Reading Buddies: /C/omedy Tonight (Season 1; Episode 12)
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(Describer) Books and musical instruments rest on shelves. With Dusty, Dott, and Alphabott:
[intro music]
Welcome to the Comedy Room! Hi, Reading Buddies! We're taking a little break to tell some jokes! Go ahead, Dusty. Okay, okay. Knock knock.
[squealing] Who's there?
Yodelayhee. Yodelayhee who? Woah, I didn't know you could yodel!
[drum rimshot] [laughing]
[all laughing]
Okay, okay, Dott, you go! Okay, okay, it's my turn. Knock knock.
Who's there? [squealing]
Boo. Boo who? Aw, Dusty! Why are you crying! I'm not crying, I'm just saying--oh!
[rimshot]
Ha ha! I see what you did! I see it! That was good! Okay A.B., you go! [Alphabott humming "knock knock"]
(both) Who's there?
[Alphabott squealing]
(both) Interrupting cow wh--
(Alphabott) Moooooo!
[comic chord]
(Describer) A title appears: 'The Reading League's Reading Buddies.'
[intro music]
♪
(Describer) A dog puppet in an orange bandana learns and talks: 'With Dusty.'
(Describer) A woman in a polka dot dress draws letters and plays the ukulele: 'And Dott.'
(Describer) A robot with an expressive face screen shows colors and letters: 'And Alphabott.' The trio play and laugh, and the episode title appears: 'comedy tonight.'
You're here, you made it! Hello, Reading Buddies! Thanks for listening to all of those jokes, even though they were only okay. I mean, they're not ready to tour with yet, but we're getting there. Little by little! Besides, I thought they were hilarious. Hi, friends, I'm Dott, like the polka dot, and this is my dog, Dusty. Like the dust! And you're our Reading Buddies, and it's time for a warm up. Hey, you can be on my team. Let's do it! Ha! Freeze frame! Nice. Thanks.
(Dusty) "I Hear With My Little Ear."
[upbeat music]
Dott's going to say a word... And you will have to tell me what sound is in the middle of the word. Mm-hm. We like to pretend we're on a roller coaster.
(both) Woah!
(Describer) They curve their hands up and down.
Ha ha! We're listening for the sound that's right at the tippy top of that hill. Let's do an example. Yeah! Okay, watch this. Cap. What sound do you hear in the middle of "cap"? Hm, cap. Cuh, ah, puh. Cuh, ah, puh. What sound did you hear in the middle? Cuh, ah, puh. I heard the "ah" sound! That's right! What about this one? "Map." Map, map. What sound is in the middle? Mm, ah, puh. What sound did you hear? Mm, ah, puh! I heard the "ah" sound in the middle. Ding ding ding! That's it. What about this? "Back." Hm, back, back. Buh. Buh, ah, cuh. "Ah"-- hey, I heard that "ah" sound again! Are you trying to trick me? Nope! [laughs] Okay, try this word-- "cab." Uh, cab, cab. Cuh, ah, buh. Cuh, ah, buh. It's that "ah" sound again! Hey, why did you pick all the words that all have the "ah" sound? You know, because it's really fun to go on the roller coaster with them.
[laughs] You're right.
One, two, three--
(both) Ahhh!
(Describer) They curve their hands up and down like a rollercoaster.
[both laugh]
(Dott) "Dot to Dot with Alphabott!"
[Alphabott squeals]
Wow, A.B.! This is a nice drawing of... teeth?
[angry squealing]
Dusty, it's not teeth, it's the ocean. The ocean? Oh, I see that. Those are little waves, and that's a big wave! You could surf that one. Hang ten! Cowabunga. Tubular! Yeah, I don't know any more surfing terms, Dusty. Honestly, I thought we were just making up words.
[Alphabott squealing]
Okay, great! We're gonna help finish A.B.'s big wave. If you have paper and something to color with, you can follow along. Okay, so I see where we need to finish the drawing. I'm going to start at the tippy top here, and follow this curve counterclockwise,
(Describer) She draws a C-shape.
and there we go! We're ready to surf! Gnarly, brosef! People actually say that, probably. Hey, I want to go surfing on that wave. Well, Dusty, I know how we can do that. A "Speedy Story"? A "Speedy Story"! Let's put 30 seconds on the clock and make up a story about A.B.'s big wave.
[clock ticking]
Once... upon...
(both) a time! There was a surfing competition. Aloha, cowabunga! Yeah! Dusty, myself, and Alphabott were all on our surfboards. Woah! When all of a sudden... a humungous wave appeared! We quickly paddled our surfboards to the top of the wave! I was hanging ten! I was hanging a hundred! I looked over, and Alphabott was riding a dolphin! Ha ha! We came back to the shore, and ate snowcones.
(both) The end!
(announcer) "It's Rhyme Time"! That's right, it's "Rhyme Time"! I'm going to say three words. Two of them rhyme, one of them doesn't! Oh oh! We've got this! Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Okay, here we go. Bag, tag, gas. Hm. Bag, tag, gas. Which one doesn't rhyme? Bag, tag, gas. Gas doesn't rhyme! Good work. Set, him, get. Hm. Set, him, get. Which one doesn't rhyme? Set, him get. Yeah, him doesn't rhyme, I never trusted him! Pig, wig, got. Hm. Pig, wig, got. Which one doesn't rhyme? Pig, wig, got. Got doesn't rhyme! What've we got? Not a rhyme, get on out of here! Excellent job! Okay, rod, nod, sit. Ooh! Oh, Dusty, no, you don't have to sit. I was giving you words to see if they rhyme. I'll do them again. Mm-hm. Rod, nod, sit. Yeah, sorry, that's a force of habit. Rod, nod, sit. Wait a minute, sit doesn't rhyme! Great job, everyone. Okay, let's try and challenge our brains. Can you think of any words that rhyme with sit? Hm. Okay, we can do this. Sit, fit. Ah! Sit, bit. Oh, come on, I could do this all day! Good dog. Hey, that reminds me of the time... And now a poem! Ah! Now! Oh boy. Good thing we worked on all those rhyming words. I'm so excited, I'm so excited! I'm so scared! I'm just kidding, we can do this. Let's go!
[drumbeat]
(Describer) In a beret:
Behold the anchovy! It's just a little fish, lots of people love to eat this salty little dish. On top of pizza, or from the can with the bones and all! I myself ate 63!
[burp]
Because they're really small!
[squealing]
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
(Describer) Now, 'What's Missing?'
(Dott) What do you see?
(Dusty) Cat, cactus, crayon, car. Let's say them out loud together!
(both) Cat, cactus, crayon, car.
(Dott) Now I'm going to take one away! Look, think, remember. What's missing?
(Dusty) The cactus!
(Dott) That's right! You have a good memory!
(Dusty) Don't touch it! I've done that before. I regretted it.
(Dott) Let's try another. Look, think, remember. What's missing?
(Dusty) The crayon! I remembered because it's my favorite color.
(Dott) Good strategy! Okay, let's say them all again just for our memories.
(both) Cat, cactus, crayon, car.
(Dott) Look, think, remember. What's missing?
(Dusty) Hm, let me ask my teammates. Do you know what's missing? I see the cactus, crayon, car. But what was first? Did you say "meow"? I mean, meow to you, too, but I'm trying to play "What's Missing."
(Dott) Dusty, I think they are giving you a hint.
(Dusty) Meow? Meow! Wait! I remember! The cat! The cat is missing! Wow, I'm good at this game.
[bass beat playing]
(Describer) Now, Dusty and Dott sway back and forth.
Say "coil." Coil. Say it again, but don't say "cuh." Hm, "oil." That's right! Ha ha! Say "core." Core. Say it again, but don't say "cuh." Hm, "ore"! Nice, Dust! Ha ha. Say "coat." Coat! Say it again, but don't say "cuh." Hm, "oat." Yes! Say "can." Can. Say it again but don't say "cuh." Hm, "an"! Yes, Dusty! I can do this! I can do this! Say "beg." Beg. Say it again, but don't say "buh." Hm, "eg." Yes, Dusty! Say "ran." Ran. Say it again, but don't say "rr." Hm, "an." Good dog!
[munching]
What can I say? I'm very food motivated.
(Describer) A title in paper letters reads: 'alpha shorts.' Paper stars twinkle around it. A letter c appears, followed by a purple cat.
[plucky music]
(Dott) C, cat, cuh. C, cat, cuh. C, cat, cuh.
(Describer) The cat winks, and the c drifts away. Alphabott shows an open mouth.
(Alphabott) Cuh, cuh, cuh...
[humming]
Hmm? Mmmm! Wow, A.B., you're a great beat boxer! You sound just like a drum. Cuh, cuh, cuh, ba-doo ba bah! Dusty! Dusty! Dust! Alphabott is trying to let you hear the new sound. The "cuh" sound. Cuh, like a cat. Ruff ruff ruff! Oh, sorry! You said "cat," and my dog instincts kind of just took over. How do you make that sound, Dott? Well, the "cuh" sound is produced by opening the mouth a little. The back of the tongue is placed against the top of your mouth. Now as the tongue is lowered, a puff of air comes out. Cuh. Do you feel the air coming out of your mouth when you say "cuh"? Cuh, cuh, cuh. I do! Cuh, cool! It feels like you're scraping your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Yeah, the back of my tongue kind of scrapes against the back of my mouth. Cuh! How about your voice box, Dusty? Do you feel a buzz in your vocal cords? Hm. I love this part. Let me see. Cuh, cuh, cuh. No buzz. The voice box is not on. Hey, Dott? Yes. I'd love to draw the symbol that makes this "cuh" sound. Okay, now, do you have your invisible paintbrush? Oh, let me see! Ahhh... Oh, there it is!
Woop! [tinkling sound]
Cool! Okay, I'm going to let you in on something. One of the letters we use to show the "cuh" sound is the letter "C." Ah, I "see." Ha ha! Well, I will after we draw it anyway! Okay, how do we make this letter C? Remember that wave we drew earlier? It's very similar to that. We're going to start at the top, and continue counterclockwise. We'll stop right there at the bottom. It looks like someone drew a circle, but ate the front half of it! Yeah. You're right, Dusty, it does! So that's the letter C, and it makes the "cuh" sound. Hey, I bet we could find that "cuh" sound in some words! I know you could! Ha ha! Let's go, A.B.!
[Alphabott squealing]
[plucky music]
(Describer) A title cracks out of question boxes:
(both) "Where Is It?" A.B. and I have hidden the "cuh" sound behind one of these three squares. Your job is to find it! Remember, it could be behind any of these three squares! Yeah, and hey, remember, "cuh, cuh, cuh"-- that's the sound we're listening for. Here's the first word-- cat. Cuh, ah, tt.
(both) Cuh, ah, tt. Where do you hear the "cuh" sound in cat? Cat. Hey, I hear it right in that first square, the first part! Well done! That was quick! Well, it was the first sound I heard! Let's try "kite." Cuh, iy, te.
(both) Cuh, iy, te. Where do you hear it there? Hm, kite. Cuh, iy, te. I hear it in that first part again. Yes, excellent. Let's try the word "pick." Puh, ih, cuh.
(both) Puh, ih, cuh. What about there? Where did you hear the "cuh" sound? Well, it's not in the beginning. Puh, ih, cuh. Hey, it's at the end this time! Let's see!
[tinkling] Well done.
Let's try the word "cake." Ooh. Cuh, ay, cuh.
(both) Cuh, ay, cuh. Well, Dusty, what do you think? Hm. Cuh, ay, cuh. It's in the beginning again! I heard it first! Oh, is that all? Oh. Let me consult my friends. Hm. Cake. Where do you hear the "cuh" sound? Cuh, ay, cuh. Hey, you're right! It's at the end too! It's at the beginning and end! Good detective work!
Let's see! [tinkling]
Yeah! Nice. Let's try another one. Let's try "kick." Cuh, ih, cuh.
(both) Cuh, ih, cuh. Hm. Cuh, ih, cuh. Where do you hear the "cuh" sound? Yeah, it's just like the other one, it's at the beginning and the end! Cuh, ih, cuh.
[tinkling] Well done!
All right, last word. "Act." Ah, cuh, tt.
(both) Ah, cuh, tt. Where is the "cuh" sound in act? Ah, cuh, tt. Hey, I hear it right there in the middle! Right in the middle, that's right. Hey, let's build another word, down here on Alphabott. Okay! Let's look at this word down here. Cat has three sounds. So I'm going to get my three squares out. Now where do you hear the "cuh" sound? Cuh, cat. The first square. That's right, and what letter is that? Cuh, the letter C. Excellent, Dusty! So, I'm going to put my C right there in the beginning! Oh, wow! Now where do you hear the "tt" sound in cat? Hm. Cat. Tt, tt. At the end, the last square. Yes, that's right, great. All right! Wow!
(Dott) Now what happens if we change the "cuh" to "rr"? What do we have now? Hm. We have rr, ah, tt. Rat! Nice! Excellent, Dusty! Alright, Reading Buddies, let's try another. What if we changed it to start with "buh." Hm. Buh, ah, tt. Bat, like the pet bat I have in my room! What? I mean, I don't have a pet bat in my room. That would be crazy. Okay, truth be told, I have a bat outside my window. He just doesn't seem to want to come inside, though. Hey, want to see it? I'll race you to my room! Ready, set, go!
(Describer) Dusty trips through his dog house door: 'Dusty's Doghouse.' He appears in a cartoon bedroom with a pile of stuff.
[panting]
Whoa!
(singer) ♪ Dog, dog, doggie dog ♪
♪ Doggie dog dog doghouse ♪
Okay, I let you win that one. Oh, okay, I was miles behind you! Can't you throw me a bone once in a while? Thanks for helping me clean and organize my room. This place is a catastrophe! It's chaotic! Today, I'm only keeping the objects that have a "cuh" sound somewhere in their name. Remember, cuh, cuh, cuh, cuh, okay? Dirty pile of things, here we come! Dive, dive!
(Describer) He digs in the pile.
[grunting] Woah!
Ooh, crown. [trumpeting]
Does crown have a "cuh" sound? Yeah, it does, and His Royal Highness needs his crown! Okay, what else do we have? Oh, rose! Does rose have the "cuh" sound? Nope! Rose, you may be pretty, but you don't have the "cuh" sound anywhere.
[grunting]
Ooh, clock. [ticking]
Does clock have a "cuh" sound? Yeah! Hey, we can't time our races without this clock! It begins and ends with the "cuh" sound!
[ringing] It's a double-whammy.
All right, yeew! A moon! Does moon have the "cuh" sound? Ha ha! Nope! No "cuh" in moon! Goodnight, moon! Alright, what else do we have? Woah, a canoe! That is called a canoe. Does that have a "cuh" sound? Ha! Yeah, it's the first thing I hear! Canoe!
[grunting]
Ooh, there's a lot of junk in here. Lotta sap, lotta sap, lotta sticky sap. Ooh, yeah.
Cotton candy! [children cheer]
Do you hear the "cuh" sound in cotton candy? Ha ha! Woah, yeah, I hear it twice! And it's my favorite candy! I wonder how old it is.
Oh, well! [children cheer]
Thanks for helping me organize that mess! I have to find a place for that canoe, but I'll work on that later! Let's go see what's happening in the reading room.
[dog howls]
Ooh, that's a good idea. [squealing]
We could get Janet, yeah. What's going on here? Is it arts and crafts time? A.B. and I are making posters for our "Don't be a litterbug" initiative. What's a litterbug? It's someone who litters. I don't know if you noticed, but a lot of people are leaving their trash behind in the park.
[Alphabott squealing]
I know, A.B. I hate it too. Yeah, that doesn't sound good at all! I know, but there are ways we can try and change it! How? Well, when we notice something isn't right, we can strategize and try to come up with a solution.
[Alphabott squealing]
Yes, just like we're doing now, by making these posters. See? These are what A.B. and I are advocating for-- more trash cans in the park! But we've got to get the word out! Oh. Can I help? Sure! We'd love that. The more voices we have, the more likely we will be heard. Okay, what should I put on my poster? Well, you can use words or pictures. Oh! Okay! Hm, okay. I could draw a trash can, and then a coffee cup on the ground next to it, and then I could put a sad face. Oh, that is a great idea! And I will use my words to say "Clean up our park!" Our words matter, Dusty. But we need strong, clear voices when we say them. I have a clear, strong voice. Okay, watch this. Ahem! Clean up our park! Don't be a litterbug! That's good, you're a natural! Oh, thanks! Clean up our park!
[both chanting] Don't be a litterbug!
Clean up our park! Don't be a litterbug!
[plucky music]
(Describer) A title:
(both) "Squat with Dott!" Get ready to "squat with Dott!" Dusty likes to keep me company while I get my steps in. Do you want to stand up and join us? Yeah, join us for some cardio! You can copy me. We criss cross, clap clap. Criss cross, clap clap.
(both) We criss cross clap clap! Criss cross, clap clap! Nice! Okay, let's get creative! What should we do next, Dust? Oh! How about this? You carry cans in your cart. Carry cans in your cart! Carry cans in your cart. That's cute! Do you want to try it? Let's do it together.
(both) We carry cans in your cart.
(Describer) They mime pushing a shopping cart, and grabbing cans from a shelf.
Carry cans in your cart! Two more times! Carry cans in your cart! Carry cans in your cart! How about this, Dust? Okay, ready? It's called the can can! Woah, I can't, I can't! But I'll watch you! Go, Dott! Okay! Can you can can with me?
(Describer) Dott puts her hands on her hips and kicks out one foot, then the other.
Woah! You're kicking so high! And pose! Woah, that cardio was serious! It wore me out!
(Describer) They drink water.
Good workout, Dott! Captivating, really.
[upbeat music]
(Describer) In a bubble bath, Dusty uses a scrub brush like a microphone.
Yeah, yeah, singing in the bath! Oh, hi! [laughing] We just finished Dott's workout, so I'm taking a bath, and I'm popping those bubbles with my loofa! Why don't you join me? It's so fun!
(Describer) Two bubbles appear.
(Dott) Cli, mate. Climate.
(Describer) Now three:
Com, ih, cal. Comical. Haha! Splish, splash! Baths are fun! Ha ha! Ooh, a bubble.
(Describer) Three more bubbles appear.
(Dott) Clair, ih, net. Clarinet.
(Describer) Now four:
Cat, er, pill, er. Caterpillar.
(Describer) Four more:
Cat, ih, gor, ee. Category. Hey, Dott, I'm all done! I'm just gonna unplug the drain.
[drain glugs]
(Describer) He spins down! In the reading room:
Woah! Dusty, you got another letter from your friend Otto. I can't wait to read it together! Hey, let's keep our ears tuned in to that "cuh" sound during Otto's letter. Here, let's see.
[plucky chord]
(Describer) C's light up in the letter.
(Dott) "Dear Dusty, "I'm in California! "I feel like DiCaprio in 'Catch Me if you Can'! "I got this card for you from the corner store. "Ya know, where I get my coffee and cake. "I know, I know, "I should be eating carrots and cucumbers "to fit in with the crowd. "But I can't contain myself! "I just crave creative cooking. "On that note, I'm very curious "about your famous cornbread, "crawdad, and cookie casserole! "Catch up soon. Otto."
[piano chord]
Hmm! Hey, Dott? Can I have "coffee and cake" like Otto? Cake sounds like a great idea, but I don't think you need coffee, Dusty! You have enough energy as it is. You're right! Maybe we should go to the dog park and burn some of that energy off, and smell things! Hey, maybe you could come too! Maybe next time. We're actually out of time for today. But Dusty and I loved having you over for our reading lesson. Yeah, we're learning so many letters and sounds together! Soon we'll learn them all! Little by little! Letter by letter!
[music]
(both) ♪ Reading Buddies ♪
♪ You did great work today! ♪
♪ Reading Buddies ♪
♪ I really really wish you could stay ♪
♪ So we'll see you soon ♪
♪ From this same spot ♪
♪ With Dusty ♪ ♪ And Dott ♪
♪ And Alphabott ♪
♪ With your Reading Buddies ♪
♪ You'll never read alone! ♪
(Describer) They wave, and Alphabott pops up and hides as credits appear.
Accessibility provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
[theme music playing]
♪
(Describer) Created, Written, Directed, and Produced by Brendan Malafronte and Andrea Dotto.
(Describer) Produced by The Reading League, Incorporated. President and CEO, Maria S. Murray Ph.D. VP of Marketing and Development, Toni Ann Walsh. Curriculum Supervisor, Kelli Johnson, Kristin Spaulding, and Katie Sojewicz.
[Alphabott humming along]
♪
(Describer) More credits appear. Copyright 2021 The Reading League, All Rights Reserved. The characters of Dusty and Dott have been licensed for use in this program. The Reading League and Reading Buddies are trademarks of the Reading League.
(Describer) Accessibility provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
Now Playing As: English with English captions (change)
Dusty, Dott, and Alphabott team up to explore the letter c: how it is written, the sound it represents, and words that use the letter c. Dusty tries to convince Alphabott to go for a swim. Then, Dusty and Dott squeeze in some time for cardio. Part of the "Reading Buddies" series.
Media Details
Runtime: 26 minutes 46 seconds
- Topic: Education, Language Arts
- Subtopic: English Grammar, General Education, Literacy, Reading Skills
- Grade/Interest Level: Ps - 4
- Release Year: 2021
- Producer/Distributor: Reading Buddies
- Series: Reading Buddies
- Voicer: Kelly Brennan
- Report a Problem
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