diff --git a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_bool.py b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_bool.py
index e21ad3d..a6f1ff5 100644
--- a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_bool.py
+++ b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_bool.py
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ class _Bool(DOMWidget):
     description = Unicode('', help="Description of the boolean (label).", sync=True)
     disabled = Bool(False, help="Enable or disable user changes.", sync=True)
 
+    def __init__(self, value=None, **kwargs):
+        if value is not None:
+            kwargs['value'] = value
+        super(_Bool, self).__init__(**kwargs)
 
 @register('IPython.Checkbox')
 class Checkbox(_Bool):
diff --git a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_float.py b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_float.py
index eab4f66..506fb03 100644
--- a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_float.py
+++ b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_float.py
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ class _Float(DOMWidget):
     disabled = Bool(False, help="Enable or disable user changes", sync=True)
     description = Unicode(help="Description of the value this widget represents", sync=True)
 
+    def __init__(self, value=None, **kwargs):
+        if value is not None:
+            kwargs['value'] = value
+        super(_Float, self).__init__(**kwargs)
 
 class _BoundedFloat(_Float):
     max = CFloat(100.0, help="Max value", sync=True)
@@ -33,7 +37,7 @@ class _BoundedFloat(_Float):
 
     def __init__(self, *pargs, **kwargs):
         """Constructor"""
-        DOMWidget.__init__(self, *pargs, **kwargs)
+        super(_BoundedFloat, self).__init__(*pargs, **kwargs)
         self._validate('value', None, self.value)
         self.on_trait_change(self._validate, ['value', 'min', 'max'])
 
diff --git a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_int.py b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_int.py
index 9a36b88..985fa86 100644
--- a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_int.py
+++ b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_int.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class _BoundedInt(_Int):
 
     def __init__(self, *pargs, **kwargs):
         """Constructor"""
-        DOMWidget.__init__(self, *pargs, **kwargs)
+        super(_BoundedInt, self).__init__(*pargs, **kwargs)
         self.on_trait_change(self._validate_value, ['value'])
         self.on_trait_change(self._handle_max_changed, ['max'])
         self.on_trait_change(self._handle_min_changed, ['min'])
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ class _IntRange(_Int):
         if lower_given != upper_given:
             raise ValueError("Must specify both 'lower' and 'upper' for range widget")
         
-        DOMWidget.__init__(self, *pargs, **kwargs)
+        super(_BoundedInt, self).__init__(*pargs, **kwargs)
         
         # ensure the traits match, preferring whichever (if any) was given in kwargs
         if value_given:
diff --git a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_string.py b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_string.py
index 30245a2..a20dcbc 100644
--- a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_string.py
+++ b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_string.py
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ class _String(DOMWidget):
     description = Unicode(help="Description of the value this widget represents", sync=True)
     placeholder = Unicode("", help="Placeholder text to display when nothing has been typed", sync=True)
 
+    def __init__(self, value=None, **kwargs):
+        if value is not None:
+            kwargs['value'] = value
+        super(_String, self).__init__(**kwargs)
 
 @register('IPython.HTML')
 class HTML(_String):
@@ -55,8 +59,8 @@ class Text(_String):
     """Single line textbox widget."""
     _view_name = Unicode('TextView', sync=True)
 
-    def __init__(self, **kwargs):
-        super(Text, self).__init__(**kwargs)
+    def __init__(self, *parg, **kwargs):
+        super(Text, self).__init__(*parg, **kwargs)
         self._submission_callbacks = CallbackDispatcher()
         self.on_msg(self._handle_string_msg)