Last summer we took our first family road trip: 4 people, including a 5-year-old and 3-year-old, in the car for 9 hours.  It was a fun trip and a great experience, but I must admit that having The Electric Company in the DVD player gave Dan and me some very welcome moments of respite from alternating games of “I Spy,” “Are We There Yet?” and “I Need to go the Bathroom NOW!”

For those born after 1985, The Electric Company was a PBS show targeted towards kids who had out-grown Sesame Street.  The idea was to use “skit comedy” to help elementary-school-aged children develop reading skills.  It was entertaining;  it was funny;  it featured Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno, and Bill Cosby;  it helped millions of kids learn “c” + “at” = “cat” (yeah…).  I watched it religiously as a kid in the late 70s and early 80s.  Twenty-five years later it not only entertained our preschooler and kindergartener, but also amused both our 9-year-old and 2-year-old nephews.  (PBS has developed a new, updated version, but  I haven’t seen it yet.  Have you?  What do you think?)

Needless to say, I was quite excited to find clips of The Electric Company on YouTube for my kids’ playlists.  Not only do I get a nostalgic boost from hearing some of my old-time favorite skits, but The Electric Company videos are also both educational and fun.  Definitely a good combination for kid-viewing.

Here are a few of my kids’ (and my) favorite videos.  Feel free to add these to your child(ren)’s playlist, or explore The Electric Company on YouTube and add your own suggestions.

• 5u8MY7PjSXU&NR=1 – Easy Reader song
• g-nh-1Hp4kc – There’s a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea
• XzFE6fE703A&NR=1 – The Menu Song
• PXVblZkBmLQ&NR=1 -The Mumble Song
• AUHETDR4N7A – Lick a Lolly song
• 6nGHCU1dha4 – Cosby Twins (Un Words)
• EVC9TayQIh8 – Silent E song
• 3qH-DOXo3bA – Jelly Belly
• q_j0vcc70Ig – You’ve Got the Power

Hope your kids enjoy these videos (and you enjoy the memories) as much as we do!

Today’s post is a departure from my normal posts, since this spotlighted website is one for parents, not for kids.  However, the site I’d like to spotlight is such a great one, the non-sequitor is absolutely worth it.

At Avially Books, you can order PERSONALIZED books for your child or any other important child in your life.  Your child’s name, gender, age, and city are worked into the story.  Some books include other details, such as their school and teacher.  We have bought dozens of these books as birthday presents for kids ages 0-9 over the last several years.  The Sesame Street ones are great for younger kids, and preschool and school-aged kids love School is Fun.  Your favorite little girl will adore either the Ballerina Princess or Mermaid book — featuring her, of course — and your favorite little boy will love reading about his adventures with Dinosaurs, Batman, or Spider Man.  There are over 20 books from which to choose.

The benefits of reading to our children has been cited in study after study.  Kids of all ages love being read to, and parents also enjoy the snuggle time and the looks of wonder in their little ones’ eyes as the stories unfold.  These books are some real gems…our boys still enjoy hearing the stories that talk about them as a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old!  Two more benefits: all the books but one are less than $15 (the one exception is $15.95), and all are delivered to your door in 7-10 days from when you place your order.

Enjoy!

You want a great website?  One of the best for teaching and/or reinforcing reading and pre-reading skills is www.starfall.com!

Although designed with 1st graders in mind, pre-K, K, 1st & 2nd graders will all find plenty of skill-appropriate activities.  Younger readers can start with “ABC” pages that explore each letter and the sounds they make.  Kids beginning to read can easily gain confidence with “Learn to Read” pages.  The next-level-reader can enjoy “It’s Fun to Read” pages which include a book called “All About Me;” music by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and others; poetry; tongue twisters; and more.  Kids who are already reading can follow along with the “I’m Reading” pages, including plays, non-fiction, comics, folk tales, and others.   All the pages have kid-friendly animation and spoken-word help.

If you doubt me — and my 2nd-grade-teacher-friend who recommended the site — you should know that Starfall.com has won accolades from parents and educators alike.  In May of 2006 The Reading Teacher named Starfall.com one of “Five Internet sites too good to miss.”  Homeschool.com has twice ranked it as one of their top five educational sites.

Starfall.com is made possible by the Polis-Schutz family, who founded Blue Mountain Arts publishing company more than 35 years ago.  Father Dr. Stephen Schutz (now a PhD in phsyics who struggled with reading as a child), mother & poet Susan Polis Schutz, and their son Congressman Jared Schutz Polis (CO — yes, my home state!) share a passion for education and teaching which shines throughout this site.

One last thing I really like about Starfall.com: the “Parents” page.  Not only does it explain how to use the site, I LOVE that it urges parents to regularly sit with their child and explore Starfall.com together.  (So do we at KidDesktop…great minds think alike!)  But this paragraph absolutely iced the cake:

Turn off the television and the computer and read to your child. Establish a regular reading time every night. Have fun with the books you read, by giving the characters distinct voices, or acting out scenarios from the stories. Have conversations about what you read. Ask your child questions about the stories and encourage him to ask questions in return.

I urge you to explore Starfall.com on your own and with your child.  It’s a great addition to any child’s Activity Bar.  But even more than that, no matter how young or how old your child is, sit down and read with them.  Both of your “stars” will shine a little brighter as a result.