Cartoon Recommendation for Moms (from Christa)

This summer we’re doing cartoon recommendations by moms for moms (or by aunts/dads/nannies. . . just basically a grown-up who knows this is a cartoon that won’t make other grown-ups run screaming from the room).  Here’s my original post about the wonders of Phineas and Ferb.  If you’d like to contribute your thoughts, I’d love to have them.  Here’s the form to fill out.

Recommendation from:  Christa Goodwin- mom of 2 and a high school English teacher

The show:  Martha Speaks

Where to find it:  PBS and Netflix

Why kids love it:  My kids love this show because there is so much verbal irony and let’s face it, their mom is a little on the smart aleck side 😉 There are great storylines and the kids enjoy watching a dog talk like a human being.

Why moms love it:  I love this show because the vocabulary is so rich. There are several three syllable words that the dog, Martha, uses on a consistent basis. She defines the word while she is using it, which teaches the kids to use context clues when discovering the meaning of a new word. There are also those little “mom jokes” that are hidden within the storyline. It makes it a little less painful to watch.

Moral content:  Martha is seeking to understand humans and throughout the story she begins to understand and sometimes struggles when humans are cruel to each other. Usually the story ends with everyone joining together to complete a task. Teamwork is a big part of this story.

Any warnings:  None. It is about a talking dog:)

Link:  http://pbskids.org/martha/