With the goal of improving vocabulary for kids 4 to 7, the new animated program ‘Martha Speaks’ debuts Sept. 1, 3:30 pm with a special run of 3 programs. Martha is a talking dog (alphabet soup mishap origin!) from the books by Susan Meddaugh. Read more here. Official site here.

Produced by The Jim Henson Co., ‘Sid’ is a animated series that encourages preschoolers to explore the science in the everyday, such as melting popsicles and sneezing. Thirteen will air 2 hours of ‘Sid’ on Sept. 1 at 10:00 am. Kids’ site here. Parents read more here.

…and explore the wonders of the rainforest and learn more about the plants, animals and people who call these ecosystems home. Created in collaboration with the Rainforest Alliance, the Treehouse site is an innovative way for children to discover how their lives are connected to tropical forests.

PBS and Thirteen has a few websites with resources, education, games, and links for parents (that means dads too) and other child caregivers.

One of News Flash 5’s kid correspondents, Nicholas, age 10, presents a compelling argument for continuing to teach fractions in school…(if you’re not familiar with the debate, see a see news story on the opposite side of the debate, a professor calling for the elimination of fraction instruction.)