Did you know that 30 million Americans are functionally illiterate? Sadly, if we don’t intervene, these children will likely follow suit. Children absorb information from multiple types of educational input and I believe television, when used appropriately, has numerous benefits.
My son’s new favorite television show is WordWorld. I didn’t even know he knew how to say WordWorld but he does! In WordWorld, each of the characters are words and learning to read has never been more fun. The focus is on instilling within children a love of words and reading through fun, interactive wordplay. Here is a little more information about WordWorld from the PBS Kids website:
PBS KIDS Raising Readers is a national literacy campaign, and part of the Ready To Learn initiative, focused on building reading skills at home, at school, in child care, and in the community. WordWorld is part of the PBS KIDS Raising Readers programming. It was funded by a Ready To Learn grant from the United States Department of Education and is developing engaging PBS KIDS Raising Readers television programs, exciting games, playful Websites, and easy-to-use learning resources for kids, parents, caregivers, and teachers—all with the goal of helping children ages 2 to 8 get ready to read.
We have been watching WordWorld for awhile now and it taught my son to say and recognize words like dog and duck early on. While we watch the show, I try to verbalize and emphasize what is being taught through the show. My son really likes to watch television so I have to be careful to limit the time spent in front of the tube to content that is both entertaining and educational.
The U.S. Department of Education funded a study which demonstrated that WordWorld significantly strengthens early literacy skills in preschoolers and provides them with essential building blocks to learn how to read. Specifically, children doubled their oral vocabulary skills of words and tripled their ability to read specific words featured in WordWorld.
The new season launches tomorrow with a special Valentine’s Day show. Be sure to check your local listing for showtimes.
Profuse thanks to WordWorld and the Family Review Network for this review opportunity.
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