Maria Speaks

Summary
Maria has always been a silent fixture in Mr. Ratburn's third-grade class but her time to speak has finally come.

Characters

 * Maria
 * Jenna
 * Arthur
 * Muffy
 * Buster
 * Mr. Ratburn
 * Francine
 * George
 * Wally
 * Mrs. Morgan
 * Ms. Roberts

Background

 * Big Kid 1
 * Otis
 * Cheikh
 * Brain
 * Binky
 * Tommy
 * Timmy
 * Fletcher
 * Mrs. Read
 * Mr. Read
 * Ladonna
 * Fern
 * Mr. Haney
 * Goldy
 * Nancy
 * Jack
 * Alberto
 * Molly
 * Slink
 * Mrs. Fink

Mentioned or pictured

 * Michelle Kwan
 * Hoprah
 * Thoreau

Trivia

 * Muffy claims to be heir to the Crosswire Motors dynasty.
 * The title of the episode is a reference to the PBS Kids show "Martha Speaks".

Cultural references

 * Mr. Ratburn is in a play based on Don Quixote at the community center.
 * Maria mentions that Lewis Carroll, Winston Churchill, and Marilyn Monroe were all stutterers.
 * Mr. Ratburn was in the play H.M.S. Pinafore, as the role of Captain Corcoran, in seventh grade.

Episode connections

 * Maria was a mime for Halloween. Emily had a mime at her birthday party in "D.W., Bossy Boots".
 * Maria imagines going to Egypt. Buster went to Egypt in "Buster's Egyptian Adventure".
 * George reports on sports. He had shown an interest in sports commentary in "Baseball Blues".
 * Jenna has her Athlete of the Year award from "The Good Sport".
 * Muffy likes opera. She first tried it in "Lights, Camera... Opera!".
 * Francine mentions Hoping with Hoprah from "Three's a Crowd".
 * Buster wears a tin foil hat similar to his foil ears from "Phony Fern".

Errors

 * Alberto is seen at Lakewood even though he is a teenager.
 * When Maria is seen from behind at the news desk, her shoes are pink when they are normally gray.