Dragon Tales

This initiative is informed by an educational philosophy that uses engaging animated characters to encourage children to take on new or difficult challenges, to show them that there is more than one way to approach a challenge, and to help them understand that trying but not succeeding is a valuable, natural part of learning. To that end, each Dragon Tales TV episode focuses on the challenges that young children face every day, from finding different ways to express their emotions to learning how to tie their shoes. Child development experts helped the writers craft the shows so that they provide useful strategies that preschoolers can bring to real-life situations. The animated Dragon Tales characters - 3 children (Emmy and Max, who are siblings, and their bilingual neighbour Enrique) and 4 dragons - work together to overcome challenges. With the help of Enrique, the new episodes showcase Hispanic heritage, culture, and customs through folk stories, songs, and children's games. Each show is divided into two 12-minute adventures linked by a sing-a-long. Click here to access information about specific airing times in the USA on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

Like the show, the interactive Dragon Tales website is designed for children ages 3 to 6, encouraging them to use their imagination, pursue different and challenging learning experiences through a diverse range of games and activities, and try to accomplish the unique goal of each online learning activity and not give up. This online educational resource offers printable activities, colouring pages, interactive story books, and music; it also includes a Spanish language component.

The website also includes a number of resources and strategies designed for parents and teachers. For instance, online and offline activities are detailed to help reinforce the educational themes of each programme; several focus on Spanish-language skills and music. Also included are features such as:

• viewing tips - for example, "Dragon Tales is most effective when you watch the show with your child. As you watch, you can talk about the story. When the characters aren't sure what to do, encourage your child to think of ways to solve the problem. Talk about times when your child has faced similar challenges. And don't forget to have fun! Get up with your child and sing and dance along with the music!"
• lesson plans for teachers, who may tape and use episodes at no charge for educational purposes for up to one year.

Early Childhood Development, Education, Tolerance.