If you ever watch Noggin, you will know that they have commercial free programming (and I love them for it.).  In between shows, they will put on videos and little mini cartoons.  Yesterday, one of the fill ins was with Joe (I think) from Blues Clues.  He was talking about what he was thankful for.  After it was over, Madison proceeded to tell me “I’m thankful for my little brother”.  It was the cutest thing ever.

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Ok, I swear we don’t watch TV all day, but I do like outlining some of the better children’s programs that there is.  Nick Jr. and Noggin have a lot of quality programming for the little ones to watch.

I also like the Wonder Pets (however, I have a cousin who finds them absolutely annoying).  There is Linny the Guinea Pig, Ming-Ming Duckling, and Tuck Turtle.  The travel the world to help other animals in need.  It is really cute.

In every episode, they get a call from an animal who needs help.  Even though they are the Wonder Pets, they do not actually possess superpowers.  They solve problems with teamwork.  To quote a song that is used every episode, “What’s going to work?  Teamwork!”

There is a ton of singing on this show too, and I just learned that the music is written by some of Broadway’s top composers.

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Children’s programming is not what it use to be. I remember being a child and your only choice was Sesame Street. Nowadays, you have stations like Noggin and Nick Jr. who are dedicated to children’s program. My daughter does not even really like Sesame Street. Some of Madison’s favorite shows include Upside Down Show and Wonder Pets. I actually TIVO these two shows for her, so we can watch them any time we want.

The Upside Down show has Shane and David, and we get to watch their daily adventures. We have been to the art museum, the movies, and the airport among several other places with them. The part Madison loves the most about this show is the imaginary remote. She often plays with her imaginary remote even when we are not watching the show. Honestly, I find the show pretty corny, but my husband giggles right along with Madison (not sure what that says). There are several learning goals with this show:

Imaginative Play

• boosts creativity by modeling pretend play
• fosters a humorous approach to problem-solving
• models a think-outside-the-box attitude

Language and Early Literacy Skills

• introduces new vocabulary in surprising and funny ways
• reinforces phonological awareness with use of alliteration, rhyming, and other kinds of language play

Cognitive Skills

• reinforces logical thinking skills such as making predictions and noticing connections
• models using abstract thinking and imagination to find new ways of looking at a problem
• demonstrates and explores relational concepts (high/low, inside/outside, light/dark)

Social and Emotional Development

• models cooperation and negotiation
• models accommodating and supporting the needs of others

At least she is learning when she is watching this. I do have to admit that my favorite imaginary remote button has to be the Irish dancing button.

The other show she enjoys is Wonder Pets. This show is about three classroom pets named Linny (he’s the guinea pig), Ming-Ming (the duck), and Tuck (the turtle). The show is about how these three animals turn into superhereos to save other animals in trouble. This is one of my favorite shows. It is cute and even holds my attention. The learning goals that are supported by this show are:

Cognitive Skills
Language and Early Literacy

• introduces new vocabulary
• reinforces phonological awareness with its use of sung dialogue, rhythms, alliteration, and songs

Music

• exposes viewers to a wide range of musical styles and formats
• helps make connections between musical styles and world cultures

Social and Emotional Development

• promotes appreciation of and orientation towards teamwork
• models cooperation with others
• reinforces the value of listening to others’ ideas
• models an attitude of helping

There are a few other show I like too, but these are Madison two main shows that we do not miss. These shows are not too annoying, and I like that she is learning something by watching them.

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Madison’s new favorite show of all time is The Upside Down Show. It is on Noggin and stars Shane and David. Each show is about a place or a thing that they have never done before. They also encourage the at home viewers to use their imaginary remote to control what is going on. As an adult, I find this show very corny. On the other hand, Bill sits there and giggles with Madison. After the show is over, Madison walks around trying to control things with her remote. It is amazing,but there are a ton of learning goals supported by The Upside Down Show:

Imaginative Play

• boosts creativity by modeling pretend play
• fosters a humorous approach to problem-solving
• models a think-outside-the-box attitude

Language and Early Literacy Skills

• introduces new vocabulary in surprising and funny ways
• reinforces phonological awareness with use of alliteration, rhyming, and other kinds of language play

Cognitive Skills

• reinforces logical thinking skills such as making predictions and noticing connections
• models using abstract thinking and imagination to find new ways of looking at a problem
• demonstrates and explores relational concepts (high/low, inside/outside, light/dark)

Social and Emotional Development

• models cooperation and negotiation
• models accommodating and supporting the needs of other

Copyright © 2011 My Thoughts, Ideas, and Ramblings. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact mythoughtsideasandramblings.com @ gmail.com so we can take legal action immediately.