Marko the Pencil is rapidly becoming Rock ’N Learn’s most loved character. Born in mythical “Pencilvania”—from a forest of course—Marko discovered at an early age that he has a real knack for making kids laugh and helping them understand material needed for a test. His gentle coaching and humor allow students go into tests relaxed and prepared so they will succeed. Marko explains, “There’s no business like show business, and I can help you become an excellent show-off in the classroom.” Reading, writing, math, science—are all Marko’s specialties.

In the evenings, Marko performs at the Golden Stylus Comedy Club. Two of Marko’s DVDs, Reading Test-Taking Strategies and Math Test-Taking Strategies include bonus clips of Marko in action, doing stand-up comedy. Mike Mechanical—a mechanical pencil who manages the Golden Stylus, says, “Marko is one sharp pencil who knows how to get everyone laughing.”
Marko recently completed the first two DVDs in his science series: Physical Science and Earth Science. Just released, these DVDs have already won awards and received rave reviews from educational associations. Marko is currently working on Life Science, the third in the science series, expected for release Spring 2009. These science DVDs present concepts in a way that’s entertaining and makes them easy to understand.

At Marko’s Super Science Station, learning is a blast! (Sometimes literally.) Clear explanations and fun examples cover science topics such as parts of an atom, properties of minerals, and the human digestive system. Whether students need to prepare for a test or simply love learning about science, these DVDs hit the mark. Specifically developed for the fifth grade, younger students–often as young as preschool–and older students (even parents and grandparents) enjoy the entertaining characters. As one 81-year-old great grandparent recently said, “I laughed the whole time and learned things I never understood before!”

Writing Strategies, a DVD for grades 4 and up takes students’ writing skills from mediocre to magnificent. Marko consulted with a team of topnotch educators to uncover the secrets for using effective voice, engaging readers with detail, writing clear dialogue, providing smooth transitions, and making a lasting impression.

Marko’s voice, incidentally, is played by actor Vic Mignogna, whose Italian ancestry fits perfectly with Marko’s character. Vic won Best Actor – American Anime Awards and enjoys a large fan base from the dozens of popular anime titles and video games that showcase his talent. Vic’s spontaneous adlibs frequently make it into the final soundtrack of Rock ’N Learn programs.

Rock ’N Learn has been around since 1987 and produces a wide variety of audio and DVD programs to make learning fun, including the best-selling Multiplication Rap and Letter Sounds and many other award-winning DVD and audio CD programs. Incidentally, Multiplication Rap DVD has just been revised to include new animated characters. Kids love theses fun characters! Plus, we’ve included a new bonus section that features Marko the Pencil: What Is Multiplication?

Discover more about Rock ’N Learn’s award-winning kids educational DVD and CD programs HERE.