When Martha speaks, kids listen!
Once upon a time, there was a real dog named Martha who inspired a seven year-old boy to ask, “Mom, if Martha ate alphabet soup, would she speak?” Luckily for children everywhere, that little boy’s mom was Susan Meddaugh. Her son’s imaginative query was the catalyst that inspired Susan to create the much-loved Martha stories about a dog who acquires the gift of gab when the letters from her soup wind up in her brain instead of her stomach.
In addition to the original series of six books, Martha also stars in the critically acclaimed PBS KIDS series, Martha Speaks. More than just a guilt-free way to keep the kids entertained for a half hour, the show is a rare win-win for moms and kids. Packed full of entertaining, educational goodness, each episode includes two stories designed to teach kids up to twenty “50-cent” vocabulary words. Characters provide definitions, usually organized around a central theme, within the context of the story. The result is fun and effortless learning that complements rather than disrupts the action.
Although the “learning goal” of Martha Speaks is to increase oral vocabulary, an important element of developing good reading skills, the show delivers much more. Martha provides kids with a wonderful role model, whom creator Susan Meddaugh once described (for The Bark magazine) as “Confident, honest, loving …” In addition, the show teaches about responsible pet ownership, a topic close to the author’s heart. And, of course, the characters and stories are genuinely entertaining. I’ve yet to meet the child who wouldn’t be fascinated by the idea of talking dog. The humorous adventures of Martha and her family often lure me to join my daughter on the couch in the morning.
The team here at FoBaM is thrilled to be collaborating with the Martha Speaks team at WGBH and Susan Meddaugh to bring you some inside scoop about Martha Speaks. Starting on President’s Day (February 15th), PBS KIDS will premiere a week of new episodes including a two-part special in which Martha helps the newly inaugurated President of the United States find a perfect pooch for the White House.
Martha Speaks | A Puppy for the President | PBS
If your kids aren’t already fans of Martha, this is the perfect opportunity to introduce them to the world’s smartest (not to mention cutest!) talking dog. While you’re waiting, visit the parents and teachers site on PBS to learn more about Martha, her creator, and the importance of strong vocabulary for long-term learning.
Coming Soon: Stay tuned for an exclusive interview with Susan Meddaugh and a Martha giveaway!
This is my 6 yr olds fave! He watches every morining before school. He has such a vast vocabulary and has learned so much with the thesaurus type cartoon that Martha is. We love Martha Speaks!
My daughters (4.5 and 2) love Martha! I do too. My oldest has memorized the words to the theme song and loves to sing with the show. Such cute stories and great learning oportunities too. Martha rocks!
It is wonderful to be part of this club.I live in Pakistan I wish I can contribute to this also.
[...] at FoBaM, we’re big fans of reading with our kids AND OF Martha Speaks on PBS KIDS; so we’re extra excited to bring you this exclusive interview with Susan Meddaugh – the [...]
[...] in for the brand new Martha Speaks episodes that premiere next [...]