"Extraordinary" Findings about WordWorld

     In case you haven't watched the creative, learning-based kids' programs on PBS since you were a kid,  Big Bird, Elmo and Barney have plenty of company. PBS keeps the TV pipeline fresh.  Just this year at PBS Hawaii, we added two new keiki shows, "Sid the Science Kid" and "Martha Speaks." In January, we're adding the comeback of "The Electric Company."

      But right now, it's "WordWorld" that's causing a big buzz in the universe of children's TV. The U.S. Dept. of Education funded a study which recorded "extraordinary" results in the show's effectiveness as a critical early literary tool.

      "WordWorld" airs on PBS Hawaii every weekday at 5:30am and 1:30pm.

      Researchers from government-contracted Michael Cohen Group LLC discovered that watching "WordWorld" doubles children's specific oral vocabulary and it triples children's ability to read and recognize featured words.

       "The importance of these findings should not be minimized," the researchers concluded. "(The study) provides scientific legitimacy to 'WordWorld's' claim of addressing pre-literacy learning of young children and distinguishes 'WordWorld' in the market place."

        Of course, we all know that for a children's TV show to be effective in teaching children, kids have to want to watch it. "WordWorld" succeeds on a pure entertainment level, and kids do choose it.

         At PBS Hawaii, we're very pleased to have a strong line-up of educational and fun children's programs. With our supporters' help, we intend to keep strengthening our offerings for children, at a time when Hawaii's educational system is undergoing serious funding cuts.

Comments

[damon]

Thanks for the heads up. I have a 4 year old.

It's now on my DVR List.

[leslienotes]

Good call, Damon, thanks for the support! Another great thing about PBS Hawaii kids' shows is that they're not interrupted by commercials pitching young viewers on expensive toys and sugary treats...Leslie