User:Laurenlexa/DonMoody

Don Moody

Founder, CEO, Word World, LLC; Creator, “WordWorld”

Don Moody is a two-time Emmy-Award winner, creator of educational content in almost 100 countries, and a core partner in the Ready to Learn partnership, the recipient of over $47 million in grant funding from the United States Department of Education (US DOEd). When Don Moody discovered his wife was pregnant, he decided to pursue life differently – most importantly – living by example and practicing citizenship. Aligning his life with the progression of his child’s life, Moody set out to improve literacy rates in the US and throughout the world by fostering a love of words and reading for kids at a young age. His work has been recognized through global awards, rigorous research results, and multiple speaking engagements including a recent panel at the United Nations. With a personal mission to prepare children to be ready to read in time for school, Don combined emerging cutting-edge technology with the more traditional methods of teaching reading comprehension to develop WordWorld. Don believed a literacy series would be more effective if the abstract concepts of literacy were made concrete – creating a “living” connection between letters, words and meaning. Under Moody’s direction WordWorld has evolved into a three time Emmy award-winning children’s show, line of educational toys, and an interactive website at www.wordworld.com. A recent study funded by the DOEd has proven WordWorld to be an effective pre-literacy tool for preschoolers.

Since inception, WordWorld has expanded globally to 93 countries reaching more than 15 million viewers worldwide, and has been translated into 10 languages. Don Moody is launching his first entirely digital property – a series of interactive game-isodes entitled Duck’s Alphabet -- in 2010.

Just as WordWorld was conceived when Don was about to become a father, a new property, “R U There?” targeted to 8 year olds launches as his daughters are growing. The property’s intent is to prevent 4th grade drop-off, particularly for children from low-income backgrounds. “R U There?” – delivers a new genre all its own, X-fi, or Experience Fiction which uses a transmedia approach to tell a story. Children are invited into a world of participatory entertainment that seamlessly engages them across platforms – television, online, consumer products, mobile, and music – and teaches 21st Century skills. R U There?, also funded by the US Department of Education, recruits children to fight evil and save the planet through the power of words and game play.

Moody’s personal history is woven into the fabric of his educational content. Moody grew up with two other siblings raised by his mother in a single parent home. Based on his own childhood experience, Moody understands the importance of introducing effective literacy techniques early to a broad audience of kids. After his mother moved her family to a better neighborhood, a creative community helped raise and positively influence Moody. In fact, many of his childhood friends helped shape WordWorld’s ensemble cast of WordFriends™. Prior to creating WordWorld, Moody worked as a fine artist, then founded Moody Communications, a Manhattan-based advertising agency that serviced a variety of accounts in entertainment, internet technology, telecommunications, and fashion. Moody handled the branding, advertising, merchandising and licensing business for major brands. Moody is the recipient of a Graphics Design Award from the Museum of Modern Art and two Emmy Awards (Outstanding Children’s Animated Program and Outstanding Main Title Design). He attended the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.