WGBH’s MARTHA SPEAKS has been celebrating summer learning with a week of fun and vocabulary in three all-new episodes and a new, meaty online game, MARTHA’s STEAKS. During the special themed week, “MARTHA SPEAKeth Weeketh,” fans can watch their favorite canine linguist “speaketh” in questions, in Polish, and even in Elizabethan English! Continue reading
vocabulary
“WordWorld” DVD for PreK-2 Learners Builds Vocabulary
Here is an hour long DVD that’s broken into four easy-to-watch segments by young learners that builds vocabulary, phonics, spelling, cognitive, letter knowledge and language development. Episodes include “Happy Birthday Dog!”, “Sh-Sh-Shark”, “The Mystery of the Disappearing Pie” and “Snug as a Bug”. Borrow WordWorld (I.D. 2111) for a month by clicking here.
Learning New Words While WordGirl Saves the Day!
Word Girl makes it fun to teach new words to preK-2 learners. In this recently released DVD, Miss Power, along with her sidekick, Colonial Giggle Cheeks, is new in town. Is she a friend or a foe? She uses mean words against others and is certified bully! Will Word Girl be able to defeat Miss Power without sinking to her level and save the city?
Bonus: “A World Without Wordgirl.” The video introduces 16 new vocabulary words. You can borrow “The Rise of Miss Power” (I.D. 2255) for a month by clicking here.
Continue the winter fun with OH NOAH!
Coats, gloves, and hats are essential for any snowy adventure! Gear up for a visit to the Arctic with Noah and learn the Spanish words for winter apparel. View the webisode Breaking the Ice and then dress your own Noah Paper Doll! What should he wear today? Color and design Noah’s clothing with vibrant colors and cool patterns.
Video Lending Library Feature: Summer Learning new words with WORD GIRL
Want to educate and entertain youngsters, pre K-2, during these summer days? Why not let them watch this new Word Girl DVD? Miss Power, along with her sidekick, Colonial Giggle Cheeks, is new in town. Is she a friend or a foe? She uses mean words against others and is certified bully! Will Word Girl be able to defeat Miss Power and save the city without sinking to her level? Bonus: “A World Without Word Girl.” The video introduces 16 new vocabulary words. Borrow this DVD: The Rise of Ms Power from the WGBY Collection at the Springfield Public Library.
Check out new Spanish vocab resources from OH NOAH!
Oh Noah!, the fun and funny PBS KIDS GO! web series (formerly known as Noah Comprende), is rolling out a line-up of new animated interactive videos and games that introduce kids to Spanish. Games embedded in the videos, together with other interactive challenges and adventures on the website, provide children ages six to eight with an engaging introduction to Spanish vocabulary and common phrases.
The videos star nine-year-old Noah, who is staying with his grandmother in a community where everyone speaks Spanish. A series of misunderstandings launch comic misadventures for Noah, as he tries to communicate with others who don’t speak English. In Noah’s new adventures, language misunderstandings take him to the Arctic in a madcap search for a mama polar bear, to a dude ranch, where he lands on the back of a bucking bronco, and to the circus, where he finds himself part of a daring trapeze act. Somehow Noah always manages to solve the problems he’s created, learning Spanish in the process. Kids and their parents laugh and learn along with him.
“A goal of Oh Noah! is to help young children benefit from learning more than one language at an early age,” says Mariana Swick, bilingual educator and advisor to Oh Noah!. According to the Center for Applied Linguistics, the benefits include improving a child’s understanding of his or her native language, having a positive effect on intellectual growth, enriching and enhancing a child’s mental development, and promoting more flexibility in thinking, greater sensitivity to language, and a better ear for listening.
The bilingual dialogue of Oh Noah! introduces Spanish to English speakers and also offers English language learning support to Spanish speakers. Changing demographics in the United States make clear the importance of learning Spanish. According to the 2009 United States Census, Spanish is the primary language spoken at home by over 48.4 million people age five or older. The United States is the world’s second-largest Spanish-speaking community, second only to Mexico.
Video Lending Library Feature: WORDWORLD Helps Teach Vocabulary to Pre-Schoolers
The PBS Kids series WordWorld is a proven teaching aid for anyone wishing to improve the vocabulary skills of preschoolers. This DVD, based on that series, contains four segments that build vocabulary, phonics, spelling, cognitive, letter knowledge and language development. Episodes include “Happy Birthday Dog!”, “Sh-Sh-Shark”, “The Mystery of the Disappearing Pie” and “Snug as a Bug”. Borrow this DVD from our lending library by clicking here.
Already a fan of WorldWorld? Check out their games on PBS Kids.
Lesson Plan: Noah Comprende teaches new Spanish vocabulary
Noah Comprende is a fantastic online series by PBS Kids that teaches Spanish vocabulary. In the new webisode,”Down the Drain,” Coco sends Noah on a mission to get her ball (“pelota”) from the sewer. When Noah descends into the darkness, he finds a crocodile and retrieves it, assuming that’s what Coco meant by “pelota.” Through viewing the webisode and corresponding games, viewers have the opportunity to learn the Spanish words for crocodile, playground equipment, and numbers.
Activities for Parents: In this activity, children will practice Spanish vocabulary through an assortment of number games and a color-by-number sheet.
Lesson Plan for Teachers: In this lesson, students will practice Spanish vocabulary through a mapping activity, color-by-number sheet, and an assortment of number games.
NOAH COMPRENDE teaches kids Spanish vocabulary
Did you know that PBS is a source for Spanish learning activities?
Have fun learning Spanish! Check out Noah Comprende a new online series about the comic misadventures of a boy visiting his grandmother, who lives in a community where everyone speaks Spanish and no one speaks English. Noah Comprende introduces children to Spanish through wacky animated videos, games, and activities that help build vocabulary. And don’t miss the great activities for families and teachers. Here’s just one of Noah’s many adventures!
MARTHA SPEAKS Renewed for Fourth Season and Continues to Support Early Childhood Literacy
We’ve just heard the good news: Martha Speaks has been renewed for a fourth season.
The animated series is targeted toward 4- to 7-year-olds and is based on the best-selling books by Susan Meddaugh.
“We are delighted that Martha Speaks has been greenlit for a fourth season,” said WGBH senior executive producer Carol Greenwald. “We have watched Martha’s audience grow each season—currently reaching an average of 4.5 million people on air each week and 745,000 online each month in the U.S.—and we look forward to creating new adventures for Martha to share with our audience.”
Martha Speaks is complimented by a great “Parents and Teachers” site that offers activities, expert advice for learning vocabulary, and parenting resources.