Spinoff to letting your kids watch TV..

I'm curious.

I see most of the parents who said their kids watch TV say that there vocabulary/speech/reading is advanced.

How do you know it wouldn't be like that without them watching TV? maybe they are just smart kids to begin with and TV has nothing to do with it?


Can we discuss?

EtA: Don't you think though that just the adult interaction you have with them, with say a book, could do the same thing as TV?

I'm very curious about this

My DD is advanced too with vocab/speech/and loves books. She hardly watches any TV if you count jeopardy and just starting last week, Curious george.

I think they learn just as much if you sit and point out things and interact with them with something-whether it be TV, a newspaper, a book.

I def feel there's no right or wrong, but what's best for your own family situation :)

Message edited 2/25/2008 3:43:48 PM.

Re: Spinoff to letting your kids watch TV..

I personally feel it would be the same, but that's just my opinion. Because as long as parents are teaching their kids, interacting, etc....the kids are going to pick it up too. That's my view.

Re: Spinoff to letting your kids watch TV..

I don't think DD would be counting in Spanish if it weren't for Dora

Re: Spinoff to letting your kids watch TV..

I think Andrew is smart no matter what but I think the wide variety of things he learns is a lot more then I could ever teach him. I wouldn't even think to but I am glad he knows it. If that makes any sense

Re: Spinoff to letting your kids watch TV..

My son likes to watch TV (well while he is doing something else, he never just watches it) and he is a late talker, he doesn't talk much at all.

Re: Spinoff to letting your kids watch TV..

For my DDs I think it is that one extra time of day they see an image and can relate to it, maybe better. For example, there was an episode of Sesame Street where Elmo had bananas, after seeing them, they have been saying banana and recognizing them since. They characters are animated too and I think that brings more of an interest to what they are watching and learning.

I'm a HUGE fan of SS, its the only show I let DDs watch (95% of the time). They love the number song and when the show isn't on and I sing it, they listen closely and recognize it. Its also another method for me to point out numbers and colors to them.

Re: Spinoff to letting your kids watch TV..

DS can read closed captioning. That means he is reading and interpreting pretty fast. There's no way I could get him to read that fast without TV.

I am also not a language/education expert. Most of the shows that DC watch are created by a team of experts, so they have different methods of teaching than I might use. I still do plenty of non-technology based teaching, but the more varied the methods, I think the more successful the education will be.

Re: Spinoff to letting your kids watch TV..

Re: Spinoff to letting your kids watch TV..

Re: Spinoff to letting your kids watch TV..

Posted by sweetness

Posted by GoldenRod

DS can read closed captioning. That means he is reading and interpreting pretty fast. There's no way I could get him to read that fast without TV.

I am also not a language/education expert. Most of the shows that DC watch are created by a team of experts, so they have different methods of teaching than I might use. I still do plenty of non-technology based teaching, but the more varied the methods, I think the more successful the education will be.

That's awesome he can read the closed captioning

it's true about the shows they watch being geared to certain age audiences and I'm not debating the positive affects of that.

But to those moms and dads who don't let their kids watch TV under the age of 2, like myself, sometimes the TV debate can get us thinking and 2nd guessing, are we denying our kids a certain resource of learning and information that maybe i cannot provide through books? But then docs and the AAP back up us up about TV prior to age 2. It's so confusing.

No one wants to do harm to their child, but no one wants their kid to be behind the other kids in kindergarden either.
KWIM?

I guess we all do what we think is best and hope we are giving our kids the best we possibly can.

Message edited 2/25/2008 4:24:56 PM.

Re: Spinoff to letting your kids watch TV..

Re: Spinoff to letting your kids watch TV..

Posted by sweetness

Posted by nbc188


Yes, I feel the exact same way as you. DD is only 8 months, but I feel like she could be picking up stuff from the educational shows. But I think we're all doing well by our kids, no matter what we do-- we are teaching them and care that they learn, so we're all ahead of the game!!

I feel exactly the same too to everything you said

Dont' get me wrong, i'm not 100% against TV for Gianna and Amelia, it's the mindless watching that worries me and I never want to see that glazed stare on their faces while they watch tv.

when gianna was about 18 months for the 1st time, I put on baby einstein for her and it has been beneficial, so i can't disagree with that. She learned to count to 5 and now counts to 10. I never do plop them in front of it though, i always sit, believe me sometimes after seeing the same video 100 times wanting to stick needles in my eyes, but she always asks me questions and i want to be there for when she does.

I'm all for everything in moderation with everything

Re: Spinoff to letting your kids watch TV..

I think it's about exposure and moderation.

We are teaching him differents ways of communication.

TV (Backyardigans!) is used for entertainment/singing and fun. He will smile when he sees the characters. We repeat their names, he recognizes their voices and will turn his head to the TV.

We speak English, French. We use sign language.

We use all tools available to use to expose him to the World.

Re: Spinoff to letting your kids watch TV..

DC watches very little tv, maybe 1 dvd or 1 show per day. Some days no tv. We read dozens of books every day and DC vocabulary- reading -speech has always been ahead of what all the milestones say