The PBS Kids Preschool Block is a block of children's television shows which airs on PBS Kids. The block premiered with Curious George on Monday September 4, 2006 (Labor Day 2006). The block is aired weekdays at 8:00 AM local time on most PBS member stations.
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Characters
- Miss Rosa
- Miss Rosa is the PBS Kids preschool teacher. She incorporates Spanish language into the daily curriculum and leads children through educational games and activities. Miss Rosa is performed by Jenifer Pena (not to be confused with Grammy-nominated latin singer Jennifer Pena), an actress and teacher who currently resides in Cherry Hill, NJ.
- Mr.Steve/SteveSongs
- Mr. Steve leads "Music Time with SteveSongs", which is a :60 song, usually performed on guitar, relating to the day's curriculum. Children join Mr. Steve by singing along and sometimes perform choreography. Mr. Steve is performed by Steve Roslonek, also known as SteveSongs, a professional recording artist.
- Hooper
- Hooper is a computer-animated guinea pig who attends the PBS Kids preschool. He appears throughout the programming block and in a segment called Adventures with Hooper. At one time in pre-production, the name "Bobo" was considered for this character. He is also very vain, using himself for projects in class.
- Dash
- Dash is the computer-animated boy from the PBS Kids logo. He hosts Dash's Secrect Treasure Game and Dash's Dance Party.
- Miss Lori
- Miss Lori was a PBS Kids preschool teacher until fall 2009. She lead lessons based on a daily curriculum, singing and playing games with children who appear on the show. Miss Lori was the first live host in the program's history. Miss Lori is performed by Lori Holton Nash, an actress and educator who currently resides in Chicago, IL.
- Dot
- Dot was included in the hosted segments of the programming block from 2007 and onwards. She was featured in Dot's Story Factory, a storytelling game that kids can play online at the PBS Kids site. The stories are now seen after various episodes of Martha Speaks, Franny's Feet, and Wishbone, which are not in the block. [1]
Throughout the block
In Season 1, which premiered in fall 2006, characters included, Miss Lori, Hooper, and Dash. Shows in Season 1 were Curious George, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Dragon Tales, and It's a Big Big World. Each day, Miss Lori and Hooper would try to solve a problem. The first mini-show was Dash's Game of the Day, where Dash shows viewers how to play a game on the PBS Kids website. After Clifford the Big Red Dog, there was a short dance as well as a song, performed by Rebecca Frezza and Big Truck, Milkshake, or Miss Lori herself.
In Season 2, which premiered in fall 2007, Dot joined Miss Lori, Hooper, and Dash. Shows in Season 2 were Curious George, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Dragon Tales, and Super Why! which replaced It's a Big Big World. Dot's Story Factory started this season, where Dot shows a story created online by kids at the PBS Kids site. It was shown at the end of every Super Why! episode. In other brief activities between the shows, Miss Lori and Hooper emphasized basic literacy and numeracy skills, fine arts, movement, music, and health. Dash's Game of the Day continued to air, and new music videos were produced.
In Season 3, two new live-action characters were introduced: Miss Rosa and Mr. Steve. All characters seen in previous seasons were also in this season. [2] Season 3 started in May 2008, and it included the same programs as the previous season. Dash's Secret Treasure, a matching game to match the theme of the day, replaced Dash's Game of the Day. Dot's Story Factory stayed for this season. Miss Rosa hosted Spanish-language and other curriculum-based segments, and Mr. Steve hosted Music Time. Miss Lori was still seen, but less frequently. Hooper continued to be seen, along with Dot's Story Factory.
Season 4 started on September 1, 2008. Dragon Tales was replaced by Sid the Science Kid in this season. Dot's Story Factory was usually shown at the end of every show rather than only one show. Dash's Secret Treasure continued to air this season, with Miss Rosa, Hooper, Mr. Steve, and sometimes Miss Lori. In 2009, former idents for this block was replaced with idents where Dash and Dot are doing activities.
Season 5 started on September 7, 2009, when Dinosaur Train replaced Clifford the Big Red Dog. A new segment called Dash's Dance Party encourages children to be active and dance. Dash's Secret Treasure Game still airs, however, less often. Miss Rosa, Mr. Steve and Hooper continue to be seen throughout the two hours; Miss Lori is no longer seen. Most of program block is now in high-definition, except for some funding promos and older episodes of Curious George.
Bands and their songs
During Season One, each day's segments included a short dance as well as a song. This portion of the show was abandoned, when Mr. Steve joined.
- Milkshake
- It's My Birthday!
- Help Me Help You
- Picture This
- Rainy Day or Rainy Day Fun
- Rhyme Time
- Sally's Garden (Originally aired in the PBS Kids Share the Earth Day special for one minute and thirty seconds and was called "Plant a Garden". Now it is only one minute.)
- This is Our Earth (Originally aired in the PBS Kids Share the Earth Day special for one minute and thirty seconds, but now it is only one minute.)
- What's That Sound?
- You Can Be
- Rebecca Frezza and Big Truck
- Baby Brother
- Oh No!
- Five Senses
- A Place To Call Home
- Reach Up High
- The Rhythm in Your Heart
- Jump Jump Jump!
- S-H-A-R-E
- Miss Lori
- Me and My Postcards
- Mouse on the Run
- This Song About This Song
Segments
From season two to season four, there were between-show segments with the participating children. These brief activities, generally assisted or narrated by Hooper, emphasize basic literacy and numeracy, fine arts, movement, music, and health.
- Art Time
- Computer Time
- Hooper Time
- Math Time
- Movin' and Groovin' Time
- Music Time with SteveSongs
- Nature Time
- Reading Time
- Singing Time
- Science Time
- Snack Time
Starting with season five, all of these segments were discontinued, except for Music Time. Adventures with Hooper was introduced.
Shows Aired on the Block
- Curious George (2006-present)
- Clifford the Big Red Dog (2006-2009)
- Dinosaur Train (2009-present)
- Dragon Tales (2006-2008)
- It's a Big Big World (2006-2007)
- Sid the Science Kid (2008-present)
- Super Why! (2007-present)
Returning shows (as of that year) are in red; new shows (as of that year) are in green.
| PBS Kids | 8:00 a.m. | 8:30 a.m. | 9:00 a.m. | 9:30 a.m. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Curious George | Clifford the Big Red Dog | Dragon Tales | It's a Big Big World |
| 2007/2008 (2 seasons) | Curious George | Clifford the Big Red Dog | Super Why! | Dragon Tales |
| 2008 | Curious George | Sid the Science Kid | Super Why! | Clifford the Big Red Dog |
| 2009 | Curious George | Sid the Science Kid | Super Why! | Dinosaur Train |
Specials
- PBS Kids Friend Day - Friday, November 24, 2006
- George to George Marathon - Monday, February 19, 2007
- PBS Kids Share the Earth Day - Friday, April 20, 2007
- PBS Kids Hurray for Heroes! - Monday, May 25, 2009
External links
- PBS KIDS Preschool Destination web site
- Season 2 Press Release
- PBS KIDS Engages Kids with New Spanish Content and Original Music on the Popular PBS KIDS Preschool Destination Beginning May 19 (2008)
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