Dear Friends:
Welcome to WIMZIE'S HOUSE, a magical
place where the preschool children for whom you care can celebrate
their own special world. In this unique place, children can learn
how to deal with themselves, their family and friends, and the
world around them in a confident and creative way.
This guide was designed for caregivers
like you, who want to bring the excitement and enrichment of WIMZIE'S
HOUSE into your own care centers. Here you'll find a collection
of resources you can depend on to make each of the sixty-five
half-hour episodes a building block in your children's education.
Resources for each episode include:
You will also find a great deal of information
here about the goals for the project, getting the most out of using
media like WIMZIE'S HOUSE in your care center, and additional resources
as you consult and as you extend the lessons your children learn
on WIMZIE'S HOUSE. In addition, the guide provides a quick reference
for everything about WIMZIE'S HOUSE - from characters' names to
the themes of the shows enjoyed by children each day.
We like to think of WIMZIE'S HOUSE as
a place where preschool children can find something that's both
comfortably familiar and excitingly new. We know that's how you
look at your care center as well. We can work together to provide
children with a strong foundation for learning - now and in the
future.
Sincerely,
Patricia Lavoie
Series Producer, WIMZIE'S HOUSE
Welcome to Wimzie's House, an award-winning
series for pre-schoolers from CINAR Films Inc. Wimzie's House
premiered on PBS in Fall, 1997. Through the adventures of Wimzie,
her family and her friends, developmental themes dealing with
social and emotional issues are presented. Each day in Wimzie's
house a small group of monster puppet friends learn the skills
of caring and sharing under the watchful eye of Yaya, Wimzie's
150 year-old grandmother. CINAR Films Inc., in association with
Maryland Public Television, is pleased to provide this guide which
is designed to help extend the learning opportunities for young
viewers of the series. It has been designed for use by parents,
daycare providers, pre-school teachers, and anyone who provides
care to pre-school children.
| Wimzie's
House - The Series |
|
Number of Programs/Length: Season
One (40),
Season Two (25); 30 minute programs
Premiered on PBS: Fall, 1997, (check local listings for current
broadcast schedule)
Wimzie's House is a Ready To Learn (RTL) designated series.
Off-air record rights: Unlimited
through August 31, 2001.
Wimzie's House, the setting for the
stories, is familiar enough for youngsters to identify with, but
different enough to underscore that the action takes place in
an enchanted fantasy world. From the comfortable living room couch
where the gang naps to the cozy kitchen where they experiment
with creative cooking projects, Wimzie's house provides a warm,
stimulating atmosphere filled with fantasy and discovery.
The house belongs to Yaya, a dynamic
150 year-old grandmother; her great-great-great-great granddaughter,
Graziella ; Graziella's husband, Rousso; and their two children,
Wimzie and Bo. Yaya has traveled around the globe many times and
has decided that it is time to settle down. Graziella, an airline
pilot who is often away on long flights, and Rousso, a firefighter
with an irregular schedule, are delighted that Yaya has chosen
to move back in with them. Together they decide to organize a
family day care center. Sonn all sorts of nice little monsters
of different ages and from different family structures show up.
The environment provides security and stimulation (i.e., music,
books, a garden, an arts and crafts corner). The adults provide
supervision and bestow affection and comfort on Wimzie and her
friends. The characters make discoveries, have fun, experience
living within a group - and find everything they need to nourish
their over-active imaginations in this fantastic house. Each program
invites young viewers to join the group and makes them feel like
a part of the family.
| |
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-
Wimzie, a
zany, bright, energetic, 5 year-old, as whimsical as her name
-
Yaya, Wimzie's
exceptionally lively 150 year-old (and counting!) grandmother
- a wild and wacky bird
-
Rousso, Wimzie's
dad, a loyal firefighter and recycling advocate - with a green
thumb
-
Graziella,
Wimzie's mom, a warm, worldly and modern airline pilot
-
Bo, Wimzie's
18 month-old brother, a precocious bundle of curiosity and innocence
- when he's not stirring things up
-
Jonas, Wimzie's
best friend, also 5 years-old, with an impressive dirt collection
and a scientific answer for everything
-
Loulou, Jonas'
3 year-old sister, whose never-ending "whys" make her a perfect
match for her brainy brother
-
Horace, a
strong and brave 4 year-old who is artistic and lovable
Each story is a complete dramatic episode.
The stories feature the puppet characters in situations with themes
that are important to the development of young children. Each show
has songs which reinforce these themes. In addition to the main
story, each show opens with one of the puppet characters introducing
himself/herself in a brief video bio. Each show ends with two short
segments. One is called "Wimzie's Reflections." These one minute
pieces feature Wimzie, in her pajamas and ready for bed with one
of the grown-up puppet characters. In the "reflection, Wimzie reviews
something that happened during the day and is guided by the grown-up
to an understanding of that show's theme. The second short segment,
which comes after the credits, is called "Tips." In these 30 second
segments the puppet children offer tips on the following issues:
nap time; talking without permission; hitting; no means no; inside
and outside voices; excluding others; answering the phone; answering
the door; eating too fast; crossing the street; dealing with strange
animals; saying you're sorry; sneezing; brushing your teeth; and
washing your hands.
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| The Social-Emotional
Development Objectives and Themes
|
|
The WIMZIE'S HOUSE Caregiver Activity
Guide is built upon a set of themes. It was created with help and
guidance from a team of academic, child-development, and educational
television experts. The themes were incorporated into this guide
by a similarly knowledgeable and experienced team.
The series' philosophy recognizes that pre-schoolers are complex
people. At this age, they are learning to be self-sufficient as
they become more independent of their mothers and fathers. Pre-school
children use their energies and imaginations to open up the world
around them. The extraordinary expansion of their minds and the
development of their linguistic capacities assist them in their
passage toward self-sufficiency. Recognizing these most basic understandings
about pre-schoolers, the series was designed around four principal
objectives:
- To support the child in the development
of his/her identity;
- To urge the child to communicate
and create bonds with people around him/her;
- To encourage the child to adopt attitudes
and behavior that are open to differences;
- To nourish a desire within the child
for learning and discovering new things.
These four major objectives guided the
development of each show. The themes, taken from everyday experiences
provide a context in which to reinforce the objectives. Each of
the 40 shows in Season One and each of the 25 shows in Season Two
has a central theme and one
or more sub-objectives. The link on the left lists the theme of
each show; the sub-objectives are listed in each show's lesson plan.
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|
Books and Tapes
This list contains suggested resources which caregivers
may find useful in extending the lessons presented in Wimzie's House.
The list is not comprehensive; many other excellent resources are
available. It is recommended that caregivers check the supplemental
reading lists in these resources for specific topics.
- Buy Me That Series, Produced
by HBO and Consumer Reports (Available through Video Finders,
Los Angeles, 800-343-4727) [VIDEO TAPE]
- Elbows Off The Table, Napkin
in the Lap, No Video Games During Dinner, The Modern Guide To
Teaching Children Good Manners, Carol McD. Wallace, St.
Martin's Griffin, NY [BOOK]
- Feeling Strong Feeling Free:
Movement Exploration for Young Children, Molly Sullivan,
The National Association for the Education of Young Children,
Washington, DC [BOOK]
- Kids in Motion, Goodtimes
Home Video, 16 E. 40 St., New York, NY 10016 [VIDEO TAPE]
- The Kindergarten Survival Handbook,
The Before School Checklist: A Guide For Parents, Allana
Elovson, Ph.D., Parent Education Resources, Santa Monica, CA [BOOK]
- Mr. Rogers Talks With Parents,
Fred Rogers and Barry Head, Family Communications, Inc., Pittsburgh,
PA [BOOK]
- 101 Dance Games For Children
Fun and Creativity With Movement, Paul Rooyackers, Hunter
House Inc., Alameda, CA [BOOK]
- A Parent's Guide To Prevention:
Growing Up Drug Free, U.S. Department of Education, Washington,
DC. To order free copies of guide call toll free: 1-800-624-0100
[BOOK]
- The Preschool Years, Family
Strategies That Work - From Experts and Parents, Ellen
Galinsky and Judy David, Ballantine Books, NY [BOOK]
- The Smart Parents's Guide to
KIDS' TV, Milton Chen, KQED Books and Tapes, San Fransisco
[BOOK]
- Taking Charge of Your TV, The
Family and Community Critical Viewing, (Hosted by Rosie
O'Donnell) Project Produced by The Family and Community Critical
Viewing Project 1724 Massachusetts Ave, NW Washington, DC 20036
(202) 775-1044 [VIDEO TAPE]
- Young Children and Picture
Books Literature From Infancy to Six, Mary Renck Jalongo,
National Association for the Education of Young Children [BOOK]
- Zillions TV, Consumer
Reports Television (available through Video Finders, Los Angeles,
800-343-4727) [VIDEO TAPE]
Organizations
Listed below are organizations that you may find helpful in offering
further assitance on child care issues. Don't forget to ask these
associations about agencies or organizations in your home town.
- Child Care Aware
2116 Campus Drive, SE
Rochester, MN 55904
Ph: (800) 424-2246
Fax: (507) 287-7198
www.childcarerr.org/childcareaware
- National Association for the Education
of Young Children
1509 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036-1426
(202) 232-8777
(800) 424-2460
www.naeyc.org
- National Association of Child
Care Resources & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA)
1319 F Street, NW
Suite 810
Washington, DC 20004
(202) 393-5501
- US Department of Health and Human
Services
(Parent Checklist for Day Care #017-019-00231-2)
Superintendent of Documents
USG PO
Washington, DC 20424
| How Big Are
Child-Size Servings ?
|
|
The most accurate way to measure a portion
of food is with:
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- a food scale
If these aren't handy....or if you're
in a rush, here are some easy ways to estimate portions:
|
It's hard to give an easy method
for measuring out milk and other drinks:
|
- The
best thing to do is to measure 8 ounces of milk into
a measuring cup.
- Pour
the milk into your child's favorite glass.
- Make
a mental note how much of the glass it fills.
- After
you've done this a few times, you'll automatically know
how big a serving is.
|
 |
| Serving
Guidelines for Pre-schoolers Ages 3-5 |
| |
|
Caregiver
Activity Guide Advisory Committee
Milton Chen, PhD, former Center Director,
KQED Center for Education
Sherryl Brown Graves, PhD, Professor
and Chairperson, Department of Educational Foundations and Counseling
Programs, Hunter College
Gerald S. Lesser, PhD, Professor of
Education and Developmental Psychology, Harvard University
Barbara Karth, MEd, Consultant and RTL
Master Trainer, Chevy Chase, Maryland
Renee Martinez, MA, Dean of Academic
Affairs, East Los Angeles College
Linda Reid, MD, Pediatrician, UCLA
Caroline Seckinger, MFA, Consultant,
El Cerrito, California
The WIMZIE'S HOUSE Caregiver Activity
Guide represents a collaborative effort by CINAR Films Inc., Maryland
Public Television and Mitroff MediaMakers.
| Project
Management Executive |
Lori Evans Lama
CINAR Films Inc. |
| Vice President
of National Productions |
John Potthast
Maryland Public Television |
| Vice President
of Education and Telecommunications |
Gail Porter Long
Maryland Public Television |
| Director
of Educational Materials Development |
Donna Mitroff, PhD
Mitroff MediaMakers |
| Project
Director |
Kimberly A. T. Mullaney
Maryland Public Television |
| Curriculum
Material Designers |
Mary S. Rivkin, PhD
Maryland Public Television
Jill Harrison
Mitroff MediaMakers
Kelly DeLap
Mitroff MediaMakers
|
| Art Direction |
Jean Gauvin
CINAR Films Inc. |
| Graphic
Design |
JoAnn Juskus
Maryland Public Television |
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