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PBS Kids WordWorld
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The parents' guide to what's in this website.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this entertaining, educational website is the companion to the PBS preschool series by the same name. On the site -- just as in the television show -- the words come to life, providing a picture that is instantly associated with the word. A pink pig’s body is formed from the letters P-I-G. The trunk and leaves of a tree are formed from the letters T-R-E-E. In a colorful, fun, engaging environment, preschoolers can explore a world of words, learn to sound out letters, play a variety of letter-recognition games and collect “WordFriends.”
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What's it about?
In PBS Kids WordWorld, words come to life, providing a picture that is instantly associated with that word. Animated animal hosts have colorful bodies that are shaped from the letters that spell out what animal they are -- for example, a pink pig’s body is formed from the letters P-I-G. The trunk and leaves of a tree are formed from the letters T-R-E-E. Games, activities, and videos encourage kids to follow logical literacy concepts to build words step by step and sound them out piece by piece. The site presents an imaginative world to explore and a variety of interesting, educational places to practice and reinforce spelling skills.
Is it any good?
Like the imaginative television series it’s based on, WORDWORLD is a place where words come alive. Preschoolers will be delighted by the animated animal hosts, whose colorful bodies are shaped from the letters that spell out what animal they are. The site presents a world to explore, and young visitors can consult a map that shows a variety of interesting, educational places to discover.
At each stop, they’ll find lots to do: words to spell, say and collect; adventurous word games that promote spelling and reinforce word recognition; and a number of printable coloring pages. As they click on objects, kids are encouraged to sound out letters to build each new word. And the letters of each new word, of course, represent exactly what they’re spelled to be (i.e. a barn is built from the letters B-A-R-N). Preschoolers will enjoy the age appropriate games with simple audio instructions and will have fun seeing letters (and their sounds) make words. Most of all, the activities in WordWorld will help preschoolers see words as their friends.
Talk to your kids about ...
How learning new words is fun when the words come to life. What makes these words and characters so special? Is it easier to learn words when you can see exactly what they are right away?
Why learning on a computer is a great addition to learning from a book or learning at school -- but shouldn’t replace the traditional ways of learning. Why it’s just as important to spend time away from the computer as it is to learn how to use a computer.
Other television shows that teach kids about letters and words and reading? What are some of the fun ways they help preschoolers learn?
Website details
- Subjects: Language & Reading: letter or word recognition, naming, spelling
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: logic, problem solving
Creativity: imagination, making new creations
Communication: listening - Genre: Educational
- Pricing structure: Free
For kids who love to learn
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.