On Saturday mornings in the '70s and '80s, my friends and I would watch Schoolhouse Rock. It was a cartoon series that taught us a lot about numbers, history, and grammar. We didn't mind that the cartoons were educational. In fact, we were too busy singing along to the catchy lyrics and cute music to notice. To this day, I can belt out all the words to "Conjunction Junction, What's Your Function?"
Rewatching clips of Schoolhouse Rock not only made me nostalgic for my childhood, but allowed me to appreciate the show's educational value. It wasn't just cute, it was great! Concepts are so well explained, and the catchy lyrics make them stick. As anyone with kids who sing along to hundreds of pop songs can attest, music is a powerful tool in retention of information.
My kids enjoyed watching clips of Schoolhouse Rock. The look of the animation is outdated, but the kids soon forgot about it when they got into the humour and the lyrics. They never said it was lame!
Here are some of my old favourites, and a few of my kids' new favourites.
What would you add to this list, and which have you shared with your kids?
CONJUNCTION JUNCTION Subject: Grammar
I'M JUST A BILL. Subject: How a Bill Becomes a Law in the U.S.
COUNTING BY FIVES. Subject: Addition, Multiplication
LOLLY, LOLLY, LOLLY GET YOUR ADVERBS HERE. (Packed with useful info. Saved me on many tests.)
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