TORONTO, Aug. 16, 2012 /CNW/ - The countdown is on! In a couple of weeks kids across Ontario will be entering kindergarten for the first time or heading back to school. In the meantime, TVOKids offers multi-platform educational resources to help families get an early start on a successful school year. Beginning August 20, highlights include a kindergarten primer in Gisèle's Big Backyard and back-to-school phone-ins for school-aged kids in The Space, along with complementary online activities at tvokids.com. Ontarians rated TVOKids as the most trusted and most educational media brand for children in Canada in a 2011 Ipsos Reid poll, making it an excellent resource for families this fall and year-round.
"At TVO, we stake our reputation on being a well-respected and trusted education partner with kids, parents and educators," says Pat Ellingson, TVO's Creative Head of Children's Media. "Everything we do is classroom-tested and based on the Ontario curriculum. We're committed to equipping Ontario's children with the curriculum foundations and digital literacy skills they need to succeed in school."
Online Resources
TVOKids Homework Zone
The TVOKids Homework Zone is a free, one-of-a-kind online resource that brings TVOKids' extensive inventory of curriculum-linked activities together in one place to help kids refresh their math, science and literacy skills as they head back to school. A great secret weapon for parents who are looking for homework resources, the TVOKids Homework Zone includes TVOKids shows, online games, teacher videos, printable worksheets, interactive practice tools and study tips.
TVOKids.com
With thousands of videos and over 170 educational games, tvokids.com is a valuable resource for early learners and school-aged kids any time of the year. Just in time for back-to-school are two new memory games, Hop, Frog, Hop! and Ribbit, Frog, Ribbit!, which were developed and tested with University of Toronto researchers and shown to improve a child's working memory - a brain function essential to learning across all subject areas.
Games such as Get Growing, Alphabet Goop, and Coin Spot will set preschoolers on a fun path to learning. For school-age kids, Big Escape 4, Tumbletown Mathletics, Spelling Fleas and Keyboard Climber 2 help them develop essential skills.
TVOParents.com
With the tools, discussions and expert advice at TVOParents.com, parents can find comprehensive information on all aspects of their child's learning and development. Fully integrated with TVOKids.com, TVOParents.com shows parents how every TVOKids program or game supports the Ontario curriculum.
On-air programming
Gisèle's Big Backyard
Beginning August 24, TVOKids brings back the Get Ready for School series in Gisèle's Big Backyard, TVO's learning block for kids aged two to five. The six-part series helps preschool children with the transition to kindergarten by addressing common questions like: How do I make a friend? What do I do if I have a question? What if I get hungry or have to go to the bathroom?
A companion website at tvokids.com/activities/getreadyschool contains five interactive games designed as parent/child engagement activities and videos describing what a classroom looks like.
The Space
From August 20 to September 7, The Space, TVOKids' live and interactive afterschool programming block, focuses on getting school-aged kids ready for the classroom. The hosts of The Space will open the phone lines to talk to kids about doing their best in school. TVOKids host Drew will be in the field providing kids with tips about homework, studying, making friends and having fun. TVOKids reporter Emma will tell us how she gets ready for school, and viewers tell us on camera what's in their backpack. Kids can join in online and pack their virtual backpacks at tvokids.com.
On September 17, the TVOKids Help Zone welcomes Kids Help Phone counselor Duane for a back-to-school special live on The Space. Two weeks into the school year, kids can call 1-888-886-5437 from 4 pm to 7 pm or email their questions and comments to get advice and share their feelings about the stresses of a new school year. The TVOKids Help Zone will air live throughout the school year on a bi-monthly basis.
About TVOKids
TVOKids exists to help Ontario's 21st century learners be successful in school and in life. Developed for every kind of young learner and covering virtually all Ontario Curriculum areas for grades JK-5, TVO-produced children's programs, web activities and mobile apps are built in collaboration with TVO's on-staff educator and classroom-tested to ensure specific educational objectives are met. According to a 2011 Ipsos Reid poll, Ontarians rate TVOKids both the most trusted and most educational children's media brand in Canada. TVOKids airs daily on TVO from 6 am to 7 pm. The award-winning tvokids.com is home to over 170 educational games and TVOKids offers a growing inventory of educational mobile apps for all platforms.
About TVO
TVO is Ontario's public educational media organization and a trusted source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and stimulates curiosity and thought. TVO's vision is to empower people to be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. TVO is funded primarily by the Province of Ontario and is a registered charity supported by sponsors and thousands of donors. For more information, visit tvo.org.
Where to Find TVO
| On air: Cable channel 2 (may vary in some areas) Bell TV channel 265 TVO HD on Bell Fibe TV channel 1265 Rogers TVO HD channel 580 Rogers-On-Demand channel 100 Shaw Direct channel 353 |
Websites: tvo.org tvokids.com tvoparents.com ilc.org |
Online: Yahoo! YouTube Rogers-On-Demand-Online iTunes BlackBerry App World™ |
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SOURCE: TVO
Media Contact for TVO:
Laura Wickett
TVO Communications and Marketing
416.484.2600 x 5550
[email protected]
Nicole Morrison
TVO Communications and Marketing
416.484.2600 x 2281
[email protected]
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