-Martha
Dewing: Publisher, Children's Video Report
20 months - 2 years:
Toddlers relate best to music, movement and color. They
love nothing more than watching youngsters like themselves
engaged in familiar activities like walking, singing,
laughing and simple finger plays. Romping animals and
silly muppets work well, too.
2-5 years:
Preschoolers are developing a sense of who they are and
the parameters of their world. Exploration and lots of
questions help them to make sense of what's around them.
Because life's fast pace often seems confusing, familiar,
evenly-paced videos are most meaningful. Remember that
this age group is still sorting out what's real and what
is pretend. Successful videos have uncomplicated stories
with simple, rhythmic language and humorous real life
situations. And, of course, music - lots of music.
When kids are learning to communicate with words, monsters
and superheroes who express their feelings and desires
with a punch or zap are to be avoided. For the moment
skip scary wolves and witches, too. By the time a child
is 4 or 5 years old, mildly frightening stories like
traditional fairy tales can be empowering, giving them
a sense of bravery for having stuck with it. Still,
it is reassuring when a scary video has a happy ending.
5-8 years:
Programs with themes that combine independence along
with a sense of security appeal to this age group, i.e.
going on a journey and returning home proud of one's
accomplishments. They enjoy fairy tales and fantasies,
family musicals, inspirational stories and non-fiction.
Along with gaining physical competence and developing
gross motor skills, comes an interest in games, rules
and sports.
On the one hand, many kids may think they are old enough
to watch more sophisticated videos - maybe even adult
fare. Do keep in mind that they still enjoy cuddling
in a lap to watch a tape that has a balance of intrigue
and comfort.
8-12 years:
This age group needs more challenging stories with clear
plots, well-developed characters, logical settings and
conflict that makes sense within the overall story.
They identify with real life situations about kids their
own age and older. Stories with characters resolving
conflicts or examining important life questions help
bring clarity to their ever-changing world. They enjoy
stories with an element of fantasy, science fiction
and slapstick humor. Non-fiction videos about sports,
magic, cartoon drawing and special effects in movies
are appealing. Other families and how people live interest
them, along with new hobbies and causes like the environment
and endangered animals. While this age group knows what's
real and what's not, they often question whether a story
really happened or not.
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