Super Why!

PBS Kids (2007-present), 24 minutes

Audience: pre-K

Format: television show

PBS Kids’ Super Why! stages a quartet of characters: Whyatt, Pig, Red Riding Hood, and Princess Pea who have adventures in Storybook Land. These friends transform into Super Readers with reading readiness powers: Alpha-Pig, Wonder Red (word power), Princess Presto (spelling) and Super Why (power to read) as they search out clues and solve problems using words, letters, and reading skills. This program asks for viewer participation using open-ended questions to add interactive elements, examples include “what letter comes after P?” and “what sound does “F” make?” These prompting techniques can be beneficial, helping to build a child’s vocabulary and phonemic awareness.

Reviewed by: Katharine Quinn, SJSU MLIS Student

If you liked this TV show, you may like: Blue’s Clues or Dora the Explorer

Other television shows by PBS Kids: Word World, Martha Speaks, and The Cat and the Hat Know a Lot About That!