By Allison Alvarez Hedrick
Parents and teachers in West Central Florida now have access to thousands of free educational resources with the addition of the 24/7 PBS KIDS channel on WEDU. More than 130,000 free online resources including educational videos, games and lesson plans are available for educators and parents to use as a companion to popular PBS KIDS programs like Sesame Street, Arthur, and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, which are now broadcast on the new PBS KIDS channel. The free resources are available at florida.pbslearningmedia.org.
Research shows these educational resources make a difference. Students outperformed national assessment norms by 10 percent on average when these resources were integrated into existing curriculum, according to a 2015 study by the Education Development Center’s Center for Children and Technology. Plus, parents rank PBS KIDS above all other kids’ television networks in preparing children for school, helping them develop the educational skills they need to succeed, and modeling positive behavior, according to a 2016 survey.
“For nearly 60 years, WEDU PBS has worked with parents and teachers to provide educational resources that help children learn to read, write and think critically,” said Susan Howarth, president and CEO of WEDU PBS. “Adding PBS KIDS allows us even more opportunities to help the children in our communities learn and grow.”
WEDU now broadcasts PBS KIDS shows 24 hours a day and offers a live stream, making it easy for children to watch their favorite series during primetime and other after-school hours when viewing among families is high. PBS KIDS is available on digital channel 3.5 and Frontier channel 473. WEDU PBS is working with other cable providers to add the new channel. The PBS KIDS live stream can be accessed online at www.wedu.org/kids/.
For more information about the resources available for educators in WEDU PBS’s 16-county coverage area, contact Gail Taylor, Director of Educational Services, at gtaylor@wedu.org. Parents and teachers can also receive information on upcoming kids events, educator workshops and webinars, and receive monthly lesson plans, education resources and parenting tips by signing up for WEDU PBS’s monthly Kids and Education newsletter.
