PBS Kids Preschool Block
The PBS Kids Preschool Block is a block of children's television shows which aired on PBS Kids. The block premiered with Curious George on Monday, September 4, 2006 (Labor Day 2006). The block was aired weekdays at 7:00 AM on WITF and 8:00 AM local time on most PBS member stations. The block dissolved in 2013 with the introduction of the updated PBS Kids brand.
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 Jennifer Pena (not to be confused with Grammy-nominated Latin singer Jennifer Peña), an actress and teacher who currently resides in New Jersey.
- 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 the 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. Max Marko a Middle School student in Amherst, New York is the voice of Hooper. He was in elementary school when he was picked to be the voice of Hooper.
- Miss Lori: Miss Lori was a PBS Kids preschool teacher until fall 2009. She led 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, Illinois.
- Dash: Dash is the computer-animated boy from the PBS Kids logo. He hosted Dash's Secret Treasure Game and Dash's Dance Party.
- Dot: Dot was the computer-animated girl from the old variation of the PBS Kids logo. She was included in the hosted segments of the programming block starting in 2007. She is featured in Dot's Story Factory, a storytelling game that kids can play online at the PBS Kids site.
Throughout the block
Season 1 premiered on September 4, 2006. Characters included Miss Lori, Hooper, and Dash, who were featured before and after each program. 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, which was related to a daily curriculum. 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. Dash's Game of the Day aired just before Dragon Tales. Dash showed viewers how to play a game on the PBS Kids website.
Season 2 premiered on September 3, 2007 and introduced Dot to the character cast. Dragon Tales was moved to make room for Super Why which replaced It's a Big Big World. Dot's Story Factory started this season. Dot showed 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.
Season 3 started on May 5, 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.
Season 4 started on September 1, 2008 and Sid the Science Kid premiered, pushing Clifford the Big Red Dog to a new time and removing Dragon Tales from the block, and two new live-action characters were introduced: Miss Rosa and Mr. Steve. All characters seen in previous seasons were also in 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. This entire programming block can be shown on the weekends now from 7am-9am.
Season 5 started on September 7, 2009. Clifford the Big Red Dog was replaced by Dinosaur Train. Dot's Story Factory was usually shown at the end of every show rather than only one show. Miss Rosa, Hooper, Mr. Steve, and this is the last season were Miss Lori appears in, and Dash's Secret Treasure continued to air.
Season 6 started on September 6, 2010. The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That premiered on this date, and retired Sid the Science Kid from the block. A new segment called Dash's Dance Party encourage children to be active and dance. It alternates daily with Dash's Secret Treasure Game. Miss Rosa, Mr. Steve and Hooper continue to be seen throughout the two hours. As of this season, Miss Lori is no longer seen. The entire programming block is now in high-definition, except for some funding promos and older episodes of Curious George.
On October 7, 2013, Peg + Cat premiered, taking Super Why's timeshot from the schedule. The PBS Kids brand was refreshed at this time, and the block dissolved. Interstitials featuring Miss Rosa and SteveSongs, and other musical spots still air before or after select programs throughout the day on PBS Kids. Program credits were repackaged for Curious George and Daniel Tiger in 2014.
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
During program breaks, the preschool children, Hooper, or other characters take part in entertaining activities. These brief activities, generally assisted or narrated by Hooper, emphasize basic literacy and numeracy, fine arts, movement, music, and health. Many of these segments are also featured after programs not included in this block, including shows such as Caillou and Barney.
- Adventures with Hooper
- Coach Hooper
- Dash's Dance Party
- Dash's Secret Treasure
- Dot's Story Factory
- DJ Hooper
- Music Time with SteveSongs
- PBS Kids Field Trip
- Video E-mail from PBS Kids characters.
- Where in the World is Hooper?
Shows aired on the Block
Weekdays
Returning shows (as of that year) are in green, new shows (as of that year) are in red.
| PBS Kids | 8:00 a.m. | 8:30 a.m. | 9:00 a.m. | 9:30 a.m. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–2007 | Curious George | Clifford the Big Red Dog | Dragon Tales | It's a Big Big World |
| 2007–2008 | Curious George | Super Why! | Dragon Tales | |
| 2008–2009 | Sid the Science Kid | Super Why! | Clifford the Big Red Dog | |
| 2009–2010 | Sid the Science Kid | Dinosaur Train | ||
| 2010–2013 | The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! | Dinosaur Train | ||
| 2013–2014 | The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! | Peg + Cat | ||
| 2014 | Curious George | Peg + Cat | ||
| 2014–present | Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood | Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood |
Weekends
| PBS Kids | 7:00 a.m. | 7:30 a.m. | 8:00 a.m. | 8:30 a.m. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–2009 | Curious George | Sid the Science Kid | Super Why! | Clifford the Big Red Dog |
| 2009–2010 | Sid the Science Kid | Dinosaur Train | ||
| 2010–2013 | The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! | Dinosaur Train | ||
| 2013–2014 | The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! | Peg + Cat | ||
| 2014–present | Curious George | Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood | Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood |
Specials
2006
- PBS Kids Friend Day (November 24, 2006)
2007
- Curious George: George to George Marathon (February 19, 2007)
- PBS Kids Share the Earth Day (April 20, 2007)
2008
- Super Why: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (December 9, 2008)
2009
- Super Why: Hurray for Heroes! (May 25, 2009)
- Sid the Science Kid: Getting a Shot You Can Do It! (October 26, 2009)
- Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas (November 25, 2009)
- Super Why: The Nutcracker (November 25, 2009)
2010
- Dinosaur Train: Pterandon Family World Tour Week (May 24–27, 2010)
- Sid the Science Kid: No School Sing-a-long Special (June 21, 2010)
- Super Why: The Beach Day Mystery (July 12, 2010)
- Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey! (November 24, 2010)
2011
- Super Why: The Story of Mother Goose (February 21, 2011)
- Dinosaur Train: Dinosaur Big City (August 22–23, 2011)
- Super Why: Introduces Woofster Week (September 12–16, 2011)
- Curious George The Movie (November 24, 2011)
2012
- Super Why: Time Travel Week (January 16–19, 2012)
- Dinosaur Train: Earthquake Week (February 6–9, 2012)
- The Cat in the Hat-a-Thon (March 2, 2012)
- Dinosaur Train: Dinos A-Z (May 14–18, 2012)
- Super Why: Around the World Adventure (June 15, 2012)
- Curious George: Monkey Business Week (June 25–29, 2012)
- Super Why: Royal Reading Week (July 2–6, 2012)
- Dinosaur Train: Gone Fishing Week (July 16–20, 2012)
- The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! Creepy Crawley Week (July 30 - August 3, 2012)
- Dinosaur Train: Big Dinosaur Week (August 13–16, 2012)
- Super Why: School Adventures Week (October 8–11, 2012)
- The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas! (November 21, 2012)
2013
- Dinosaur Train: Submarine Adventures Week (February 18–22, 2013)
- The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!: Fabulous Animals Week (April 15–19, 2013)
- Curious George Swings into Spring! (April 22, 2013)
- Super Why: Super You Week (June 10–14, 2013)
- Curious George: Creative George Week (July 1–5, 2013)
- Dinosaur Train: Dinosaurs A to Z a Special 2 Day Event (July 8–11, 2013)
- The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!: Let's Get Wet Week (July 22–26, 2013)
- Peg + Cat: One-Hour Premiere (October 7, 2013)
- Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest (October 28, 2013)
2014
- Dinosaur Train: Nature Trackers Adventure Camp Week (January 20–24, 2014)
- Dr. Seuss' Birthday Catebration (March 3–7, 2014)
- Peg + Cat: Super Peg Week (May 5–9, 2014)
- Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest! (October 31, 2014)
- Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas (November 26, 2014)
- Peg + Cat + Holidays (December 17, 2014)
2015
- Peg + Cat: PEG ROCKS! (March 2-5, 2015)
- Curious George Swings into Spring! (March 30-April 3, 2015)
References
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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