Literacy news

The show must go on

1 Mar 2005

Remember watching Play School, Blue Peter or Sesame Street on TV when you were a child? Those were the days, when you could absorb yourself in these programmes without your parents being accused of turning you into a couch potato. More recently, debate has raged over whether or not watching TV can harm children's development, with the box being blamed for the rise in obesity and increases in aggression and anti-social behaviour. But for most parents of young children, some TV is as much a part of the daily routine as naptime. So how do we get the best out of it?

Accentuate the positive

Parents might be a little bit surprised by how hard children's TV programme-makers work at getting it right, spending considerable effort consulting psychologists, academics and researchers (a consultative group of these came together when the satellite TV channel Nick Jr was creating programmes in the UK).

More recently, with the development of Play With Me Sesame for Playhouse Disney, the aim has been to encourage a wide range of developmental goals - physical, emotional and social, as well as cognitive (learning concepts such as shapes and colours), creative and moral. Play With Me Sesame was launched to celebrate 35 years of the original Sesame Street, which was the first TV series to attempt to present an educational curriculum for children, with the objective of giving them a head start at school.

Learning curve

Andrea Dinnick, programme manager for Playhouse Disney, believes that Play With Me Sesame is an excellent example of TV programme-makers looking at the educational benefits for children first, and only adding the entertainment and characters once that curriculum is firmly in place.

'Pre-school TV has advanced so much since the early days,' she says. 'We really do consider the importance of the educational curriculum for children - shows are more likely to encourage them to get up and move and interact with the characters, so it's not just a passive activity.'

What kids like

Most programmes for young children use very simple language, repeating sequences and bright colours, which is what Anne Wood and the Ragdoll team, who developed BBC TV's Teletubbies, set out to do.

Other programmes aim to empower children as they entertain. Alice Wilder, the writer behind Nick Jr's Blue's Clues, says the show is designed to 'challenge and build the self-esteem of pre-schoolers while making them laugh.' Again, it emphasises the importance of interactivity. Another favourite, Balamory, which is on BBC TV's Cbeebies channel, explains local community figures, such as the nursery teacher, policeman and shopkeeper. It also teaches about friendship, and includes singing and dancing that children can join in with.

Watch with mother

Many children's TV programmes are eager to support parents. For example, PJ's Bedtime, on Playhouse Disney, aims to help children wind down after a busy day by using the Pyjama Song to encourage them to get changed and ready for bed. CBeebies is also on the side of parents when it comes to peaceful bedtimes - just before the channel closes down, a celebrity tells a calming story and presenters sing a soothing goodnight song.

Tikkabilla, also on Cbeebies, encourages children to join in rather than watching passively. The channel's programme-makers say its style is 'inclusive and interactive', directly addressing the viewing child, making links with their own experience and encouraging them to join in. A nostalgic part for me is its use of the 'windows' device to show a scene, an old favourite in my family from Play School.

Getting the best out of tots' TV

Following these tips will help you feel confident that you're not letting the TV rule your child's life!

• Keep a check on the age range. As far as possible, allow your children to watch only those programmes specially devised for their age (although this can be difficult if siblings want to change channels). The Talk To Your Baby campaign, run by the National Literacy Trust, recommends that under 2s should watch less over-stimulating visual programmes, and preferably those involving a single, adult speaker. For 3-5 year olds, it suggest that the best programmes are those that ask children to respond.
• Limit TV for very young babies and toddlers, even if it's high quality. The Talk To Your Baby campaign recommends no more than half-an-hour for under 2s, and one hour for 3-5 year olds. The American Academy of Paediatrics urges parents to limit all screen time - TV, video and computer games - to a maximum for two hours a day. It's a good idea to agree some ground rules with your children on what sort of programmes they can watch and how much time they're allowed to spend in front of the TV each day.
• Don't let them view for hours. It's fine to use the TV as an occasional 'babysitter' to give you a break, or allow you to get something done - but don't leave your toddler sitting glued to it for hours on end.
• Watch TV together when you can - this means you can explain anything puzzling as it crops us. It also helps your child with speech development and provides an opportunity for you to spend close time with him.
• Switch of the TV when the programme finishes - don't leave it on as background noise.
• Use ideas from programmes to develop imaginative play - making things or signing songs.

A common-sense approach

There's little point harking back to a pre- TV age - it's part of our lives now and children's television is made with their needs in mind. So long as you think about your child's available time, and divide it up, providing opportunities for pretend play, socialising with friends, running around outside, reading and some TV, you'll be on the right track. As your children grow, encourage them to be 'media-literate' by guiding their choice of programmes, discussing what they see and explaining what commercials are designed to do - this will give them the right foundation.

And the bad news...

Being sensible about your children's TV viewing should mean that there doesn't have to be a downside, but be aware of the following:

• Telly-tubbies - Several studies have shown that spending too long in front of the TV can contribute to children becoming fatter.
• Speech and language - Many speech and language therapists worry about the effect of TV on communication skills - small children learn to speak by hearing familiar adults speak to them, and constant background noise from the TV doesn't help.
• Social skills - There's evidence that children's social skills don't develop as well if they have less chance to play and interact. A survey by the London School of Economics showed that two out of three young children have a TV in their rooms - making it harder for TV viewing to be a family activity.
• Tears at bedtime - US research has pointed to late-night TV-viewing as a prime cause of disturbed sleep. Winding down with a familiar story is best at bedtime.
• Aggression - The jury is still out, but many reports have linked aggressive behaviour in children to seeing it on TV. So be on the safe side and avoid violent cartoons.
• Problems concentrating - A study in the US suggests that watching TV at a very young age (1-3 years) could increase the risk of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, a number of academics have questioned the findings, saying the study was flawed. There's general agreement, though, that extensive viewing can affect a child's attention-span.

(The show must go on, Eileen Hayes, Practical Parenting, March 2005)

Tags: Talk To Your Baby

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