Children Ages 4 to 10 Can Enrich Vocabulary with "WordGirl: Earth Day Girl" DVD
PBS's Animated Superhero Teaches Kids by Using Humor and Repetition
Who is WordGirl?
By day, the vocabulary superhero is 5th grader Becky Botsford who arrived on Earth from the planet Lexicon with her monkey sidekick, Captain Huggy Face, when her spaceship crashed. Like Clark Kent, when trouble calls, the mild-mannered student transforms into a superhero to save the world. WordGirl made her television debut November 2006 on PBS Kids Go! as short episodes. In September 2007 the shorts spun into 30-minute episodes. During the 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, WordGirl took home an Emmy in the category of Outstanding Writing in Animation. (Source: National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences)
WordGirl: Earth Day Girl was released March 30, 2010, just in time for the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, 2010. The 100-minute DVD contains eight adventures with "Earth Day Girl" being the first. WordGirl and her primate sidekick take on bratty and greedy Birthday Girl who is polluting and damaging Earth. The importance of recycling and reducing waste are taught through defining the meaning of "recycle" and "excess" using visuals and repetitive definitions.
WordGirl episodes are deliberately funny and entertaining, yet educational. A spoof on superheroes, campy humor associated with television shows of the '60s, '70s and '80s are infused throughout the series and although the target audience probably won't pick that particular humor up, their parents will. Appropriate for children between the ages of 4 and 10, kids will most likely laugh at the storylines while learning new words. Each episode introduces two new vocabulary words and meanings are reinforced throughout the show's duration. Sixteen words in total are taught through the DVD's duration.
Extras on the WordGirl: Earth Day Girl DVD
In addition to the eight episodes on WordGirl: Earth Day Girl, the DVD contains a vocabulary video game compatible for either a Mac or PC. The game features images of Captain Huggy Face exhibiting three different expressions. The player is to match the word with the appropriate expression. After three correct matches, the superhero monkey does a happy dance.
The WordGirl: Earth Day Girl DVD also has nine coloring pages of the various characters featured in the episodes, both heroes and villains and an FAQ section for adults.
My Thoughts on WordGirl: Earth Day Girl?
First thought: "cute". I really wish this type of program was around when I was growing up. All I learned from Batman episodes were simple words like, "Pow" and "Wow". The WordGirl character is a good, strong role model for children and makes learning fun. Although the first episode focuses on Earth Day, by the DVD's title, I was expecting other capers to be environmentally-focused and they are not. Despite this, WordGirl: Earth Day Girl is entertaining and I can see how children will learn from it. I'll be sharing the DVD with the little ones in my life.
WordGirl: Earth Day Girl
Age Appropriate: 4 to 10 years old
Pricing: $14.99
Runtime: approximately 100 minutes
U.S. Rating: N/R
Presented in widescreen format and enhanced for 16 x 9 televisions.
WordGirl: Earth Day is produced by Scholastic Entertainment for PBS Kids.
Disclosure: Marketing representatives for Paramount Home Entertainment sent the author a complimentary review copy of WordGirl: Earth Day Girl for review and the opinions in this posting are that of the author.
Sources:
WordGirl website, April 7, 2010 http://pbskids.org/wordgirl
National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences website, April 7, 2010 http://www.emmyonline.tv/mediacenter/daytime_35th_creative_winners.html
Personal review of WordGirl: Earth Day Girl on April 3, 2010
This content was based upon a free review copy the Contributor received.
Published by JA Huber
Spent a decade in Death Valley, Everglades and Yellowstone Ntn'l Parks and now living happily in Florida working in tourism, editor of SoloTravelGirl.com; traveling alone, not lonely. View profile
- Earth Day Events in the Twin CitiesGreat Earth Day events happening in the Twin Cities that the whole family can enjoy for free!
- St. Louis Celebrates Earth Day 2007 with Celebration in Forest ParkThe St. Louis Earth Day celebration in Forest Park is the oldest and largest in the Midwest.....
- Houston Celebrates 40 Years of Earth DayThis year Earth Day is celebrating 40 years. Join Houston residents in celebrating and become active to see how you can contribute.
- Top 10 Songs for Earth Day that Convey Concern, Awareness and OptimismEarth Day is April 22nd and what better way to celebrate this day then with some outstanding music. Here are ten songs that capture the essence of this important day. Many have strong messages about the environment...
Observing Earth Day with ChildrenEven if there are no Earth Day activities in your area, you and your children can still do your part to appreciate the planet we all share.
- Website Review: PBS Kids Games
- Earth Day Events and Activities in Bergen County, New Jersey
- Earth Day 2009
- Free Earth Day Coloring Pages for Kids!
- San Francisco is Gearing Up for Earth Day
- Earth Day Events and Celebrations in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York
- Where to Find Earth Day Poems
- Using humor and repetition, WordGirl enriches a child's vocabulary.
- WordGirl: Earth Day Girl is appropriate for children age 4 to 10
- "Reycle" and "excess" are the key words WordGirl emphasizes in "Earth Day Girl".
2 Comments
Post a CommentVery interesting, JA.
Cool. I'll have to check into it for my granddaughter.