KTMS Radio Commentary
Watching TV can be a positive activity for children if
viewed in the right context.
With your
children, watch a program that takes place in another part of the United
States, or another country, and locate the site on a map or globe.
Read a
story from that area, learn about that place’s history, or cook a meal from
that culture.
Help your
child develop an understanding of time by comparing lengths of TV shows. Compare a half-hour show to a one-hour show,
to a two-hour movie, etc.
Teach your
child how to tell time by looking at the clock and comparing it to when a
specific show comes on.
You could
teach a child the days of the week in the same fashion with a calendar.
Develop
simple word problems using television. For example: “If there are six
commercials and each is 30 seconds long, how many minutes of commercials will
you watch in all?”
Watch the
news with your children and follow a story. Watch the same story on different
channels and discuss the differences and similarities. Find the same topic in
the newspaper, a magazine, or on the Internet and compare the coverage.
It is
almost impossible to eliminate TV viewing. By talking about it, and making it a
learning experience, you can help make television a positive part of your
child’s life.
