Cyberchase
For one of my children, trying to explain math concepts is often an exercise in futility. He hates math, wants nothing to do with math, and frankly would prefer never to have to look at another math problem in his life. Never mind the fact that he wants to go into some form of computer science, right? So the advent of Cyberchase a few years ago was a welcome addition, pardon the pun, to our daily TV viewing.
Cyberchase follows the adventures of three Earth children named Matt, Jackie and Inez, who are all around 10 years old, it seems. Finding themselves sucked out of their local library into the cyber-world, they are asked to help fix the ruler of all Cyberspace, the kindly Mother Board, who has been given a dreadful virus by a former droid assistant called The Hacker (voiced by Christopher Lloyd) who desperately wants to take over Cyberspace and be the new ruler.
In each episode, the kids visit different worlds, called cyber-sites, and try once again to foil Hacker's evil plans. They are assisted in these efforts by Digit, a robotic bird who used to work for Hacker but who is now on the side of Mother Board. Cartoon watchers will instantly recognize the voice of the unforgettable Gilbert Gottfried, who has apparently managed to get himself typecast as, of all things, birds of all kinds.
Each episode features a math concept and explains it in several different ways. So many topics are covered I can't begin to list them all; fractions, negative numbers, multiplication, decimals, time, various measurements, geometry, ratios and more. To make sure that the audience understands, there are always several challenges or problems that must be faced and overcome in order to win the day. The storylines are always engaging and exciting, keeping the child's attention, yet they don't realize how much they are being taught the entire time. By the end of each episode, your child should have a fairly firm grasp of the concept presented that day.
In addition, there are also the wonderful resources provided by the Cyberchase website at PBSKids.com. There are games and activities available for further reinforcement for every episode. Some games are just plain fun, while others keep them on their toes mathematically. There are also parent and teacher resources available through the site.
If you'd asked me several years ago if a children's TV show about math was possible, I would have laughed at you. But Cyberchase has definitely proved me wrong, and I want to say Kudos! to the folks who came up with the concept for this show. It has proved itself a hit and has made my job as a teaching mom that much easier, while at the same time providing fun, quality TV entertainment for my children. PBS, thank you!
