Martha on the Case - Brossura

Three independent studies have recently reported that the highly rated PBS KIDS series Martha Speaks is an effective early-intervention tool in increasing young children’s vocabulary.

TV Research Results:
- On average, children who watched Martha Speaks had a significantly greater increase in vocabulary knowledge compared to children who did not watch the show.

- Children who watched Martha Speaks significantly outperformed their non-viewing peers in providing more detailed and accurate definitions of vocabulary words targeted by the show.

- Children were able to retain the increased vocabulary, and showed even greater gains on targeted words weeks after the study ended.

- These increases are comparable to traditional classroom vocabulary instruction (such as reading out loud) for kids who viewed multiple episodes of the show.

- Martha Speaks has proven to be an effective and powerful television project that has served low-income families throughout the US as an inexpensive means of introducing young children to key early-learning and literacy experiences.

iPhone App Research Results:
- Children 3-to-7 years-old who played with the Martha Speaks Dog Party app tested up to 31 percent higher in vocabulary.

- Mobile apps can provide an engaging, educational experience for kids. More than half of [parents] participating in the study saying that it is "very important" for their child to learn from media they use.

In sum, the goal of the Martha Speaks TV show is to promote vocabulary acquisition through explicit instructions of words, repetitions of words, and themes connecting words. The Martha Speaks books encourage vocabulary comprehension as well—throughout the text, in the glossaries for the chapter books, and through enjoyable word games.

Actual study results in detail and press releases available.