New Study About Educational TV....

A study was released Wednesday found that high-quality educational programming for children is at its lowest level in nearly two decades.

Only one in eight shows billed as educational was rated "highly educational," according to research co-authored by a professor at the University of Arizona.

While I do agree we are well past the Electric Company and Seseme Street Era...I do believe having satelite or cable does open the doors for better or more educational programing that one might not get on network television. Also I believe that if we based this study on The Simpsons & Family Guy~ well no wonder we are lacking....are these even really "child" friendly shows, or are these programs not meant for educational purposes, but purely out of entertainment for the young at heart but on the adult side of life??

Some of the shows that are labeled Higher-quality TV are:

Eight shows for youngsters earned an exemplary rating for their educational content, according to a study on children's television:

Sesame Street (PBS)
Beakman's World (commercial)
Between the Lions (PBS)
3-2-1 Penguins (commercial)
Cyberchase (PBS)
Suite Life of Zack and Cody (commercial)
Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman (PBS)
Teen Kids News (commercial)

Now I don't know about you...I've seen The Suite Life with Zack and Cody~ can this really be considered educational??? LOL

Some of the programs I have found HIGHLY educational for my 2 year old (especially) and my 5 year old are:

1)Dora The Explorer- My two year old can speak about 10 words in Spanish, thanks to Dora, including counting to ten in Spanish. To me this is opening the door to diversity and teaching about other cultures. On top of learning Spanish, she has learned 3 sets of steps. For example 'Tree, Mountain, Grandma's House'

2)Go, Diego, Go-Children are learning more about animals in trouble that need to be rescued. This also is teaching humane treatment of all animals and being aware of our mother earth.

3)Little Einsteins (one of Martie's favorites)-Little Einsteins was designed to teach the target demographic art and music appreciation by integrating famous or culturally significant art works (usually, but not exclusively, paintings) and classical music (most typically from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods) into the scenery, plot, and soundtrack of each episode. The show is also designed to encourage viewer interaction (such as patting their legs, gesturing, or singing along to help the characters succeed on their "mission"). ***Thanks Wikipedia***

4)The Backyardigans-In each episode, the show's five preschool friends—Pablo, Tyrone, Uniqua, Tasha, and Austin—rely on their vivid imaginations to transform their backyard into completely different worlds, in which they go through many sorts of stories and adventures. The time-frame of the show can range from a few hours to more than one full day, but in reality, the story always ends just in time for one of them to invite the others for a snack. The episodes focus on the stories as much as they do on music and dancing, with each one featuring a different music genre.

5)The WonderPets-A good deal of the dialog is sung, so the show has been likened to operetta or singspiel. A 10-member live orchestra performs each episode, sometimes including other instrumentalists skilled in music from the region to which the pets are traveling during the episode. Completing each episode takes 33 weeks from script to final delivery.

6)Little Bear (Tonja's Personal Favorite)-Most of the characters are moderately anthropomorphic animals, exhibiting both animal and human behaviors, but generally dealing with human problems and concerns......listen to the calming, soothing music as you watch the show....this is perfect for before nap time.

My list really could go on covering the educational programming in today's world, but I think you get the idea. The study does have some basis, but I if we are only studying Hannah Montana, iCarley, Suite Life, Sponge Bob, and then Seseme Street....of course we come to the conclusion there is little educational programming.....but let's dig deeper and find what really is available today.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter~ please share.

Warmly,
~T