Top
Pick. Even if children cannot yet read the sign that
Elmo holds on the cover of this video, they're bound to understand
the meaning behind it after viewing Bert & Ernie's Word
Play. Reading is fun with this cleverly educational
video that features a parade of Sesame Street skits focusing on
words.
Bert and Ernie host a play all
about words, and their shenanigans bookend the carefully selected
Sesame Street vignettes. Our favorite is one starring Kermit the
Frog who is trying to pick up the "Kermit the Frog"
T-shirt he's ordered. Kermit quickly becomes frustrated as the
store owner holds up one t-shirt after another, reading
"Kermit the Gorf", "Kermit the Grof", and so
forth. This skit is not only hilarious, it demonstrates how words
take on new meanings when their letters are rearranged. Other
standouts include a skit in which Grover misreads a telegram and a
muppet vignette that features the "at" word
family.
There are Sesame Street videos
that focus on letters and numbers, but this one is special because
its skits and vignettes revolve around whole words. The result is
a video that is enormously fun and an excellent pre-reading
primer. Most preschoolers won't be able to read the words, but
they will get the idea that written words are meaningful
indeed.
The DVD edition features a chaptering option.
For more information, user reviews, or to buy, follow these
links:
Sesame Street - Bert & Ernie's Word Play
(VHS) or Sesame Street - Bert & Ernie's Word Play
(DVD)
Pros:
- Imaginative and creative
presentations of words.
- High entertainment
value.
- Focuses on
"words" rather than "letters".
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Cons:
- As is the case with most
Sesame Street videos, some parents might find the video
manipulates children's attention spans with its frequent
scene changes.
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