PBS KIDS Celebrates Summer Reading and Literacy
After a long, long school year, it’s almost the sweetest time for students – those three months of summer reading lists and unlimited sunshine. May is summer reading and literacy month here at PBS KIDS, and we at Ready To Learn want to get children, parents and teachers in the swing of summer reading with a few of the best online games and activities out there.
There are a few PBS KIDS characters that fall into the all-star reading category, like Martha and Whyatt. Whyatt and his Super Why! pals are masters of spelling and vocabulary – and their games are perfect for children 3 to 5 years old. Mix the batter, bake, frost and decorate your very own scrumptious cake with Super Celebrations: Cake Maker, all while practicing letter sounds. And no perfectly-planned party, even with the most scrumptious of cakes, is complete without a DJ. Match words with their beginning letters in Super Celebrations: Super Duper DJ.
Martha Speaks, geared toward kids 6 to 8 years old, dives a little deeper into literacy with games, activities, and interactive books that emphasize more complex vocabulary and writing skills. There are TWO Martha Speaks iPad apps – also available through the Mobile Learning Program – that use open-ended play to encourage kids to tap into their creative sides: Story Maker and Word Spinner.
Children can also put on their reporting hats and create their own newspaper with Town Crier, or help Skitts sniff out backpacks and hydrants and all sorts of treats that foster a fabulous vocabulary on In the Park with Skits.
There is also an awesome new collection of Martha Speaks True Stories, which help parents and educators promote a love for non-fiction reading and writing. Four categories – environment, technology, inventions, and measuring – of online, interactive storybooks are supplemented by short videos, classroom and at-home teaching tips, and online games.
Here are three at-home activities – each paired with a Martha Speaks game or video – that help build vocabulary and writing skills, too:
• Martha Speaks: Silly Sentences
• Martha Speaks: Sharing Family Stories
• Martha Speaks: Mixed-Up Headlines
For daily reading activity suggestions, visit the PBS KIDS Island calendar here!
In addition to all the summer-reading prep, there are also a few May holidays we can’t forget – Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day – and a few that are just plain fun (like Dance Like A Chicken Day).
On Cinco de Mayo, practice counting by five with these two activities: Curious George: Hands Down! and High Five. For Mother’s Day, consider making mom an edible gift with two Peg + Cat special recipes:
• Peg and Cat’s Incredibly Popular Honey Cake
• The Pirates’ “Great Banana” Fruit Salad
Now, in the most perfect way to wrap up May, we need to cover three of the kookiest, but definitely three of the most fun, holidays in the books. May 14 is Dance Like a Chicken Day, and of course, Peg + Cat have you covered with the Chicken Dance game. On May 13, in observance of Frog Jumping Day, take a turn with Curious George’s Ribbit. And, finally, May 23 is Penny Day and we have two more activities for you to try: Cyberchase’s Coin Toss and Fizzy’s cash register.