What Is Media Literacy? In today's world electronic media are an increasingly prominent part of our daily lives, so being literate requires additional skills and experiences. Media literacy, just like any literacy, is about helping children to develop the ability to understand, interpret and communicate. Media literacy adds the ability to apply those skills to pictures and sound using different tools, which can include television, videos, DVDs, and computers. In a well-rounded approach to media literacy children learn about media and with media. Learning about media helps children understand, and interpret the ideas and concepts they encounter. Learning with media teaches children how to access and use media in productive ways. This guide offers suggestions to help you do both of these things, because the habits children develop around media use in their early years can last a lifetime. How Do Children Develop Media Literacy? Media can provide exciting and unique learning opportunities, and it can lay a foundation for literacy in a technology-filled world. Learning with and about media works best when children and adults use media technologies together, with grown-ups serving as facilitators, choosing developmentally appropriate media that promote interaction and creativity. Babies learn the most when they can touch what they are seeing, so screen time should be very limited. Sesame Workshop programs are designed for children two years of age and older, so we do not explicitly encourage viewing by infants. However, we realize that television is an important part of many families lives, and believe that when used appropriately, parents can use television as a springboard for discussions and learning. When your child is ready to begin watching television, point and label objects that you see, ask questions, and interact with your child as you would when reading a picture book. Toddlers are beginners when it comes to using language; it is easier for them to learn when they can see something rather than just hear about it. Media that presents information in pictures, as well as with words, is appropriate for this age. Simple stories that relate to a toddler's experiences will be especially appealing and can help expand the options they consider as they learn to make choices. At this stage, allow your child's interests and abilities to help you determine when it is appropriate to introduce new technology. Preschoolers are ready to connect what they see onscreen to things in their lives. You can help them integrate the use of technology into their learning by engaging in hands-on follow-up activities and reading related books. Talking with your youngsters about which onscreen messages you value is very important in helping them learn to make healthy media choices. You can also help preschoolers to practice good decision making by allowing them to make their own program selections from options you provide. Making available pre-approved software and videotapes can encourage this process. Similarly, set time limits for media use and help preschoolers plan how they will use their time. Tips to Enhance Children's Experiences with Media Literacy Media tools like television, videos, DVDs, and computers can open new worlds for children to build new skills and an enthusiasm for learning, especially when you help. Here's how: Establish a routine that balances using media with other activities. Help preschoolers learn how to use media well by setting realistic time limits and helping them plan how they will use that time. In addition, make sure each child's routine includes a variety of activities, such as playing outdoors, talking with you, touching things to explore how they work, looking at books, drawing, or cuddling up with a stuffed toy. Help children learn to make healthy viewing choices. Allow children to make program selections from options you provide. Making available pre-approved software and videotapes can make this easy. If you need recommendations, ask a childcare provider, local children's librarian, or the Ready To Learn Coordinator at your local PBS station. Connect what children see onscreen to real life. Encourage children to participate by singing or dancing along, predicting what will happen next, or helping characters solve problems. Read books together and plan activities that explore topics they have seen onscreen. Take advantage of teachable moments. Talk about the programs, videos or software the children enjoy. Watch together and ask what they think, and let them know what you think. Learn together. There are wonderful CD-ROMs and Internet sites that tell stories and invite caregivers and children to interact by clicking on various pictures within the pages, as well as fun games that help children improve skills like letter and number recognition. The Internet can also provide a place to discover new things. Know what children are watching. Put the television set or computer in a room that everyone shares. Pay attention to their behavior during and after viewing or using the computer. If a child is agitated, moody, aggressive, or upset by what he or she is viewing consider making a different choice. Remember that you are a role model. One of the best ways to help children learn to use media in healthy ways is to be an active and selective user yourself. Adapted from the "Learn and Grow with Sesame Workshop: Making the Most of Screen Time" guide. For further recommendations on how to help children lay a foundation for a lifetime of healthy and productive media use, please contact your local PBS station to see if they conduct Ready To Learn workshops.

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