She really won't sit and watch much - only a few things captivate her attention. Elmo or Abby if they are actually on the screen, but not Sesame Street in general (I don't like SS because of the way it teaches some things, so we don't watch it very often).
The Backyardigans will always hold her attention for the entire show, and I like it. It teaches imaginative play and cooperation without beating the poor kid over the head with it. Hey, having fun should be fun, right?
But there is a new show on PBS that will hold her attention from the first note to the last and she actually asks for more! I have it on the TiVo we like it that much, and they are only 4 episodes into the series.Sid the Science Kid is a Jim Henson creation for PBS Kids. It teaches scientific concepts in a fun way following national science learning standards and cognitive learning theory. After a little more research, I have found that it also follows the preschool science curriculum, Preschool Pathways to Science.
They don't dumb the topics down just for the sake of making them easier to understand. They use tough concepts in an imaginative environment with a bit of repetition to help the child understand the concept.
The characters are a little stereotypical, but that is the only flaw I can find. The quiet and studious Asian girl, the loopy air-headed cheerleader type, and the ADD, hyper and a bit slow witted white kid all get along in their classroom and learn fun things in the Super Fab Lab where they experiment and observe everyday. Sid is the Science Kid with a funny laugh and a brain that needs filled with tons of information!
Any show that helps kids understand that math and science are cool and fun is worth watching. I am especially excited about it for my little girl - because I want her to be excited about these things. I have degrees in math and science based fields, and I am severely outnumbered by the men... we need to change that!