What's the Word on the Street? Literacy!

Vocabulary project engages children in hands-on language learning

There's a smiling, scraggly-haired monster roaming Sesame Street, and he's on the prowl for tasty new words and their meanings. We're talking about Murray Monster, star of "What's the Word on the Street?" In this literacy segment, Murray searches high and low for ways to expand his vocabulary, exposing viewers to dozens of words, such as "pirouette," "scrumptious," and "cactus."

Watch the Word on the Street Podcast!

Murray Monster understands that words are fun, interesting, and altogether scrumptious, but there's more to their charm -- they are crucial tools for learning new information and contextualizing experiences. Sesame Workshop curriculum specialist Rebecca Honig explains that words "help us comprehend the world around us and express ourselves."

For children to express their ideas and learn from their everyday experiences, developing a diverse vocabulary at home is key. Without access to a wide range of words, children are more likely to learn to read without learning how to read for meaning, which presents a major obstacle as the child progresses academically.

Closing the 30 million word gap

Not all children grow up absorbing as many words as they are capable of. According to a 2003 study by Betty Hart and Todd Risley called "The Early Catastrophe," children from low-income families hear 30 million fewer words than their peers by the time they reach the age of 5. When these children enter school, they are at a serious disadvantage.

"For preschoolers, the road to reading begins with a broad exposure to language that will help them understand their everyday experiences," says Jeanette Betancourt, vice president of outreach at Sesame Workshop.

Through "What's the Word on the Street?" the Workshop is reaching out across all socioeconomic and academic backgrounds to close this troubling 30 million word gap. By providing families with resources for enriching language and vocabulary development at home, the bilingual (English and Spanish) multiple-media initiative ensures that children develop the literacy skills they need to successfully start their academic careers.

Using physical movement to build language skills

To help children learn new words, the Word on the Street materials include activity sheets, podcasts, and an interactive word game. These materials all encourage children to explore words with all of their senses, encouraging children to jump up and act out words, read stories, make up songs, ask questions, and engage their imaginations. For example, the word cards demonstrate the meanings of 26 different words. The back of each card shows a learning exercise that uses imaginative play and physical activity to get children thinking about the concepts they are learning. On the card for the word "stuck," a child can imagine she is stuck inside a giant marshmallow. For "robot," she can pretend to be a robot while getting ready for bed. For "cactus," she strikes her most prickly pose. 

Honig explains that using movement to build language skills is a great way to reinforce word memorization, since pairing a word with a physical movement creates a connection that the body will also remember. Known as kinesthetic learning, this approach helps children experience words rather than just hear them, therefore making it more likely that they will remember what the words mean. For example, tossing a ball at a target while learning the word "toss" places its meaning within a context that the child can understand.

"Kinesthetic learning provides a hands-on approach to learning," Honig explains. "It contextualizes the word within an experience, helping the child's mind and body remember the word's definition."

The game, word cards, and activity pages are great for children and parents to experience together, and will have them doing pirouettes, counting the number of legs on a butterfly, and even looking for mustaches in their search for vocabulary.

The word buzz continues with five-minute Word on the Street podcasts, which show Murray talking to people on the street about the meaning of complex words like "octagon" and "Laundromat." The results are not only educational, they're hilarious; in one podcast, TV host Ellen DeGeneres dances around in a pink tutu to demonstrate the meaning of the word "ballet." In another, football player Jason Taylor explains the word "toss" as someone throws a cow at him.

Streetlights on the road to reading

In addition to materials for children, Word on the Street includes a Word Guide for parents and caregivers. The guide outlines four approaches for helping children learn new words: ask questions, use movement, tell stories, and link words to familiar concepts.

There is also a facilitator guide for communities interested in leading grown-ups through a workshop on using the Word on the Street materials. During these workshops, children and adults play the Word Race game, watch podcasts, and brainstorm ideas about how to explore difficult language concepts. Parents and educators can then bring the power of language from Sesame Street to their street, teaching Word on the Street's lessons at community events, parent conferences, health fairs, and more.

Funding Partners

Beaches
McDonald's
Earth's Best Organic
American Greetings
New Balance
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
PBS Kids