When used purposefully television can be a wonderful tool for learning.  A great example is the use of DVDs that contain animated versions of classic picture books.  We discovered these movies years ago and have enjoyed collecting them and the corresponding books.

The girls love to watch the movie with books in hand so that they can “read” along with the movie.  In doing so they are learning..

- word recognition.

- that print remains consistent.

- expression and fluency.

- new vocabulary.

- that reading is fun!

I usually read the books a few times with the girls before I introduce the “movie version”—although there are times when watching the DVD first has helped to spark interest in a book or an author that did not immediately appeal to them.

Below are our favorite authors and the books that correspond with the movies...