Does Television help or hinder a Child's Speech and Learning?

For as long as Television has been around; critics have lambasted the medium as the idiot box or boob tube. Others feel it's an easy way to entertain the masses while providing a message (and not always a good one). The message is typically in the form or advertising (commercials) or because of TIVO, product branding within a show. Most people of our generation grew up watching TV due to its ease of use and value per dollar. It's funny; we can all sing the theme songs to The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, The Brady Bunch, and lots more due to the amount of times we've seen rerun episodes. Is it any wonder, many parents allow children to watch tons of TV even though the "experts" denounce the practice as a waste of time. These so called experts say play with educational toys, exercise the mind and body with outdoor Learning toys, and study on a comfy kids carpet.

But for parents who have kids with special needs. The television can be a teacher and friend. Children who are not speaking as well as their peers can get a boost from watching TV. Kids like to imitate, and creators of educational shows like Dora the Explorer leave pauses during parts of their show intentionally to allow kids to talk back to the screen. Of course, the amount of violence and adult oriented language is more prevalent than the old days. But even Bugs Bunny and Tom Slick had their share of slapstick and double entendres. The V chip can help parents decide what a child can watch. We found out the hard way when our son stumbled on to an episode of “The Family Guy.”

We suggest setting ground rules for TV watching. Limit the amount of hours of viewing per day and let kids watch shows that promote your family values. This is going to mean that you sit with your kids and actually watch the shows while also watching your child react. Read forums and reviews by doing a Google or Yahoo search. Get your child ready to watch TV by providing:

• kid size furniture that fits them
• Surround them with colorful theme rugs
• Provide them with art projects so they can doodle while watching as this utilize left and right brain functions to help promote multi tasking.

Shows like Sesame Street, Kipper, and Hi Five teach the value of pretend play, help kids learn life lessons, and promote singing and dancing. Little Girls love pretend play cooking, little boys love building; we’ve found companies like Educational Insights, Melissa and Doug, Guidecraft, and Learning Resources to have a wonderful selection of toys that fit the bill! The unique thing about shopping online is that you can find all these products with a couple clicks of your mouse. We all know what it’s like trying to shop at the mall with kids in tow. Can you say stress? In addition, you have the pleasure of letting UPS or FedEx drop your products off at your door while you can spend your time catching up on your favorite shows, exercising or planning a great vacation.

For lots of great kids furniture and pretend play toys, check out our store at www.sensoryedge.com.