Reading Reading to your child from infancy on has an influencing affect on all the variables of development whether the evidence of it is directly visible or not. According to the AAP (American Association of Pediatrics), reading is a significant aid in brain development and encourages a solidifying, emotional bond between parent and child. The AAP recommends initiating a daily routine of reading for infants as well as older children. However, their records reveal that only 50% of parents read to their children every day.
Reading lists chosen by Washoe County librarians and the American Library Association Great Sites for Parents, Caregivers, Teachers and Others Who Care About Kids; Compiled by the Children and Technology Committee of the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association. Create your own word search puzzle and more; website by Discoveryschool.com.
Media Literacy Intro to Med Lit Nourishing Young Learners What the Research Says TV and Brain Development-the American Academy of Pediatrics 2005 Report from the Kaiser Family Foundation: Generation M: Media in the lives of 8-18 year olds Television In The Bedroom May Hurt Child's School Performance 2003 NAEP Scores show that more books and less TV makes a difference in student achievement! Facts and Figures About Our Media Habits TV Facts and Figures Media Violence Media violence harms children-here's how: More than 3,000 research studies have proven that media violence affects children in harmful ways. (Groves, 1997) Research identifies three main problems: "Children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others; They may become more fearful of the world around them; They may be more likely to behave in aggressive or harmful ways toward others. What do teachers say about media violence? Teachers have expressed concerns about children watching too much television because --they see increased interaction problems at school when children imitate what they have seen Super-heroes or others do on TV, and then classmates get hurt. --young children often have trouble figuring out the difference between what is pretend and what is real, so teachers are also concerned because media violence teaches children that violence: is a good way to solve problems. happens often; it is a common, normal part of everyday life. is fun and exciting. makes the world a dangerous place, and so you must fight to protect yourself. Teen-Rated Video Games Loaded With Violence Video Games and Children It's Just Harmless Entertainment, Oh really? Get the facts!
Take Action! See how one organization is getting results: www.parentstv.org Be an Activist, A Media Reformer! 12 Actions You Can Take. What Can Parents Do? Here is what the American Academy of Pediatrics says about media in the home. From the American Academy of Pediatrics, 2004. Starting when children are very young, most of their media use takes place in the home. The AAP recommends that children under 2 years of age watch NO TV, computers, video! Parents can help their children make better use of media by doing the following: Be involved with your child! There's that parent involvement again. Make a media plan! Fail to plan and plan to fail. Set media time limits. Live a real life, not a virtual life-it's about balance. .(click here for TV Viewing Log-PDF sent 12/30) Set family guidelines for media content. Be the parent-take responsibility. Keep TV sets, VCRs, video games, and computers out of children's bedrooms. Set limits-it's your home. Make media a family activity. More parent involvement! Look for media "side effects" Know your child. Poor school performance Hitting or pushing other kids often Aggressively talking back to adults Frequent nightmares Increased eating of unhealthy foods Smoking, drinking, or drug use Voice your opinion. Bad things happen when good people do nothing (commentary about the Holocaust).
It's up to parents like you. "Never doubt that a small group of committed citizenscan change the world." Margaret Mead
Links and General Media Literacy Resources PBS Guide to Children and Media Action Coalition for Media Education The Center for Media Literacy Media Awareness Network New Mexico Media Literacy Project PTA American Academy of Pediatrics Just Think SOS Parents Kidsnet Child Development Institute Center for Media and Public Affairs Media Literacy Resource List for Educators Research Center for Research on Interactive Technology, Television & Children Kaiser Family Foundation Television TV Turnoff Network Parents Television Council Cable in the Classroom Video Games Entertainment Software Ratings Board Advertising Mental Engineering Don't Buy It (kids and advertising) Especially for kids (non-adults) Listen Up (for young filmmakers) StudentFilmmakers.com Media Links for Kids Internet safety Media Awareness Network I-Safe