Digital Dominators

Experiments conducted at Vanderbilt University, described in the May/June issue of Child Development, offer some hints about toddlers. They showed that 24-month-olds are more apt to use information relayed by video if they consider the person on the screen to be someone they can talk to. Without that, the children seemed unable to act on what they had seen and heard. The experiments compared two video experiences: One was based on a videotape. Watching it was similar to watching “Blue’s Clues”; the actor onscreen paused to simulate a conversation, but back-and-forth interaction with the viewer was impossible. A different group of children experienced two-way live video. It worked like a Web cam, with each side responding in real time.

Background Recent data indicates that children in the United States on average spend more than three hours a day watching television. This invited “guest” into our homes has the potential to significantly shape our children’s development. In view of this, Congress determined that broadcast television stations – both commercial and non-commercial – have an obligation to offer educational and informational children’s programming. In addition, television licensees, cable operators and satellite providers must limit the amount of commercials aired during children’s programs. In 1990, Congress enacted the Children’s Television Act (CTA) to increase the amount of educational and informational programming for children available on television.

The article discusses the educational benefits of television viewing by children. The author suggests that educational television programs can teach skills such as letter and sound recognition and cultivate a love for reading. Other topics include infusing learning into television programming, children's television audiences, and sedentary behavior.

From the earliest days of "Sesame Street" nearly four decades ago, educational television has earned high praise and millions of fans for entertaining and educating young children.

While learning experts surely agree that too much television and inappropriate content can have detrimental effects on children, the right kinds of programs can set them on the path toward reading."I'm a big supporter of media technology and I do agree that kids spend far too much time with television and other media," said Milton Chen, who in the mid-1990s helped launch the Ready to Learn Service, a partnership between the Public Broadcasting Service, or PBS, and the U.S. Department of Education to create educational programming, "But I come out on the side that specific television programs and experiences can very much support literacy."Well-designed programs can teach distinct skills such as letter and sound recognition, as well as cultivate a love of reading, said Mr. Chen, the director of the George Lucas Educational Foundation in San Rafael, Calif. As the director of research earlier in his career for the Children's Television Workshop, which has since been renamed Sesame Workshop, Mr. Chen helped to design and test some of the lessons embedded in programs like "Sesame Street" and "The Electric Company."

his study examined the cognitive effects of an educational early childhood television program in Turkey that was designed to enhance basic cognitive skills and socio-emotional development of 5-year-old children. The program targeted children with low socioeconomic status who had limited access to formal preschool education.

The program was screened for a period of 13 weeks and was evaluated with an experimental design, with the addition of a natural observation group. Findings indicated that the program functioned as an early educational intervention for those children who had moderate exposure to it.

But what and how much they watch makes a difference Preschool children who watched a few hours a week of educational programming perform better on achievement tests over time than their peers who watch more general entertainment shows, according to researchers at the University of Texas in Austin.Dr. Aletha C. Huston, of the University of Texas in Austin.

Preschool children who watched a few hours a week of educational programming perform better on achievement tests over time than their peers who watch more general entertainment shows, according to researchers at the University of Texas in Austin.Dr. Aletha C. Huston, of the University of Texas in Austin

Each year, the children's reading, math and vocabulary skills were assessed. The researchers found that younger children, especially those aged 2 and 3, who watched a few hours a week of educational

A new study, being released today, takes that conclusion two steps further. It found that preschoolers in low-income areas around Kansas City who had watched educational television programming, including "Sesame Street," not only were better prepared for school but actually performed better on verbal and math tests as late as age 7 than would have been expected otherwise.

A new study, being released today, takes that conclusion two steps further. It found that preschoolers in low-income areas around Kansas City who had watched educational television programming, including "Sesame Street," not only were better prepared for school but actually performed better on verbal and math tests as late as age 7 than would have been expected otherwise.

"This study shows that terrific television causes kids to be more receptive to learning, more receptive to reading, more receptive in school,"

First, children watch a lot of TV – on average four hours a day, which turns out to be more time than they spend in school each year.

Second, having print and reading materials at home helps kids learn to read. And, the more they read, the better they read. Unfortunately, more than 30% of city children live in poor households which tend to have few books or reading materials.  One study found that poor families had, on average, less than one book per household.

The third reason is that TVs must all have the technology to show captions and most programs and movies must have written transcripts. So, if you turn on your TV’s captioning feature, the words that are spoken – and many of the sounds as well – will appear in writing at the bottom of your screen

This three-part report from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, researches the impact educational programming has on school readiness and early literacy skills, and its long-term benefits into adolescence. This study offers producers and educators an overview of the essential elements of educational television that can support the development of language and literacy abilities in young children.

Television Study Report [397KB pdf]

The good news is, watching developmentally appropriate programming with your children can have many positive benefits (bonding between caregiver and child, the introduction of new vocabulary words, exploring new places together, etc.). Thankfully, there are lots of exceptional television shows for young children that are fun and engaging and that can help children build their early literacy skills along the way.

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