“Scientist in the house!” That’s what you’ll hear from a curious 5-year-old named Sid when his grandmother brings him home from preschool each day. You’ll also hear questions. Big questions like “Why are my shoes shrinking?” and “Why do bananas get mushy?” But then that’s what scientists do, and that’s why in many respects children are born scientists.

That so many of those same children grow up to have negative feelings about science — a reversal that must be connected to messages kids pick up in their formal and informal learning environments and from society in general — is a topic for another day. Today, I want to talk about Sid, who besides being a typical preschooler, is also the star of “Sid the Science Kid,” the daily television series created by The Jim Henson Company, designed to meet the natural interests of 3-6 year olds, and broadcast on public television. The “Sid” part of the series is animated with the plot revolving around big questions that Sid and his three classmates explore with the help of their teacher, Miss Susie. Sid’s parents, grandmother, and even baby brother Zeke help Sid test what he’s learned. Each episode also contains a “live action” segment that reinforces and extends the learning. There is also a good website (pbskids.org/sid) fashioned in a way for adults and children to work together on further exploration of the topics covered in the shows.

Forget for a moment that the shows are beautifully produced and developmentally right for this age group. We expect that from PBS and especially from The Jim Henson Company. (By the way, this November marks the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street and the introduction of the Muppets on PBS.) “Sid the Science Kid,” is really about preparing children for their first few years of school in ways that are directly tied to both the process and content of learning about science. If you’re a parent, grandparent or caregiver of 3-6 year olds who are preparing for or just starting school, this series should be part of their homework … and yours!

The content is broken down into seven key areas: tools and measurement, transformation and change, senses, health, simple machines, backyard science and the human body. These topics line up closely with what New York City Schools expect students to learn in grades K-2. (Visit schools.nyc.gov to explore how the City describes its science curriculum and standards and to explore for yourself how this series supports those learning goals.) Of course, while a big part of learning for this age group is letting children discover things for themselves, the whole learning experience will be deeper and more fun if the adults participate, too. Watch the programs. Talk to your child about what she or he experienced. Visit the web site with them. Above all, encourage the kind of exploration that Sid and his friends are modeling, and work together to try some of the experiments Sid and his friends conduct. All of the materials needed are readily available in your home or outside.

All of this is starting to sound really serious — a pre-school version of SAT Prep — but it isn’t. Both “Sid the Science Kid,” and science are fun for kids. The series web site is loaded with science games, video from the live action segments of the show and some great songs. My favorite — no doubt because I’m a boy — is “Decay” which illustrates the wonderfully icky things that happen to fruits, vegetables, and flowers when they reach that last cycle of their existence. Any song that uses the word “pee-yoo-ee” is going to make a hit with 3-6 year olds. (And apparently with a 57-year old, too!)

My colleagues in the Education Department at Thirteen are planning some “Sid the Science Kid,” outreach events in the coming months around the country and locally at NYSCI — the cool new name for the New York Hall of Science in Queens. NYSCI is the perfect venue given the interactive exhibits and the large number of families that visit every week. In a way, going to NYSCI is like stepping into your own “Sid the Science Kid,” television show! When these events get scheduled, I’ll alert you in this column.

For now, you can watch “Sid the Science Kid,” on Thirteen/WNET, Monday-Friday at 9 a.m., and on WLIW21 at 11:30 a.m. You can also find it on KIDS Thirteen, but you’ll need to check your cable company listings to learn when and where to find it. The new season of “Sid the Science Kid,” starts on September 14 with a focus on weather.

One last thing. Actually two things. First, The Jim Henson Company is launching another new series on September 7. “Dinosaur Train” — running on Thirteen at 10 a.m. — is created for the same 3-6 age group. I’ve seen some of the series, and both the animated segment and the live action part where kids get to meet Dr. Scott, the paleontologist, are terrific. (Get ready for your child to start singing the A-Z dinosaur song — yep, 26 different dinosaur names.) You can preview a whole episode for yourself at www.pbskids.org/dinosaurtrain.

Second, for those of you who are educators, you’ll be pleased to know that Lisa Henson, Jim Henson’s daughter and CEO of The Jim Henson Company, will be speaking at our next Celebration of Teaching & Learning on March 5, 2010. Stay tuned!

Ronald Thorpe is Vice President and Director of Education at WNET.org, parent company of Thirteen/WNET, WLIW21, and Creative News Group, the public television stations for Metropolitan New York City and Long Island. He oversees a 25-person department dedicated to extending the value of public television’s resources beyond broadcast and especially into preK-12 education.

Among other initiatives, Dr. Thorpe is responsible for the annual Celebration of Teaching & Learning, a two-day professional development conference for more than 8,000 teachers and administrators. Write to Ron at thorpe@thirteen.org.

This blog entry is an adaptation of Dr. Thorpe’s monthly column in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.