Turn off TV to teach toddlers!
Toddlers learn their first words better from
people than from Teletubbies.
Toddlers learn their first words better from people than from Teletubbies, according to new research at Wake Forest University. Children younger than 22 months may be entertained, but they do not learn words from the television program, said Marina Krcmar, associate professor of communication at Wake Forest and author of the study.
“With the tremendous success of programs such as ‘Teletubbies’ that target very young children, it has become important to understand what very young children are taking away from these programs,” Krcmar said. “We would like to think it could work, that Teletubbies and other programs can teach initial language skills. That is not true.”
The results confirm the recommendation of the Academy of Pediatrics to avoid television for children under 2 years old.
Sadly, even folks who can afford better still find it “easier” to rely on the TV to babysit their kids - instead of spending productive time with them.
Posted: Mon - July 2, 2007 at 12:37 PM