We live in modern age. Times are constantly changing and so are the ways we raise our children. For years it has been taught and said that you should keep your child far away from the television so as not to (for lack of better wording) 'rot their brains'. But now as we move stedfast to the year twenty-thirteen we are finding that that may no longer be the case.
Image provided by Ashley Wells (@ashleyzsa)
Curious about the topic I had the opportunity to ask Sharon Rechter, co-founder of BabyFirst, a few questions. For those that are unfamiliar BabyFirst is the 24 hour cable channel that is dedicated to providing innovative programming designed to enhance learning and development among infants and toddlers. BabyFirst's wide variety of programming has been developed under the guidance of pediatricians and child development experts. On to the questions...
1. Should a parent chose to go the electronic educational route with their child is it necessary for them to still incorporate traditional methods of learning such as reading a hard copy book, or flash cards?
a. We are living in a digital age. At BabyFirst, we believe parents should utilize every tool that’s readily available to help introduce their child to educational building blocks such as numbers, new words, music and animals. Utilizing electronic media like, interactive TV and mobile/tablet apps, is just one of the activities parents can engage in with their children. We believe there should always be balance in parenting and encourage families to keep reading books at bed time, to get outside and discover things and to play imaginatively together with their babies and toddlers.
2. Is there evidence to show that this type of early education for babies and toddlers pays off?
a. Yes. Many studies have affirmed that screen time and technology with the right kind of content can contribute to children’s development rather than harm them. For instance in The Relations of Early Television Viewing to School Readiness and Vocabulary of Children from Low-Income Families: The Early Window Project, (Society for Research in Child Development; John C. Wright, Aletha C. Huston, and Kimberlee C. Murphy, Michelle St. Peters, Marites Piñion, Ronda Scantlin and Jennifer Kotler), the researchers found that children who watched educational age-appropriate shows fared better on administered tests for reading, math, receptive vocabulary, and school readiness than did those who watched such shows less often. A Kaiser Family Foundation study (The Effects of Electronic Media on Children Ages Zero to Six) also found that very young children have a, “unique responsiveness to educational programming that has been linked to both immediate and long range educational benefits."
3. What are some things parents should look for in the type of media their infant is exposed to? Not all "cartoons" are created equal!
a. Exactly. The medium is not as important as the content – what’s coming out of the box. Parents should look for the educational value of each media – what is it introducing? Is it age-appropriate? It also helps to understand who created the programming. At BabyFirst, all of our shows are created and reviewed by educators and pediatricians to ensure it’s the most effective for the young age demo of our audience. A parent should look for shows with clear educational messages, shows that are slow and relaxing, and shows that do not contain any violence or inappropriate language.
4. Do you think such early education tools like "Your Baby Can Read" are successful?
a. Should parents try to incorporate this type of early education into their infant's life? I have not researched Your Baby Can Read, so I cannot fully comment, however I have not seen any scientific research to show that this program works.
5. How much is too much? How long and how often should an infant be exposed to such media?
a. At BabyFirst, we believe parents are the best judge of what amount of screen time is appropriate for their children. We maintain, of course, that media should be balanced with other bonding experiencing such as playing together, reading and enjoying tummy time activities.
6. How old should a baby or toddler be before they’re allowed to be exposed to electronic media?
a. What we do know is that babies are already seeing electronic media. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation research, 95 percent of American babies are watching TV, so in my mind, the question is not at what age should kids watch TV, but rather, what are they watching and how much.
7. How important is it for parents to be engaged in the process of educational electronic stimulation with their children?
a. We think it’s vital for parents to be involved in everything their children are exposed to in the realm of educational media. When parents are present, the experience is even more engaging as they can ask questions and relate the subject matter that’s being introduced to their own home and experiences.
8. Does interactive media help develop fine motor skills?
a. Yes, it can. In fact, the University of Montevallo (ranked no. 1 by U.S. News in Education) voluntarily oversaw a research study to validate the effectiveness of the “I Can Sign” show that’s aired on BabyFirst. The study consisted of children 3-1/2-years of age and younger, who were divided into two groups and received instruction in American Sign Language, to which none of the kids had any prior exposure. The first group was taught in a traditional teacher-classroom setting, while the second group received lessons through interactive television, which included subtitles prompting parents to perform specific tasks with their children as they watched. At the conclusion of the study, the interactive television group showed significantly greater proficiency in the skills they acquired. We have also seen that that the activities on our mobile and tablet apps that require making choices moving objects, have engaged the development of fine motor skills
9. What type of content is presently available? What demands have yet to be met?
a. For the baby and toddler market, we found when we were creating BabyFirst that there wasn’t much content available that was suitable. Many of the DVDs on the market (then and now) weren’t created with any professionals or educators. We created BabyFirst to answer that exact need and developed age-appropriate, robust programming accessible to parents whenever and wherever they want it through our TV channel, mobile/tablet apps and website. We believe there is still a lack in programming that educates and promotes healthy eating, and are working on a new show “Super Carlos” to address this issue.
10. Is the use of electronic media more prevalent in North America or is it a worldwide trend?
a. We see it’s very much a worldwide trend. For example, our mobile and tablet video app called BabyFirst Mobile has been ranked #1 in the educational app category on iTunes in over 15 different countries in Europe, South America, Asia and the Middle East.
Of course there are some that would disagree with this new method of learning for infants and toddlers. Ironically, shortly after I started thinking about posting this story I got a newsletter from What to Expect with the title, "Too Young for TV?" and this is what it said:
While the AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics recommends no tube at all for kids under two, it's the rare parent who doesn't turn to Sesame Street or Baby Einstein for an occasional, sanity-saving break. At her age, your baby gleans little from even a so-called educational program, so avoid TV whenever you can. But don't guilt yourself to death if you flip it on from time to time.
If you need a break from holding or entertaining your baby, or you need to chop the veggies for tonight's dinner -- or simply grab a shower—set your baby up in a seat or on a blanket with a few toys, in a spot where you can see and hear each other. She'll enjoy that just as much as Elmo or the Teletubbies. Listening to music (it doesn't have to be kiddie tunes!) will often lengthen the time she's willing to sit solo.
When you do turn on the set, try to make it a do-together activity instead of a babysitting session. Talk about what you see ("That doggie looks just like Aunt Susan's!") and explain what's happening ("The boy is painting a picture—he is using a pretty blue color"). Stick to shows designed especially for small children, without distracting commercials.
If you've been in the habit of leaving the TV on for company, now's the time to stop. Otherwise, your baby may grow accustomed to its constant noise and lights, and expect the Great Entertainer to be on all the time. Before you know it, she'll be big enough to demand the shows and characters she neeeeds to see and want to watch them instead of engaging in other kinds of brain-building, muscle-building play.
So taking a look at both sides of the coin, TV is okay, in moderation; much like that brownie cake you had for dessert last night. The most important thing to remember here is quality be sure that if you are allowing your infant/toddler to watch TV make sure it is appropriate for their age - so no Jerry Springer.
I want to hear from you guys, do you or have you let your child watch tv under the age of 2? I know I do. My son has a morning routine that involves Sesame Street - his favorite part of course being Elmo's World.
Stay Stylish,
VintageDee
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