Just Vocabulary – Podcast Review

If you or your teenagers would like to improve your vocabulary, give the Just Vocabulary podcast a try. They have over 400 podcast episodes, each featuring two different words from sources like the GRE test list. Each podcast covers two different words, one at a time. The word is repeated several times, then spelled. Several example sentences are spoken, using the word in context. The listener is told what kind of word this is – noun, verb, adjective. And if the etymology is helpful, they will explain where the word was derived from. Alternate meanings and usages are also stated, … Continue reading →

StoryCorps – Podcast Review

StoryCorps is my favorite podcast. I’ve been listening to the program for years, and I’m thrilled it is now available as a podcast. The StoryCorps people travel around the country recording the stories of everyday people. Since 2003, they have interviewed tens of thousands of people. The storytellers get a free CD to take home and share. The stories are also archived at the Library of Congress for future generations. Every time I hear StoryCorps podcast I am so grateful for this oral history project. The stories are marvelous, and provide such an insight into other people’s lives. So what … Continue reading →

What Not to Wear – Video Podcast

Tristi’s review of What Not to Wear had me so intrigued that I had to watch it. I watched a few shows and really enjoyed seeing these women gain confidence, find clothes for their age and style, and become comfortable in their own bodies. Browsing through podcasts the other day I was thrilled to discover that stylists Stacy London and Clinton Kelly have sixteen short video podcasts that can be viewed online or downloaded to cell phones and Ipods. In these short one to three minute video podcasts, Stacy and Clinton cover things like how to wear those big shirts … Continue reading →

Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing – Podcast Review

I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I paid good enough attention in grammar class. I remember thinking grammar was horribly boring. The Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing podcast is not boring at all! Mignon Fogarty, the creator and host of Grammar Girl, manages to make grammar very interesting in her quick two to seven minute shows. Fogarty has a B.A. in English and a M.S. in biology. She’s also a writer and an editor. According to her website, she strives to a friendly guide in the writing world. The Grammar Girl podcast won … Continue reading →

Podictionary – Podcast Review

Word lovers, history lovers, and those wishing to increase their vocabulary will want to give Podictionary a listen. This short and often humorous daily podcast is hosted by Charles Hodgson, author of Carnal Knowledge: A Navel Gazer’s Dictionary of Anatomy, Etymology, and Trivia. Each podcast covers one word. In the cast Hodgson talks about the words origins, meanings and history. The words aren’t obscure things you’ve never heard of, but are often common words we use all the time. Recent casts have covered words like exotic, meter, chopsticks, siren, ginger, and icon. The podcasts are more like small short stories … Continue reading →

Wild Chronicles – National Geographic Podcast

Animal lovers will definitely enjoy the free video podcast Wild Chronicles from National Geographic. The episodes are only six or seven minutes long. Like you would expect from any program by National Geographic, the photographs and videos are superb. So far they’ve produced a hundred and one shows covering a wide variety of animals. Every episode features an animal or a unique place. Two shows are even on Madagascar. It’s fun to show the children what the real Madagascar looks like. The podcasts are educational, but also fun to watch. Viewers can learn about crocodiles, sea lions, bison, gorillas, mongoose, … Continue reading →

Mommycast – Podcast Review

Mommycast is a podcast for mothers made by two mothers from northern Virginia, Paige and Gretchen. Paige has five children, Gretchen has two. This isn’t a new podcast, they’ve has been around awhile. They are currently on the two hundred and fifty second episode. Their motto is “Holding the World Together, One Child at a Time”. The podcasts vary in length. Most are around twenty minutes or less. The hosts are very casual; it almost feels like eavesdropping on someone’s conversation instead of news show. But even though the show has a casual feel, the show topics aren’t at all … Continue reading →

Children’s Book Radio – Podcast Review

Children’s Book Radio is podcast for parents, teachers, and children’s book lovers. The host, Sabrina Weissler says she is almost a preacher about the value of reading to children. Each weekly podcast has Weisller reviewing a book and features a “bonus”. The bonus may be an interview with a children’s book author, reader’s feedback, or information about a child related website. The podcasts vary in length, some are less than ten minutes, some are more than twenty. Weissler covers books from the Pre-K level all the way to books for young adults. She reviews new books as well as classics … Continue reading →

Just One More Book – Podcast Review

I recently discovered Just One More Book: A Podcast About the Children’s Books We Love and Why We Love Them. This is a warm, wonderful, inspiring podcast that will have you wanting to curl up with good books and share them with small children. I miss the days of hearing “just one more book” from little children. I still read to my children, but now we are more likely to tackle 700 page Harry Potter books than The Piggy in the Puddle. The hosts, Andrea and Mark, are a book loving married couple with two daughters. They have posted over … Continue reading →

Coffee Break Spanish – Podcast Review

Coffee Break Spanish is a fun podcast that teaches conversational Spanish in fifteen minute increments. It is the winner of the 2007 European Award for Languages. The podcast is available for free at www.coffeebreakspanish.com. There’s also a forum for their listeners. Other educational materials are available for purchase on the website. According to the podcast there are over 400 million Spanish speakers worldwide. My husband and I started listening to the podcast in preparation for a trip. Your hosts for this podcast are Mark, an experienced languages teacher, and Kara who is learning along with the listeners. They are Scottish, … Continue reading →