Even With Hundreds Of Channels There's Still Only One Place For Outstanding Children's Programming
Children's programming on PBS is exceptional. It educates and entertains every age. My children grew up with Sesame Street, so Barney seemed like an interloper. There has been lots of Barney bashing by lovers of Big Bird, Oscar and Grover. However, preschoolers love and learn from Barney.
Sesame Street is for the young and young at heart. I must confess to enjoying watching with my sons. The book Everything I Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten could also have been written about Sesame Street. I expect many educators used ideas from the program to enrich their classrooms; in fact I'm sure of a few.
Many beloved book characters have their own program on PBS now. Clifford the Big Red Dog, Arthur, Curious George, and Berenstain Bears are on Monday through Saturday. In addition the wonderful book Animalia is now part of an animated series. The Super Why program tells some of the classic fairy tales and nursery rhymes all children should know.
My favorite, Reading Rainbow, introduces a book, and then takes the viewer on a sometimes worldwide exploration of topics related to the book. I used this in my classroom from fifth grade to kindergarten when I taught. One of the most requested segments was Stella Luna. The story of the bat who is raised with birds is a classic. Going into a bat cave and exploring other kinds of bats excited many children. Digging Up Dinosaurs was another one that commanded rapt attention, just like most things about dinosaurs. One that surprised me was Mummies Made in Egypt. All eyes were glued to the TV during that program.
That's only a few of the exceptional children's shows. There is seemingly unlimited helpful online information for parents and teachers. Plus the kids can go online and play games related to many shows.
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