Tech Savvy Mama

Parenting in the Digital Age

Martha Speaks: Increases Vocabulary While Educating About Pet Adoption

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We love Martha Speaks!  Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer enjoy the show because Martha was adopted from a shelter just like our dog, Oliver, who often sits at their feet while they watch. They also love fantasizing about how much alphabet soup we might have to feed Oliver in order to get him to speak like Martha!
As a parent and teacher I can’t be upset that my kids are obsessed with Martha Speaks because research demonstrates that the show and the Martha Speaks Dog Party app for iPhone and iPod Touch help children increase vocabulary knowledge and retain words learned whether watching the broadcast or playing the mobile version.
Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer with Martha
at last weekend’s National Book Festival in the PBSKids tent

This week we’re going to be tuning into the show for a special week of episodes about adopting an animal. Martha Speaks is partnering with the Humane Society of the United States to celebrate the great work done by animal shelters around the country, encourage people to support their local shelters, and help people choose and care for pets responsibly. Episodes such as “Carolina Picks Lily” will teach about responsible pet ownership in order for animals to find a forever home. 



The theme of pet adoption addressed in this week’s Martha Speaks episodes helped inspire the book series by Susan Meddaugh.  In the show, Martha is a shelter dog who is adopted by Helen and her family, but the real Martha was a stray taken in by Susan Meddaugh, author of the Martha Speaks book series.
If you’d like to learn how to help shelter animals, PBSKids invites you to use their resources to find out what you need to know before adopting a dog for your family.  If you are like us and have already adopted a shelter animal, you can visit the Martha Speaks Facebook page to share your story of how a shelter animal changed your family’s life.

We can’t imagine our lives without Oliver! We’re so glad to have such a loving dog as part of our family that I’ll be sharing our family’s dog adoption story on the Martha Speaks Facebook page and can’t wait to read other stories of animal adoption!

Information and images for this post are courtesy of PBS and WGBH.  No compensation was received for this post. 

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Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
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