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Educational Television: It's Not An Oxymoron

I have a confession to make: I let my kids watch TV. I know, I know. If you believe the hype, television is the root of all evil in the modern world, from childhood obesity to Attention Deficit Disorder to a rise in violent crime. But if you ask me, television has gotten a bad rap. Children's programming -- including television, videos, and movies -- can be an excellent educational tool, and as parents, it's our job to make sure we use it as such.

According to the National Institute on Media and Family (www.mediafamily.org), several studies have indicated that quality programming can be educational for young children. A 2001 study showed that "children who watch carefully constructed educational programs that are aimed at their age level (such as Sesame Street), do better on pre-reading skills (at age 5) than children who watched infrequently or not at all." Conversely, an earlier study showed "that children who watch cartoons or other purely entertainment television shows during their pre-school years do poorer on pre-reading skills at age 5."

While it's not a bad idea to limit your child's "screen time" (which includes television, movies, videos, computers and video games), much of today's programming for children is remarkably educational. But with all the viewing options being broadcast, taped and downloaded these days, parents need to know how to evaluate children's programming to select the best shows for their kids. One way to do that is to learn about and apply the criteria used by media reviewing organizations like The Center for Quality Media's KIDS FIRST! program (www.kidsfirst.org), which evaluates, rates, and endorses children's feature films, DVDs, videos, audio recordings and television programming. Their ratings are determined by a panel of child development professionals, teachers, parents and children from diverse geographic, socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds.

What is Quality Programming?
So how does KIDS FIRST! define quality programming? Their criteria are simple, including no gratuitous sex or violence; no racial, gender, cultural or religious bias; no unsafe behavior; no condescension toward children; and no verbal or physical abuse. Tessa Jolls, President and CEO of the Center for Media Literacy (www.medialit.org), adds that parents should seek out programming specifically designed to teach. "When you see an episode of Sesame Street, you may not agree with everything on it," she says, "but by the same token at least you know that an effort has been made to intentionally teach the children something. I think that's important. Is the show designed to intentionally teach something? We say that all media are educational because you're going to learn something no matter what it is. So as a parent, you have to determine, is this what I want my kid to learn?"

Managing Editor for KIDS FIRST! Christine Pollock further suggests parents preview videos and television shows before watching with young children, although she acknowledges that's not always feasible. If you can't preview a show, she says, "at least go to sites like KIDS FIRST! or one of the other media reviewing sites that will tell you positives and negatives."

A Springboard to Learning
Watching television and videos with your children is a great way to initiate important conversations and encourage educational follow-up activities, too. "Even at the very young ages, it's great for discussion," says Pollock, who notes that children might be more willing to talk about their own feelings in the context of a fictional character. If children are afraid of the dark, for example, television can give them "something to relate to and talk about without feeling like it's them," she says.

Children's programming can be "a great spin-off for research," adds Pollock, even for young children. If your child is intrigued by a show about spiders, take him outside to observe spiders in your backyard, or go online or visit your local library to learn more about the creepy crawlers. If your child enjoys watching a character who speaks Spanish, take the opportunity to explore a new language together. You can even "travel the world from your couch," says Pollock, "just checking out different countries and learning about different cultures and maybe going off and making a new food. It opens the world to everybody and if the parent's there with the child, you experience the world together."

Follow-up activities need not be elaborate, and there are plenty of resources available when you find yourself in need of inspiration. Most producers of quality children's programming offer follow-up activity ideas on their websites, from Discovery Kids (www.discoverykids.com) to Reading Rainbow (gpn.unl.edu/rainbow) to your local public television station. KIDS FIRST! has recently added an activities section to their website as well (www.kidsfirst.org).

Take Control
When it comes to children's television and videos -- like so many things in life -- balance is key. While there's no reason a parent can't "use the television as a babysitter sometimes," says Jolls, "it's important to have time to watch together." Being mindful of your family's viewing habits is important, too. Parents should plan their children's viewing, says Pollock, "not just throw the TV on whenever." She suggests watching videos or videotaping your favorite television shows. "That way, TV never becomes a priority. If something else comes up, we pause it or turn it off and watch the rest later. We also get to fast-forward the commercials that way. This eliminates a lot of the problems people have with TV. We don't let TV run our lives."

Watching television and videos with your kids is a great way to enjoy time together. "It's just a fun time for a parent and child to watch together," says Pollock. "It's a great shared experience. It's cuddle time and a way for parents to show children they're interested in the children's lives." And whether your child learns from a program's educational content or through conversations and follow-up activities with you, she adds, "almost every show can be turned into something educational."

At Baby Classroom, we're proud to offer quality children's DVDs and videos designed to teach many important concepts. They're lively, engaging, and fun to watch!

In addition to selecting the most appropriate programming, parents have another role in guiding children's viewing, perhaps an even more important one: helping children develop the critical thinking skills they'll need to interpret what they're watching. Read Media Literacy for the Youngest Viewers to find out how you can help your little ones become educated viewers.