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Coming Together: Sesame Street Resources on Racial Literacy

Sesame Workshop continues its major commitment to racial justice with new resources and content called “Coming Together” to help families talk to young children about race and identity. 

All kids need a strong individual and group identity, but racism hurts the healthy development of both, as well as our entire society. Whether you and the children in your care are directly affected by racism or you’re allies of those who are, engaging honestly and directly with little ones is the beginning of building racial literacy (the skills needed to talk thoughtfully about race and to identify and respond to racism). 

Please note: All of the resources listed below and available through Sesame Street in Communities are designed for co-viewing, co-learning, and co-participation – meaning that to create the most meaningful experience and takeaways, adults and children should use them together.

I Am Somebody Song:

I Am Somebody (Giant Song) #ComingTogether
You and Me Makes We Song #ComingTogether
#ComingTogether Playlist

Coming Together is rooted in extensive research and consultation with experts to develop a groundbreaking Racial Justice educational framework and curriculum for young children. Like the science-based whole-child model that Sesame Street is known for, this framework will help guide and inform the creation of new Sesame Workshop content going forward—including future seasons of Sesame Street. This collection of resources are designed to provide families with the tools they need to build racial literacy, to have open conversations with young children, to engage allies and advocates to become upstanders against racism, and more, Coming Together includes a racial justice educational framework, ongoing research, and a rolling release of new content.

Where to Find Coming Together Resources: You can find all of the resources connected to Coming Together and Racial Justice by following the below links.

Learn More: Sesame Street in Communities Race, Ethnicity, and Culture Resources

Parenting Minutes

Parenting Minutes is a series of short videos from the WNET Group/Channel THIRTEEN (WXXI’s sister station serving New York City) that focuses on key topics related to early childhood learning and raising children.

Parenting Minutes are short videos that focus on key topics related to early childhood learning and raising children. Videos are available in multiple languages, including: English, Spanish, Bengali, and Chinese. 

Explore the full collection of Parenting Minutes videos and resources here. 

Here are a few of WXXI Education’s favorite Parenting Minutes videos in English and Spanish:

Family Discovery Walks:
See how one family spends time together and promotes curiosity on a “discovery walk”.

Sharing Feelings:
Hear how one family makes time to share feelings each day to promote a healthy dialogue around emotions and mental health. 


Routines:
See how one family creates a family schedule to help set a routine for the week. 

Explore the rest of the Parenting Minutes videos and resources here. 

Parenting Minutes is a production of The WNET Group. ©2016-2021 THIRTEEN Productions LLC. All Rights Reserved. Major funding for Parenting Minutes has been provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and Learning Heroes with support from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Additional funding is provided by Helena Rubinstein Foundation, The V & L Marx Foundation, and The Henry and Lucy Moses Fund.

PBS KIDS for Parents in English & Spanish! / ¡PBS KIDS para padres en inglés y español!

PBS KIDS for Parents is a website that provides valuable information and resources to help raise happy, healthy, smart and kind kids. In an effort to provide inclusive, relatable, and valuable content to families of all backgrounds, PBS KIDS for Parents launched a Spanish version of the site. Click on the Button on the Right (Español)

Check it out in English at PBS.org/parents and in Spanish at PBS.org/es/parents.

PBS KIDS para padres es un sitio web que proporciona información y recursos valiosos para ayudar a criar niños felices, saludables, inteligentes y amables. En un esfuerzo por ofrecer un contenido inclusivo, relevante y valioso para las familias de todos los orígenes, PBS KIDS ha lanzado una versión en español del sitio web. Haga clic en el botón de la derecha. (Español)

Compruébelo en PBS.org/es/parents.

Free PBS KIDS Apps

Whether at home or on the go, families can access the same trusted, educational content from PBS KIDS in video or game form – anytime, anywhere. Families are in the driver seat when using the free apps below. Parents and caregivers can trust that when kids watch or play PBS KIDS they are using safe, non-violent, non-commercial, educational technology to learn.

PBS KIDS Video App

Logo image of the PBS KIDS Video app; yellow background with blue and green PBS KIDS logo.

The FREE PBS KIDS Video app let’s kids watch their favorite PBS KIDS shows anytime, anywhere! Stream the PBS KIDS 24/7 channel on the app or tap the “LIVE TV” button to watch what’s airing on WXXI live! The app provides a safe, child-friendly viewing experience. Most recently, the app also provides access to the newest PBS KIDS content: PODCASTS! PBS KIDS podcasts bring your favorite shows and characters to life in audio form.

PBS KIDS Games App

Light blue background with dark blue and green PBS KIDS logo.

The PBS KIDS Games app makes learning fun and safe with amazing mini-games featuring your favorite PBS KIDS friends like Daniel Tiger, Wild Kratts, Donkey Hodie, Alma’s Way, and more! Hundreds of free educational games designed for kids 2-8 – built to engage, educate, and have fun without taking kids away from real-life experiences. These educational games give kids a space to play and learn using skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, and more!

Trusted Media Helpers

We know the technology world can be a little (or a lot!) overwhelming. Here are a few trusted tools to help can help parents and caregivers make the most informed media and technology decisions for young kids:

Common Sense Media is a hub that can be used to check if media (movies, apps, games, TV/YouTube shows) is appropriate. Common Sense Media “offers families well-researched guidance, age-based ratings, and expert reviews”. Click the link and then type in the media you’re looking to check (i.e. “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood”) and read the results – age appropriateness, evaluations and reviews from experts and parents, descriptions, checks for language/violence/inappropriate topics, and more. They also have a helpful Family Tech Planner to guide families in creating healthy media habits.

5 C’s of Media are a set of media questions and suggestions for families with young children, created* by the American Academy of Pediatrics (and adopted by many other trusted organizations, such as Zero to Three). Not only does it matter what a child is watching or consuming, but each of the 5 C’s reference different pieces of the media puzzle that help parents and caregivers decide what’s appropriate for each child. The 5 C’s are: child, content, calm, crowding out, and communication. The 5 C’s provide parents and caregivers with a way to reflect on media habits and come up with a Family Media Plan that works for their own family.
*The 5 C’s expand upon the 3 C’s developed by Lisa Guernsey in her book, The Three Cs: Content, Context, and Your Child in 2016.

WXXI Community Observation Challenge

Join WXXI as we continue to be community scientists and observe our community through a special ongoing WXXI Community Observation Challenge!

Let’s explore the biodiversity our region has to offer by sharing photos of wildlife observations in backyards, local parks, nature trails, sidewalks…Participation is easy, free, and open to anyone in the Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes region. Help us see all the different living things in our community and get excited about being citizen scientists. 

What to do:

  1. Download the free iNaturalist app onto your device. 
  2. Find wildlife – any plant, animal, tracks, bug, etc. 
  3. Take a photo of whatever you find (and remember where you found it!).
  4. Upload your picture to the iNaturalist app and choose the project: WXXI Community Observation Challenge

(Not into using an app? Snap photos of your observations and remember the important details [date, time, location] and then upload on the iNaturalist website later!)

This project is ongoing! So get outside (yes, even in the winter!), explore, observe and participate as many times as you’d like!

To participate in the Backyard Observation Challenge, download the FREE iNaturalist app, which works on all devices – Android version and Apple version. Need help learning how to use iNaturalist? Check out some of the video tutorials. Teachers: there’s even an iNaturalist educator guide to help with use in your classroom instruction!

Take your nature knowledge up a notch with Seek! Use the power of image recognition technology to identify the plants and animals all around you. No registration is involved, and no user data is collected. This is a great app for families who want to spend more time exploring nature together. Learn more and download the Seek by iNaturalist app!

Wild Kratts: Videos, Games & Activities

Play games and watch full episodes of The Wild Kratts: https://pbskids.org/wildkratts

Join Chris and Martin Kratt in “Wild Kratts,” a series for children ages 4 to 8! In each episode, the Kratt Brothers travel to a different corner of the world to meet amazing new animals and learn about them and their habitats. It’s all wrapped up in engaging stories of laugh-out-loud adventure and mystery as the Kratt Brothers activate their creature power suits to rescue their animal friends!

Mask Maker Activity Challenge

Where to Watch:

Watch Full Episodes Below on this Wild Kratts Playlist

WXXI Education Favorites
Here are a few of our favorite Wild Kratts Activities & Articles: 

Wild Kratts Collection from PBS LearningMedia
In this collection:

Learn more at the PBS KIDS for Parents Wild Kratts Show Page

Read

Dinosaur Train: Videos, Games & Activities

Play games and watch full episodes of Dinosaur Train: https://pbskids.org/dinosaurtrain/

“Dinosaur Train” embraces and celebrates the fascination that preschoolers have with both dinosaurs and trains! Kids can join Buddy and his adoptive Pteranodon family on a whimsical voyage through prehistoric jungles, swamps, volcanoes and oceans, as they unearth basic concepts in life science, natural history and paleontology.

Where to Watch:

Watch Full Episodes Below on this Dinosaur Train Playlist

WXXI Education Favorites
Here are a few of our favorite Dinosaur Train Activities & Articles: 

Dinosaur Train Collection from PBS LearningMedia
In this collection:

Learn more at the PBS KIDS for Parents Dinosaur Train Show Page

Alma’s Way: Videos, Games & Activities

Play games and watch full episodes of Alma’s Way: https://pbskids.org/almasway in English and play games in Spanish/en Español:

NEW!: Watch the Full Movie: Alma’s Summertime Musical

“Alma’s Way” is an engaging, animated series for children ages 4 to 6 created by Sonia Manzano, who played Maria on “Sesame Street.” The series stars 6-year-old Alma Rivera, a proud and confident Bronx-born, Puerto Rican girl, who lives in the Bronx with her family and a diverse group of friends and neighbors. In each story, Alma speaks directly to the audience in her “Think Through” moments, where she learns to think for herself, make decisions, and understand other people’s points of view — while making lots of messy and hilarious mistakes all along the way.

Where to Watch:

Watch Full Episodes & Clips Below on this Alma’s Way Playlist / Alma’s way Episodio Completo

WXXI Education Favorites
Here are a few of our favorite Alma’s Way Activities & Articles: 

Alma’s Collection from PBS LearningMedia includes Video Activity Bundles & Games

Learn more at the PBS KIDS for Parents Alma’s Way Show Page

Learn the Alma’s Way theme song: 

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