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“The letters in the soup went up to Martha’s brain instead of down to her stomach.
That evening, Martha spoke.”
Based on the best-selling children’s book series by Susan Meddaugh, the Martha Speaks animated TV series follows the adventures of Martha, a loveable dog whose appetite for alphabet soup gives her the ability to speak. Using her newfound abilities, Martha gets jobs, wears disguises, foils bad guys, wins contests and orders lots of steaks. A dog’s breakfast of messes and hilarious entanglements ensue for Martha, her family and the unsuspecting people of her town who make up the comic heart of the series. Being a talking dog, Martha lives in a vocabulary-rich environment.
With two stories in each episode, kids will get to know Martha as an outspoken, honest, smart, confident dog who loves to eat (and talk!). They will also meet the rest of Martha's family and friends. Ten-year-old Helen is Martha's best friend. Martha encourages the shy, artistic Helen to be more outgoing and brave. Helen acts as the voice of reason for Martha. It's a relationship any dog, or pet-lover, can appreciate.
The goal of Martha Speaks is to increase oral vocabulary, the words we use when we talk. The shows are not trying to teach kids how to read. They are designed to help kids understand what words mean when they hear them; words like retrieve, sprout, and crave. Vocabulary is one thing that predicts if children will be good readers. Once they are in school and they see these words, children will need to know what they mean. If children have heard the words before, that familiarity will help them as they learn to read. Martha Speaks is designed to teach up to 20 words in each show. And how better to get kids excited about learning and trying out new words than with a talking dog, who just can't stop talking?!
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