Here
are some suggestions for making your video viewing more
valuable.
Preview a video or DVD before watching with your
child so that you are comfortable with the content.
Schedule time for viewing together with your child,
just as you do with reading books. This provides a
special time for the two of you to share. It's also
a time to affirm or counter messages in the program
as needed; a special time to discuss, share and relate
the program to your own lives.
Be active with the program before, during and after
viewing. Do hands-on activities. Ask questions; role
play; introduce or extend the program by reading a
book. Create art projects by drawing, painting or
making books. Encourage participation: dance, move
to the music, talk back to the screen and its characters.
Visit museums, neighborhood stores and parks.
Learn to use the pause, stop and rewind buttons
of your VCR or DVD player to your advantage. Technology
gives you flexibility you can't get with televised
programs. You can adjust preschoolers' viewing time
to their attention span. School-age children gain
a sense of control over their viewing and appreciate
the sections they want to see again and again.
Build upon your child's interests. Consider purchasing
programs for their repeatability factor. As with reading
books again and again, children like to view favorite
movies over too. Their imaginations are stretched
and new information is learned and integrated into
their lives.
Set up a media library along with your children's
book library. Programs and storybooks with particular
themes can complement and reinforce each other. Research
has shown that watching literature based programs
increases one's literacy.
The visual medium is powerful! It is the key to
learning and fun! Have a great time!
KidsMovieGuide.com
is not associated with Disney, or any other movie company.
Any material here is not intended to give that impression.
