Introducing short, educational episodes featuring real-world situations to help children learn to count
Ontario preschoolers will soon have a fun, new way to develop counting skills. Featuring a beloved TVO character parents may remember from the series Polka Dot Door (1971-1993), TVOkids Original Polkaroo Counts! premieres on Monday, August 9, 2021 on TVOkids, TVOkids.com, the TVOkids preschool YouTube channel and the TVOkids Roku channel.
Co-produced with award-winning children’s content creators, GAPC Entertainment, this live-action preschool series supports learning how to count through real-world examples and visuals created by children who are featured on the show. Viewers will see Polkaroo and friends engage in everyday situations that involve foundational math concepts, from skip-counting to making repeating patterns.
“It’s exciting to watch a new generation of children connect with Polkaroo, especially as an advocate for learning foundational math and number sense skills,” says Marney Malabar, Director of Kids TV, TVO. “Preschoolers will quickly gain an appreciation of how their day-to-day activities involve counting.”
Polkaroo Counts! was filmed entirely in Ottawa with a diverse local cast. Each two-and-a-half-minute episode incorporates easy-to-understand language and relatable mistakes, encouraging viewers to explore and practice to reach new milestones in math learning.
“Polkaroo Counts! uses tangible materials, including fingers, to teach children to think about numbers and how they are made,” says Dr. Lynda Colgan, an early mathematics education specialist who helped develop the series. “This series captures the important notion that when it comes to mathematics, play is the engine of learning.”
“Filming with Polkaroo was like being with a movie star, with so many people stopping for pictures and a chance to express their love for this adorable character,” says senior producer Hoda Elatawi. “We can’t wait to produce another upcoming series for TVOkids — Polkaroo Reads!, which will focus on preschooler literacy.”
Watch TVOkids Original Polkaroo Counts! starting Monday, August 9 on TVOkids and stream it anytime on TVOkids.com, YouTube and Roku.