KIDS FIRST! Jury Blog

In April I wrote about involving kids in the process of reviewing films and other media, focusing on ages 12-18. Getting kids ages 8-12 to open up, though, has it’s own special challenges.

Children in this age group relate to more complex plots and characters than their younger counterparts. They like to compare what they see to their own experiences. They are interested in environmental issues, sports, science fiction, fantasy and how things work. Since kids easily succumb to peer pressure and tend to repeat feedback from the first respondent, you should remind them that there are no wrong answers.

Another fun way to get honest answers from your jury is to make copies of the evaluation form for each child and have them write their evaluations. Share the them with the group and discuss the different points of view, reinforcing that everyone’s opinion matters. You can also introduce new vocabulary such as antagonist, protagonist, or discuss production values or accuracy with them. You can also discuss the issue of gratuitous or nongratuitous violence, bias and stereotyping, and replicable unsafe behavior.

At this age kids are highly influenced by what they have seen in the media. Portrayals of gender, racial or religious bias can mold their opinions. It is especially important to include them in the review process, to help them to become more critical of the images they see. With your help, kids can grow up to be adults who think for themselves and are capable of making good decisions.

To learn more, contact our Jury Manager or sign up to take our Jury Training Course.

Our next 2-part class is scheduled for Monday, June 8 (Part 1) and Wednesday, June 10 (Part 2) at 8:30pm Eastern Time. This means that you can complete your training in just one week, instead of the 2 weeks for previous classes.

The course fee of $30, with discounts available for educators and producer incentives, is fully refundable once you’ve completed your training and reviewed your first six films with your jury. The training takes place in the comfort of your own home, using only a telephone or headset and a computer (internet access is required, though hi-speed is not necessary.)

In this class, you will learn how to evaluate children’s media based on our standardized criteria and to work with a group of kids to help them become critical media viewers. Kid’s juries are made up of at least five kids in a particular age group. All approved DVDs, CDs and video games are yours to keep, so it’s also a great way to build up your media library, or help out your local school, church, library or other youth organization. And KIDS FIRST! reviews appear on our website and in parenting magazines.

To sign up for the class, fill out our juror application form, or email the Jury Manager for more information.

Wondering what to do with all that extra time with the kids this summer? Some days just too hot or rainy to play outside? Why not start your own Junior Film Critics Club?

Our next 2-part class is scheduled for May 12 and May 19. There will be day sessions at 1pm Eastern Time and evening sessions at 8:30pm Eastern Time. The course fee of $30, with discounts available for educators, is fully refundable once you’ve completed your training and reviewed your first six films with your jury. The training takes place in the comfort of your own home, using only a telephone or headset and a computer (internet access is required, though hi-speed is not necessary.)

In this class, you will learn how to evaluate children’s media based on our standardized criteria and to work with a group of kids to help them become critical media viewers. Kid’s juries are made up of at least five kids in a particular age group. All approved DVDs, CDs and video games are yours to keep, so it’s also a great way to build up your media library, or help out your local school, church, library or other youth organization. And KIDS FIRST! reviews appear on our website and in parenting magazines.
To sign up for the class, fill out our juror application form, or email the Jury Manager for more information.

A key piece of our media literacy program is getting kids to think and talk about what they watch, play or listen to. But sometimes this is tricky. Our trained jurors watch a lot of DVDs throughout the course of the year and find our training and their experience helpful in getting kids to talk about their feelings.

Kids, ages 12-18, often considers themselves adults, even though they may vacillate between juvenile and mature behavior. They are critical thinkers and, when directed, can be incredibly insightful. Provocative, open forum discussions can be held over issues such as loyalty, honesty and friendship.

They also will succumb to peer pressure, particularly if there are strong personalities in the group. If you think this is a problem, ask them to write their thoughts on paper. You can then share this information with the group anonymously. Girls and boys may have quite different interests at this age too. You might consider single-sex groupings occasionally for more in-depth responses. Try it both ways, to see if the responses vary. You will find this to be an excellent opportunity for introducing new concepts and vocabulary.

You can even set up a TV show and let your kids pretend they are professional reviewers. Let them interview each other for more fun and interactivity.
KIDS FIRST! jurors have some of the best ideas. If you’d like to share an idea or a project that works well for you, please email it to the Jury Manager and we can include it in future blogs. In subsequent blogs I will include tips for other age groups as well.
For more great ideas, or to become more involved with KIDS FIRST!, sign up for our next Jury Training Course or contact the Jury Manager.

People are raving over our new Juror Training Course. Teachers, parents, grandparents, providers of youth services and producers are among our most recent graduates. Jason, from the Beloit International Film Festival joined us in February and had this to say…

“The training immediately equipped me with the tools necessary to both be an affective critic as well train and build a team of young critics in my area. I was also able to use the training to conduct several large educational sessions for 5th graders as part of the Beloit International Film Festival in 2009.”

Contact the Jury Manager for more details or information on our upcoming classes!