 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Super WHY!
- PBS Kids
- Genre: Educational
Common Sense Media says
Young heroes' adventures build reading skills.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that there's no objectionable content in this animated educational series, which focuses on building preschoolers' early literacy skills. It teaches kids lessons in friendship, teamwork, and respect, as well as how to identify words and letters. Young viewers are encouraged to interact with the lively characters, whose travels through classic storybooks like The Three Little Pigs builds on kids' familiarity with popular stories.
What's the story?
When problems arise in Storybrook Village, it's up to the Super Readers -- Red (of Little Red Riding Hood fame), Littlest Pig (The Three Little Pigs), Princess Pea (The Princess and the Pea) and Whyatt Beanstalk (Jack's little-known younger brother) -- to don superhero attire and save the day. Once transformed into their alter egos, they leap into the pages of books to gather lessons that will help them solve problems. Each Reader is equipped with a special reading-based skill that helps the team overcome obstacles. Whether it's the ability to transform objects by changing a letter in their name ("wall" to "ball," for instance) or the power to replace words in the story with synonyms or antonyms, each team member lends his or her individual talent to the group's work.
Is it any good?
Not only does this inviting animated series encourage preschoolers to expand their early literacy skills through interactive reading, word games, and spelling challenges, it also draws comparisons between the lessons in classic tales like The Three Little Pigs and real-world troubles that kids will easily relate to. The stories' morals also remind youngsters that many problems can be resolved by communication and compassion.
Kids are sure to enjoy Super WHY! for its energetic characters and vibrant illustrations. And parents will love the series' strong educational angle and the positive messages it sends kids about reading and learning in general.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about letters, letter sounds, and other reading skills. Kids: What letters do you know? What sounds do they make? What letters are in your name? How do letter sounds combine to make a word?
Parents can reinforce what preschoolers learn from this show by reading to them, practicing the alphabet, and pointing out simple words they see everyday.
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- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
Parent of 2 and 5 year old
April 16, 2011
AGE
Very Educational
Great role models- kids who love to learn, teach others & work together to solve problems! Very educational & interactive- viewers are asked to find & identify letters, spell words, etc.
Both of my kids love to watch SuperWhy. My younger one is learning her alphabet while my older one is learning to spell & read and they really encourage each other!
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Kid, 10 years old
August 24, 2011
AGE
Hero?
Super Why is a nice show, really: encouraging kids to read and write, but compared to the Backyardagins, this show is about as good as Barny (which I hate and give 1 star). The other thing about this show that is not a highlight is how 1 of the Superreaders is always the person who has the problem, and the little kids might be confused: the hero is now the one who needs to be saved?
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Parent of 3 year old
January 30, 2010
AGE
great for a kid who wants to read
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Parent of 2, 8, and 8 year old
July 1, 2010
AGE
Awesome show for preschoolers
When asked what he wants to watch, my 2 year old says "Super Why" and even knows the names of the episodes he likes to watch. It has done a great job of helping to educate him on his letters, letter sounds and letter recognition. I would and have highly recommended this program to anyone who will listen.
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Parent of 5 year old
January 21, 2011
AGE
For small kids only
There are some shows my son watches that I will enjoy and get into, to. He gets more out of them, but I can honestly say that I find them entertaining. Charlie and Lola and The Backyardigans are good examples. But Super Why! is all him.
There is so much that I don't like about the show that has nothing to do with its suitability for my son. I think the characters are poorly drawn (they seem to be both bow-legged and bow-armed), they show little personality, and they are voiced with a dull monotone. Finally, I think the morals are overly simplistic. They go through a whole episode to come up with "Take turns." I know it's supposed to be for small children, but my 5 year old son could have come up with that in less than a minute. The whole thing just seems like a lifeless, stale concept that was overproduced by a committee of adults who don't know what fun is.
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Parent
July 27, 2011
AGE
Positive early childhood television
My daughter is 20 month and has learned some words and shows excitement while watching. We try to limit TV for just waking up time or when she's sick and this keeps her entertained in a positive way.
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Parent of 3 year old
November 2, 2010
AGE
Totally great - watch it and your kid will be picking awesome reading skills in no time
Love it- teaches alphabet and reading skills right at the age when it needs to start. Totally holds my 3 year olds attention. Will not get on your nerves - fun to watch as an adult. I would have to say that the "mild peril" isn't really an issue because they are explaining either why not to be scared or why a child should not do that - its hard to explain that to children without having an example so I think its unfair that someone gave them that rating.
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| Topics: | superheroes, friendship, numbers and letters |
| TV rating: | TV-Y |
| Network: | PBS Kids |
| Cast: | Nicholas Castel Vanderburgh, Siera Florindo, Zachary Bloch |
| Genre: | Educational |
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