Learning with television

zami watching TV - my daughter as she watches TV
@joizee (502)
Philippines
April 28, 2013 5:15am CST
Thanks to Pocoyo, a children's show in Disney Junior, my daughter knows and can recite the parts of the computer. She says while pointing "Screen. Keyboard. Mouse." Impressive eh? I'm impressed. Actually, she learned speaking English through this show. She is now creating simple sentences and exclaiming English phrases very often. But I don't tolerate it much so hubby and I agreed to speak with her in our mother tongue, Filipino/Tagalog, all the time. I even advise family members and friends to not to talk to her in English because it might encourage more English than local language speaking. I now mix her TV programs with news and soap operas in local languages. I even time her TV exposure so she won't be too much dependent, like for in case of blackouts and power failures that she would throw a tantrum because she can't watch TV. A no-no for me. She can have as much as 3-6 hours of TV time in the whole day. But I thank Philo Farnsworth to be able to invent the first working television. It's audio-visual system has brought big and inevitable changes to human life. Even learning is now being aided with TV. Instead of three students sharing with one book, one's suffering because of not catching up, these three students can now hear and see their lessons all together and in the comfort of their own space. But is TV always good for children? Aren't they supposed to be taught by parents instead of depending on the idiot box? What do you think about timing the hours for TV exposure? Do you have an ideal time? Thanks for sharing!
7 responses
@maximax8 (31046)
• United Kingdom
28 Apr 13
It is excellent that the program on Nick Junior taught your daughter the parts of the computer like the screen, keyboard and mouse. It is wonderful she is learning English with these Sky television programs. I think a limited amount of educational television is fine for children. My kids like to watch Nick Junior on Sky and the most educational television program on Channel 71 of the Free View television. I believe the ideal time might be one hour on a weekday and two hours on a weekend. These programs should be of educational value.
1 person likes this
@joizee (502)
• Philippines
29 Apr 13
Hi Max! Hmmm.. It made me realized I'm giving too much TV time for my kid. Hmmm... I must try to limit PC time so I can encourage her to do other things or go outdoors more. My husband tends to be a little lazy going out these day because the summer's heat is so unbearable. Perhaps giving her some board or art work activities could alleviate lessening the TV time. Thanks for the idea! :)
@jaiho2009 (39141)
• Philippines
28 Apr 13
My daughter has learned a lot from television. There are tv programs that are helpful for little kids to learn something. That is why we need to choose what our kids watch because little kids are too smart and can easily learn things even from watching television.
1 person likes this
@joizee (502)
• Philippines
29 Apr 13
Hi Jaiho2009! You're very right. Good job to your daughter! We just have to be smarter in choosing what our children should see because they aren't given or have the ability to decide which is better or not. Enjoy your day with your child, thanks for the response! :)
• Philippines
28 Apr 13
That's cool to know. I remember when I was young, Sesame Street and Batibot (Local version of Sesame Street in the Philippines) helped me learn fast. Haha. I miss watching them. I saw my nieces and nephew enjoying Blues Clues and Barney most of the time. They are doing very well in school with academic awards. However, I prefer them learning from computer as there are TV commercials not allowed for kids including those Drama shows. We know that kids often take adults as their role models into what they should become. I don't let them watch Bart Simpson, Tom and Jerry, Garfield and some violent cartoon/anime shows. I don't find it healthy. Kids can learn faster with the help of technology. We should just guide them so they won't be taking everything they see.
28 Apr 13
watching television is not bad depending what she's been watching a child's behavior and mind being mold at age of 5, I really don't advise my niece and nephews to watch that long I prefer they play puzzles, do coloring books, drawing or teach them how to write, you were right parents should spend time with them to know their kids well and at the same time develop the learning side- one on one, there are more t.v programs now a days that is not advisable for kids to watch even the cartoons. Glad to know that you still keep your child familiar with local language.
1 person likes this
@joizee (502)
• Philippines
29 Apr 13
Hi Inopiratum! You have a good point that depending on the show, TV is beneficial to children. I'm now mixing up education to just cartoon shows. I feel my daughter is beginning to memorize the educational shows because some of them are being replayed. So mixing up with Filipino cartoons, she can learn different information. Thanks for the response! :)
@blackrusty (3519)
• Mexico
28 Apr 13
yes it is great that this is coming into our every day life and even the young kids in our life are able to learn at a much younger age and i am even thankful for some of the shows that will teach you how to speak other words then your own
1 person likes this
@joizee (502)
• Philippines
28 Apr 13
Hi Blackrusty! TV has become an integral part of the home and important to learning, too. With the audio-visual combo, it makes children more interested thus keeping their attention to lessons in TV. Great huh? Thanks for responding :)
• Birmingham, England
5 Jun 14
Everything has 2 effects good & bad. Both are present in it, so yup it is true that children learn so many good things as well as bad things from tv. So try to teach them good things and keep aware about bad things.
• Philippines
29 Apr 13
We can not hinder the fast pacing of the technology, children of today is a fast learners, they can easily adopt new changes. TV programs is one of them, we can utilize the use of TV but we must put a limitations on it specially on the children, there is a possibility that they get hooked up and will get dependent on it. The better way we can do it to guide them which shows or programs that fit for them. Educational programs is good for them, but other programs maybe not.