WordWorld DVD Review

The WordWorld Valentine's Day special is airing on February 13th, (launching the second season).

A child learns the alphabet. Then what?A large gap exists between children recognizing letters and learning to read. Parents and educators struggle with how to bridge that gap. Now we have help, WordWorld, the latest innovation in the children’s literacy landscape, playfully brings words to life through a patent-pending methodology that embeds words into the objects they represent. Imagine a picture of a word. With WordWorld, pre-readers immediately recognize both the object and the letters used to spell the word. It’s an Ah-ha! moment that keeps children engaged and wanting more. WordWorld empowers kids by making the abstract concepts of literacy tangible to them; the connection between letters, words and meaning is crystallized before their eyes. WordWorld is a vibrant, wordrich place where kids play with and build words, which then come alive and become WordFriends. WordWorld reaches children through a multi-media platform including public television, learning toys and interactive tools.

A brand-new study that was funded by the DOE concluded WordWorld officially helps children develop pre-literacy skills. This is great news because with the recent Child Now study that came out a month ago it stated that only one out of every eight children's educational TV programs meet high quality standards. According to the Foundation for Child Development, WordWorld is a great resource to help your kids prepare for kindergarten. U.S. Department of Education Funded Study Demonstrates, WordWorld, a PBS KIDS® Television Series works as critical Early Literacy Tool.

A U.S. Department of Education funded study found that WordWorld, an Emmy® winning PBS KIDS series, significantly strengthens early literacy skills in preschoolers, providing the building blocks essential for learning how to read. The study is part of the Ready To Learn Initiative that examines the effectiveness of various technologies being used to enhance the literacy skills of young children. The initial findings conclude that regular exposure to WordWorld resulted in children experiencing significant increases in oral vocabulary, reading and recognition of words featured in the show. WordWorld brings words to life through a patent-pending methodology that embeds words into the objects they represent, crystallizing the connection between letters, sounds and words. Overall gains from the study demonstrate that regardless of demographic, children developed important early literacy skills by watching WordWorld during the trial period.

Key findings include:

· Children doubled their oral vocabulary skills of words featured in WordWorld

· Children tripled their ability to read specific words featured and built in WordWorld

· Children in disadvantaged households where English is a second language showed gains in phonemic awareness, as well as oral vocabulary and reading words featured in WordWorld

WordWorld is on PBS Kids (check your local listing)! For the first time in television history, words are truly the stars of the show! Partly funded by the U.S. Department of Education, WordWorld is a 3-D animated show featuring a zany ensemble of WordFriends, who embark on madcap adventures where the only way to save the day is to “build a word.” The novelty of the show is that when a word is built correctly, it morphs into the thing it represents, which makes learning to read a playful and rewarding experience for preschoolers. WordWorld’s humorous story lines focus on age-appropriate lessons while introducing key literacy skills such as letter associations and phonological awareness.

WordWorld— WordBuilding on the Internet-(www.pbskids.org/WordWorld)With the WordFriends leading the way, children can play action-packed WordBuilding games and explore the wealth of words on line. But it’s not just for kids. WordWorld’s website includes literacy components for parents and teachers to reinforce lessons learned from the show and toys.

Ella Loves It:

This has been a great learning video for my 4 year old! It has helped her to work on building words with the letters she already knows. The characters are fun and I love the concept of using the words as the physical make-up of the body of item they are spelling. These are great visual for kids! It is so hard to get Ella to understand the difference between letters and words but this show makes it so easy! She learns how to read words while learning lessons and being entertained. We totally recommend this fun and educational DVD to everyone!

Thanks to Family Review Network for this fun learning experience!