Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Ways to Make Television Viewing Educational



Around 30 months is when children are old enough to learn from what’s on the screen. They learn best from TV when it’s designed by experts to meet their developmental needs. The following are ways to make TV viewing educational:
·         Preview programs before your child watches them.
·         Check the TV listings and program reviews ahead of time for programs your family can watch together. Choose shows that foster interest and learning in hobbies and education (reading, science, etc.)
·         When picking shows, ask yourself, “Is this developmentally appropriate for her?” Sesame Street, for example is designed for 3-5 year olds, but most of the children watching it are only 16-18 months old. Shows that move from one scene to another quickly aren’t great because they can be disorienting.
·         Participate with children. Parents should watch television with their children. Ask and answer questions about what you see (shapes, colors, numbers, letters, emotions, etc.) Parents can discuss program content with their children and can clarify actions and behaviors. You can also help them learn how to process the messages- including the commercials
·         For preschoolers examples of well-designed shows include Sesame Street, Blue’s Clues, or Dora the Explorer

For more information on making smart media choices, visit cmch.tv

References

17 comments:

  1. These are great ways to make TV viewing educational for children instead of it being used as a babysitter. When my kids watched Sesame Street I didn't sit down with them as I used the time to clean or organize. I do remember watching scenes from Sesame Street as I was cleaning up and would occasionally comment on what was going on to my children. I can see by sitting with them though, would have taken it step further and been much more of a help in making it more educational for my children. Dora the Explorer wasn't around for my children but I've watched it when my grandchildren are watching it. What's Blue's Clues?
    I do know that when a parent is available to ask/answer questions, the child's developmental needs are better met.

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  2. Thanks for your comments Teresa. I have never watched Blue's Clues, but I read that it's a show about Blue who is a girl puppy. She talks to Steve and Jo through barks which they understand. Every episode she initiates a game of Blue's Clues in which she leaves three paw print clues for Steve or Joe and the viewer to find in order to a question. Steve is the host of Blue's Clues for the first 4 seasons.He lives in an animated world and is Blue's caregiver. Steve is always ready to play Blue's Clues and always needs the viewer's help to figure out problems and find clues. Joe is Steve's brother. When Steve leaves for college on a hopscotch scholarship, Joe stays with Blue and becomes the host of the show.

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  3. Great ideas. I have definitely noticed a difference in my children based on age and the shows they may watch. Sara (8) is now to the point of enjoying non-educational cartoons, while the rest all prefer shows like Dinosaur Train, Dora, Electric Company, Sesame Street, etc. But she still likes the educational shows too, and if she spends half an hour watching some educational, she comes away with questions and peeked interest, while if she watches something else, she is more lethargic and complains about being bored... seems to be a pretty clear contrast with my kids anyway...

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    1. Thanks for sharing this Jon. Your input really adds a different perspective coming from a parent of kids who are still young and are multiple ages.

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  4. I think those are great questions to ask ourselves when it comes to the types of media our children are viewing. I'll definitely need to keep those in mind as she gets older.

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  5. There are some really great educational cartoons for ages 4-6 on T.V. now. "Word World" and "Super Why" are excellent in teaching beginning reading. There is also a great one for math but I can't remember the name of it now.

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    1. Thanks Kristy! I am glad that you said this and I will have to watch for those shows when Taylor is that age:)

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  6. These tips on making tv educational seem like a lot of work. I usually let my kids watch tv so I can do something else. Maybe next time I will watch it with them.

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    1. Yes these suggestions do require more work, but in the end I think it is worth it because you are helping them with their development and making it educational for them.

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  7. Great suggestions on making TV more educational. I'm totally guilty of using the TV as a babysitter when I needed to get things done. My kids didn't have a huge interest in Sesame St., but there was a show that came on right after it called "Reading Rainbow", hosted by Lavar Burton. It was like storybook time for kids, and I actually liked watching it too because he made the stories come to life as he read them. They have so many more shows on now that are appropiate for kids. We actually watched TV as a family when shows were on that we all enjoyed. Back then though, it wasn't a problem with the kids wanting to watch it all the time. There were so many other activities they liked doing (playing w/friends, outdoor activities etc). Now days it seems like that's all kids want to do so it's much harder to monitor what they watch, especially with so much more crummy stuff on.

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    1. I think that you brought up a valid point about how there is much more crummy things on television these days as compared to when your kids were little. I was seeing what was on the ABC family channel and some of the shows don't seem very "family" oriented to me.

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  8. My kids (4 and 2) only recently saw their first episodes of Sesame Street, they liked it alright. But they both really love Blue's Clues and a BBC cartoon called Kipper the Dog. Also from BBC they like Charlie and Lola, which I LOVE. There is an older brother and a younger sister, just like our family, and Charlie helps Lola deal with things like cleaning up, avoiding squabbling, and continuing to try even if you fail the first time. They have a loving and sweet relationship.

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    1. I am sure that your kids can relate to the show Charlie and Lola because of your own family. Those are really good aspects to teach kids about cleaning and to keep trying even if you fail. I will have to keep these shows in mind when Taylor is around that age.

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  9. I don't yet have experience with this TV watching stuff with my kids yet but I can predict that I'll probably use these great ideas sometimes (ps. it was good to know the age group for sesame street and dora). However the other times they'll probably be watching with out me. It's hard to say that I'll be there the whole time when I could use their tv watching time to do the laundry, dishes, etc. and maybe make a few comments while passing by.

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    1. I think that you have to be realistic about watching television with your kids. Realistically you can't always be there to watch it with them. Other things have to be done around the house especially if you are the one that is home the most. I think what you said about making comments when passing by is a great idea. If you are periodically checking on them, then doing that is better than not checking on them at all.

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