While there is a strong correlation between underachieving in school and watching too much television, there are ways to make videos and TV more literacy friendly for your kids (Trealease, Ten Facts Parents Should Know About Reading 5). Note: Books, social interaction, chores, and play are still better than TV.
1. Turn on closed captioning. Your children will see the subtitles and make connections between the spoken and written words (6) .
2. Watch the show together. Make it a social time. Discussion of any topic, story, or lesson leads to a deeper understanding. Examples of questions to lead a discussion if you aren't sure what to say: Why do you think ______ did that? What did you think of that episode? I don't know if what ______ did was the best thing to do, what do you think?
3. Limit their video time. This may mean a time period. You could also limit it by only allowing them to watch in one room of the house. For example, they can only watch in the living room.
For the facts about TV and children's school success, check out Jim Trelease's pamphlet.
Works Cited
Trelease, Jim. Ten Facts Parents Should Know About Reading. Ten Facts Parents Should Know About Reading, 2009.
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