If you have a preschooler, then you must check out PBS Kids’ new series “Peg+Cat.” We know, we know, there are so many different media choices out there for you and your little one to choose from. Some are mindless fun and others teach a lesson or two, so what makes PBS Kids’ latest roll-out a must-see? Read on to find out.
### It’s super educational.
There are lots of television shows, games, and apps that purport themselves to be educational, but like many of the shows and PBS kids games on the broadcasting company’s line-up, Peg + Cat is the real deal.
Writers and advisers were immersed in information from both the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the National Association for the Education of Young Children to ensure that the early math concepts taught through the cute characters and their fun math games were educationally sound and aligned with the new Common Core standards. In addition to being wildly entertaining, the show teaches early mathematical concepts such as counting, patterns, shapes, and measurements.
### Peg is a girl who loves (and is good at) math.
Worries over girls’ performance in science and math have been the talk of the educational community for at least a decade, but a new study from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development recently shed light on a surprising fact: the performance gap in these subjects is not a global problem. On the contrary, it exists only in the United States, Britain, and Canada. The researchers attributed this finding to the culture of gender inequality in these countries. If that’s true, then PBS Kid’s Peg + Cat may just help to bridge this gap by teaching girls that they have what it takes to be math superstars!
### It teaches problem-solving, teamwork, and perseverance.
A lot of the excitement over Peg+ Cat lies in its ability to teach math fundamentals through cool math games, but there’s a lot more going on than just shapes and numbers. The show also teaches kids the “soft skills” they’ll need to be successful in school. The characters run into some pretty tough obstacles on their quest to solve math problems ,and Peg in particular gets pretty frustrated at times, but they always put their heads together and stick it out until the problem is solved. The takeaway for kids? Sometimes, math (and life) is hard, but hang in there, and you’ll come out on top.
Parents who would rather sit their child in front of some fun math games rather than a static television show will be pleasantly surprised at Peg + Cat’s rich online presence. Along with full episodes, the show’s website offers kids the chance to engage in math adventures, signature PBS kids games, and activities.
