I would love some suggestions of DVDs that help reinforce letters and reading skills. We do have the LeapFrog Word Factory DVD which is good, I am hoping to get some similar ideas. Thanks!

Marsha
mom to Nick, Hannah and Paige born July 15, 2004

My trio absolutely LOVES the show Super Why. It's on PBS Kids. I'm pretty sure there's a DVD available. I have noticed a definite increase in their letter recognition and knowledge of letter sounds since they started watching this show. (Of course we also reinforce these things when we read to them.)

Another show they like that I know has DVDs available is Word World, also on PBS kids. Lots of letters and spelling in that show too.

-Christine

Marsha~

I don't have any DVD suggestions, but I will tell you my girls are loving their Click Start My First Computer game from Leapfrog.

Their other game they're loving is V. Smile by V Tech. We have a cartridge called Alphabet Park Adventure. I'm so impressed with how fun this game is while teaching the kids about letters, ABC order and vocab.

There's also another program where the kids can take the little stylus (using it like a pencil) and outline a letter following the arrows.

I usually don't crave the kids plopped at the TV, but these games are great. And as a former teacher, you know I'm loving things that are educational!

Lisa

Leapster games are great for building reading skills (and math skills), too! I saw a huge improvement in my kids' reading ability after they got Leapsters and games for Christmas last year.

Olga C

Mom to Olivia, Natalie and Jacob
born on 1/29/04 @ 35w3d

It's not DVDs, but my eldest loved Stafall.com.

Also, he loves the CD of the They Might Be Giants album "Here Come the ABCs" and I am thinking about getting the DVD for the trips when the time comes.

Kate A-R

Word World and Word Girl are fantastic. My DD recognizes words in books from learning about them on those shows. I am sill in amazement when she sees a word in a book and will say it out loud, shes 28mo.
My boys on the other hand are not getting anything out of the shows. I have 1 that barely talks and the other is speaking but its " Jacksonese" his very own language. Our ST says our DD is doing so well because she is a girl and girls just get "it" faster.

I am still thinking about getting www.yourbabycanread.com
Its a program that is sold on a 3am infomercial but it looks AMAZING! Then again I think the "sham wows" are really cool!

BBG 6/21/06

OMG, I totally second Super Why!!! My 28 month old loves that show (so do my 8 month olds, LOL) and she loves to "play along" with the games on the show. She knows her ABC's and the phonetic sounds ALL the letters make (sometimes she gets confused with hard and soft sounds like with a "C" but that show really helped her learn. Also, I know it's not a DVD but we have the Leap Frog Fridge Phonics and she loves that too. She plays the song and dances to it and practices her letter sounds as it announces them. It was also a great product to help with letters and phonics.

Mandie

Mom to:

and spontaneous GGB:


http://www.morethanweexpected.com/
http://mandiemonium.blogspot.com/

LOL, okay... me again. I have to second Word World too. My DD loves that show too and will sing along and play along with the show. She also plays/pretends Word World when the TV is off, using different toys (and often the letters from her Fridge Phonics set) to act as different letters and sings and pretends that the toys she just arranged built whatever she was imagining. She can't spell yet but she will call out letters as she lays the toys down; "T, D, A, M! Build word! Wheelbarrow!" LOL It cracks me up...

Mandie

Mom to:

and spontaneous GGB:


http://www.morethanweexpected.com/
http://mandiemonium.blogspot.com/

My kids are really into WordWorld. My sister's kids (who are a little older) love Between the Lions.

BGG born 4/25/05 at 31w1d




New baby girl born 9/19/06

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. We do lots of book reading, etc. but I was hoping to find some more literacy focused programming to replace some of what they watch that is really just entertainment. I miss the Baby Einstein days They aren't that into Super Why or Word World - I don't know why, I like the shows. They are starting to like Between the Lions, which I like.

Have any of you tried Hooked on Phonics - I know they have a variety of materials, not just DVDs. Or any other reading programs? Thanks!

Marsha
mom to Nick, Hannah and Paige born July 15, 2004

My kids love Super Why. Just love it - all 3 of them. They also love Word World, but not as much as Super Why.

One of them really likes Between the Lions, but I think he is a bit more advanced reading-wise.

BBB born 7/26/04 at 35 weeks