Hey You Guys!!!!

Here is a still sick Pablo earlier this morning watching The Electric Company DVD we got from the library. What a great show. P is having a little bit of difficulty transitioning from letter sounds to sounding out words and the show is great- he actually sounds out words with the characters. Even though the episode he was watching is 35 years old he thinks the people are funny. You guys need to check it out just to see the stuff they are wearing! Brings back memories....

Watching The Electric Company I was so struck with how noneducational PBS shows have become. I really don't need a bunch of dragons showing my kids how to be nice to their friends thank you very much. (In Between the Lions, does teach some reading, but it is always on at a terrible time and it is nothing compared to TEC.)

I heard Lamar Burton from "Roots" and "Reading Rainbow" being interviewed on the radio a while back and he said that there just is not money out there to make truly educational television. It was kind of an old interview and at that time they were doing a new half a season of Reading Rainbow following several years where they had not produced any. It is too bad. Yes, shows like "Maya and Miguel" do teach some good things- but check out an "Electric Company" DVD and you will be shocked how much educational stuff they pack in.

Crossposted at Mothertalkers.