The TV Teacher: Strokes, Shapes & Scenes

In this excellent program aimed at autistic and other special-needs children, the engaging Miss Marnie (real-life pediatric occupational therapist Marnie Danielson) teaches kids aged 2-to-8 fine-motor and thinking skills necessary for both handwriting and creative drawing. Young viewers will learn how to make basic strokes, recognize and create common shapes, and practice memory recall and creative thinking—newfound abilities that come together in sketching and coloring pictures of “adventures.” Strokes, Shapes & Scenes is divided into three sections that generally follow the same format, with Miss Marnie singing the instructions for what will be drawn as she demonstrates the same on a chalkboard, using plenty of real-life examples (a diagonal line is a slide; a circle is a lollipop). Smartly employing lots of repetition, Miss Marnie also shows the lively bunch of multicultural tots here the correct way to grasp writing utensils while an overhead camera captures the process she uses to turn strokes and shapes into fun pictures (a bonus segment also offers a short instructional guide for parents or teachers). Likely to appeal to younger general audiences overall as well as the intended target group, this program is highly recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (E. Gieschen)