reboot of ''[[The Electric Company (2009 TV series)|The Electric Company]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=About the Ready to Learn Grant |url=http://pbskids.org/read/about/rtl-grant.html |access-date=29 January 2023 |archive-date=October 6, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006100716/http://pbskids.org/read/about/rtl-grant.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In spring 2024, reruns of the show began airing on the free streaming channel [[PBS Retro]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Manfredi |first=Lucas |date=2024-04-24 |title=PBS Launches Ad-Supported Classic TV Channel on Roku {{!}} Exclusive |url=https://www.thewrap.com/pbs-retro-fast-channel-roku-launch/ |access-date=2025-01-25 |website=TheWrap |language=en-US}}</ref> and toward the end 2024 on a free streaming channel on Amazon Prime Video,<ref>{{Cite web |title=PBS and Amazon to Launch Local PBS Stations and PBS KIDS FAST Channels |url=https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/pbs-and-amazon-to-launch-local-pbs-stations-and-pbs-kids-fast-channels/ |access-date=2025-01-25 |website=About PBS - Main |language=en}}</ref> where it has also been available on demand and through the PBS Kids subscription service.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-14 |title=Watch Reading Rainbow - If You Give a Mouse a Cookie {{!}} Prime Video |website=Amazon |url=https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Rainbow-Give-Mouse-Cookie/dp/B00ZQADHB8 |access-date=2025-01-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240514214856/https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Rainbow-Give-Mouse-Cookie/dp/B00ZQADHB8 |archive-date=May 14, 2024 }}</ref>