Curiosity toward the influence of educational television programs on children has lead to research revealing positive learning outcomes in literacy skills. Studies have shown that educational PBS programs positively influenced reading skills in preschoolers and enriched literacy development (Penuel, William R., et al. 124-125). Another study showed that Sesame Street fostered vocabulary skills in young children, unlike other non-educational children's programs (Rice, Mabel L., et al. 426). These studies indicate that television programs designed for a specific learning outcome can successfully enrich children's skill development.
The positive results of educational television programs on children's learning causes many to wonder, why the panic about children watching television? Children only benefit from programs aimed at a specific learning outcome; other programs designed merely to entertain children do not increase children's learning opportunities (Rice, Mabel L., et al. 426). Television can be fun and educational for children, but those television programs must be designed with positive learning goals.
Sources:
GerbilGod7. "Mister Rogers defending PBS to the US
Senate." You Tube. BotJunkie, 29 June 2007. Web. 7 November
2012.
Penuel, William R., et al. "Supplementing Literacy
Instruction with a Media-Rich Intervention: Results of a Randomized Controlled
Trial." Early Childhood Research Quarterly 27.1 (2012):
115-27. Print.
Rice, Mabel L., et al. "Words from 'Sesame
Street': Learning Vocabulary While Viewing." Developmental
Psychology 26.3 (1990): 421-8. Print.
It is true, television's educational programs can be beneficial. When I was younger I enjoyed watching wishbone, which in turn encouraged me to read some of those novels within the show latter on in life. It is also nice to sometimes watch television for pure entertainment, taking a moment to relax. However, the problem comes when all television watching is just for entertainment and there is no uplifting/educational material within the hours of television that one watches. As television leads to lower attention spans, children especially need to be careful to watch more of the educational and less of the television with little to no redeeming value.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with you. There is a time and place for entertaining television programs; the problem is when children spend the majority of their free time watching television programs with no educational or uplifting purposes to guide the show. Television shows can help children develop skills and can prompt discussion with parents, providing an opportunity for parents to teach their children values. However, for these effects to take place, television programming must have foundational educational purposes and parents must take an active role in helping their children choose appropriate material and in helping their children understand what they are viewing.
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