|
Go
to the KIDS FIRST!®Home
Page
|
The Newsstand -What's
Hot
|
KIDS FIRST! NEWS 2003
Turning your TV Time into Quality Time
November 12, 2003 Issue #8
Ranny Levy, Editor
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
By subscription only!
You are receiving this newsletter because you requested a subscription
or someone recommended we send you one. *Please DO NOT REPLY TO THIS E-MAIL
to leave this list ... simply follow these directions ...
To leave this list send an e-mail to
[email protected] or use this:
mailto:[email protected].
If you want to change your email address, first leave the list by deleting
your old
address by using the form at:
http://www.kidsfirst.org/kidsfirst/unsubscribe.html Then subscribe your new
address by using the form at: http://www.kidsfirst.org/kidsfirst/fnews.htm
------------------------------------------------------------------------
IN THIS ISSUE
1. Letter from the Editor
2. New Endorsements
3. Media News
4. Parent and Family News
Guest Article by Dr. Irving Lazar
Guest Article by Christine Pollock
5. Members' News
6. Events, news, special events
7. Classifieds
8. Subscribe/un-subscribe
* Permission to forward or reprint the content herein is granted with
complete attribution.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to KIDS FIRST! NEWS. All articles are by Coalition for Quality
Children's Media unless otherwise noted.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher
demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." --William Arthur Ward
Dear Friends,
Our second KIDS FIRST! Film and Video Festival runs November 7 through 15 in
Fort Wayne, Indiana at the Fort Wayne Cinema Center. For information, please
call 260-426-3456. For a schedule of festival locations and dates, please visit
http://www.cinemacenter.org. For a list of programs in this year’s festival,
please visit http://www.kidsfirst.org/kidsfirst/html/fest03_programming.html.
We also have three workshops for our Junior Film Critics program. One at the
Sangre de Cristo Girl Scout Office in Santa Fe on November 15, one in New York
City on December 15 and 17 from 6-8 p.m., and one at the Chaparral Girl Scout
Council Office in Albuquerque on January 10, 2004. To register, please contact
our office at 505.989.8076 or go to http://www.kidsfirst.org.
I’m delighted to inform you that Deborah Cool, our new newsletter editor,
is recovering quickly from her surgery where she donated a kidney
to her brother-in-law and will be taking on her new role with us
soon.
This is a really full newsletter. I hope you enjoy it. We have two guest articles
in this month’s e-zine, one by CQCM Board Member, Dr. Irving Lazar, Professor
Emeritus, Cornell University. Dr. Lazar is internationally recognized as a leader
in early childhood development. I’m delighted to offer you his comments
on the effects of videos on babies. This topic came to a head last month when
the Kaiser Family Foundation released a new study that addresses the high use
of videos with babies. Our second guest writer is CQCM Juror, Christine Pollock,
who writes about the Meg’s Gifts program, formerly a project of the CQCM
which donates KIDS FIRST! - approved videotapes to children’s hospitals
nationwide and servers more than 15 million children annually.
As you prepare for getting together with our friends and families this Thanksgiving,
I wish you the best of times and a loving celebration. At my house, this is
the favorite holiday of the year. Kisses and thanks to everyone for your support
of KIDS FIRST!
Much love,
Ranny
NEW ENDORSEMENTS:
Video/DVD - Ages 1-3
Audio, Videos and DVDs for Infants
** BRAINY BABY: SING ALONG SONGS - All the original Brainy Baby songs that
children enjoy singing along to on one CD. Includes: "26 Letters,"
"Name Your Shapes," and others. Reinforces ideas and behaviors such
as manners, seasons, and numbers. Adult Juror Comments: Cute. Mixes old standards
with new tunes. Sequencing is well thought out, with teaching songs mixed with
old favorites. Kids learn new ideas and then relax with something familiar.
Includes songs about manners, counting, and body parts. Kid Juror Comments:
Likeable. Kids sang and danced along to this. Old MacDonald was a favorite.
"I liked the cows and pigs and chickens in the song." "I didn't
like it when it was so fast that I couldn’t get the words." Audio.
min.; $12.95; Age: 1-4. THE BRAINY BABY COMPANY.
*** GIGGLE TOGETHER (MAKE BABY LAUGH) - Shows how laughter can be used to strengthen
family bonds and help parents develop their children's sense of humor. Demonstrations
of things parents have found to delight and prompt laughter. Adult Juror Comments:
Great fun. Deserving to be included in every new mother's tool kit. Tempo, music,
and variety are excellent. Children and parents joyfully and lovingly engaged
in entertaining each other. Offers a range of play activities perfect for new
parents. Kid Juror Comments: Giggle giggle ... great relaxed interaction between
parents and kids. DVD. 75 min.; $17.95; Age: 0-3. THE MAKE BABY LAUGH COMPANY.
*** HUNK-TA-BUNK-TA FUNSIES 1 - 15 skill-building activity songs for care givers,
parents and babies. Musical tracks for sing along fun and activity guide available.
Adult Juror Comments: Marvelous tool for parents of infants. Well organized.
Includes instructions for how to use with song lyrics so parents can sing along.
Covers the whole range of infants' readiness for response to music and rhythms
from six to eighteen months. Kid Juror Comments: Parents loved the clarity of
this presentation and having the song lyrics included. Audio. min.; $15.99;
Age: 0-2. HUNK-TA-BUNK-TA MUSIC.
Video/DVD Ages 2-5
*** ALL BY MYSELF: TAKING CARE OF MY PET, VOL. 2 - Encourages children to get
involved and participate in the family responsibilities of having a pet. Adult
Juror Comments: Wonderful production that encourages kids to be responsible
and motivates them to do the job by themselves which instills a sense of pride
and satisfaction of a job well done. Buddy the Ladybug as host is terrific.
Content on the mark. Well produced. Kid Juror Comments: Kids loved it. "It
taught us how to take care of pets, to be kind, to not hurt the animals."
Even the youngest wandered around a bit but became attentive during the animated
segments. They tapped their feet, danced, and played drums to the music. Video.
30 min.; $14.95; Age: 2-5. ALL BY MYSELF, INC.
** ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL - Introduces eight animals that live in God's
world and an opportunity for parents to teach their baby animal names and the
concept of large and small. Engaging animation and motion photography of real
animals are underscored with classical music. Adult Juror Comments: Beautiful
photography of unusual animals. Good music. Opens and closes with a prayer.
Vocabulary level a little too high. Specifies that all creatures are created
by God. Aside from that there are no specific goals other than to show images
of animals. Kid Juror Comments: Pleasant to watch, engaging for kids. VideoDVD.
30 min.; $19.95; Age: 2-3. GOODTIMES ENTERTAINMENT.
*** CLICK, CLACK, MOO COWS THAT TYPE…AND MORE FUN ON THE FARM Country
superstar, Randy Travis, narrates the title tale about a barnyard mutiny on
Farmer Brown's farm. Cows that type? Hens that strike? Be sure to pack your
funny bone for a hilarious trip to the farm. Adapted from the Caldecott Honor
Book. Adult Juror Comments: Classic collection of book-based stories. Wonderful
music, narration and animation, perfectly suited to the story and the audience.
Click Clack is fun, humorous with rousing music. All the stories have farm animals
in them which are popular with this age. Kid Juror Comments: Enjoyed them. Click
Clack was a favorite and warranted repeat viewings. Kids laughed when the farmer
got mad in Click Clark, said kids shouldn't throw eggs at each other in Jimmy's
Boa, and were upset when Charlie took the sheep's wool and left him naked. DVD.
52 min.; $14.95; Age: 2-5. NEW VIDEO GROUP, INC.
** GOOD NIGHT, GORILLA…AND MORE BEDTIME STORIES - Make bedtime fun with
Peggy Rathmann's magical and giggly tale. Narrated by Anthony Edwards. Contains
popular book-based videos of Happy Birthday Moon, Good Night Gorilla, How Do
Dinosaurs Say Good Night and more. Adult Juror Comments: Great collection of
classic book-based videos. The collection contains one story, The Hat, which
contains scenes with a baby blanket on fire which is unsuitable for this age.
The others are so great that we still recommend this highly. Kid Juror Comments:
Enjoyable though many of the kids found some of the stories frightening. "My
favorite was Patrick when the violin is played and makes people happy."
"I liked the one when the animals get tucked in." Some kids were scared
of the dinosaur movie. DVD. 51 min.; $14.95; Age: 2-6. NEW VIDEO GROUP, INC.
** LAURIE BERKNER'S VIDEO SONGBOOK - Filmed at a standing room only concert,
features her most-requested songs that encourage movement and participation.
Footage is seen through the pages of a hand-drawn book with playful animation
and sound effects. Adult Juror Comments: Creative, inventive, and fun. Concert
format combined with cartoon interstitials. Lacks visual stimulation. Good continuity
and content. One song, Good Night, is about different animal babies and how
their parents love them. Home quality production. Kid Juror Comments: Enjoyable.
Kids were caught up by Song in My Tummy and Victor Vito. They danced and nodded
their heads. "The music was silly." They enjoyed the song where you
put a stuffed animal on your head, sing about it, and make that animal's sounds.
F Video. 37 min.; $14.99; Age: 2-5. TWO TOMATOES RECORDS.
** NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP (BABY GOOD SPORTS GANG) -Designed to calm fussy
babies before bedtime. Begins with a children's prayer. The animated characters
yawn as night approaches. Real babies slumber away in dreamland. Mesmerizing
motion footage is underscored with classical lullabies. Adult Juror Comments:
Strikingly beautiful melding of photography, abstract art, and music except
for the ending commercial. Excellent flow save for "smiley" balls
floating intermittently. Excellent production. Lovely to look at and listen
to. Kid Juror Comments: Only voice is one verse of The Lord's Prayer spoken
by several children. Very calming for babies as well as parents. Infants all
nodded off in ten minutes. Mood was destroyed by commercial at the end. VideoDVD.
30 min.; $19.95; Age: 2-4. GOODTIMES ENTERTAINMENT.
** PUPPY DOG'S MORNING SHOW (RADIO PUPPY DOG).Gives children a fun way to sing
and learn. It's like listening to a radio station designed for kids, but with
lots of parent-friendly music. Featuring salsa, pop, reggae and country tunes.
Perfect entertainment for car trips. Adult Juror Comments: Very appropriate
for the age group. Good quality audio. Great educational value; reinforces counting,
shapes, colors and various language skills. At times repetition is overdone
and a bit slow moving. Good for auditory learner. Kid Juror Comments: Most enjoyed
it a lot and danced and sang along. They liked singing songs they knew. "We
liked the Elephant Song best." "We danced to the Puppy Song."
"The characters talked to each other very kindly." Favorite part:
making hand shapes and the body game. Audio. 50 min.; $9.95; Age: 2-5. CREATIVE
LEARNING COMPANY, INC.
* THANK YOU FOR THE WORLD SO SWEET (BABY GOOD SPORTS GANG).Provides an opportunity
for parents to teach little ones name of simple foods, where food comes from,
and a mealtime grace. Images of fruits, vegetables and other foods are enhanced
with animation and underscored with classical musical arrangements. Adult Juror
Comments: Similar to an old-fashioned arithmetic picture book except that it
opens and closes with a prayer. Excellent visuals of a farmer's market and various
foods. Animated interstitials are irrelevant. Vocabularly and counting suited
for pre-schoolers. VideoDVD. 30 min.; $19.95; Age: 2-5. GOODTIMES ENTERTAINMENT.
* WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT BABIES A family production that shows how the Qualey
Clan tries to make it through a whole day with baby Kristin on the loose. Highlights
sibling interactions with the newest family member in a variety of settings.
Adult Juror Comments: Madcap family scenes. Home-style production. Cute kids
interact well. Baby's brash behavior - throwing food, splashing water, unrolling
toilet paper - is undisciplined. It's cute at times and annoying at others -
just like raising children. Kid Juror Comments: Liked it. Noticed a number of
inappropriate behaviors such as wasting toilet paper. "The baby was funny
but not nice - throwing food and toys, breaking blocks." "Babies get
to throw things." "The big girl was nice." "I'd rather have
a baby brother." Video. 40 min.; $12.99; Age: 2-5. GOLDEN HORSESHOE PRODUCTIONS.
Audio/Video/DVD Ages 5-8
** INFANTASTIC LULLABYES ON VIDEO VOLUME 2 - Interactive, featuring colorful
animation and beautifully orchestrated nursery songs. A musical picture book
for baby and parents to share. Enchanting shapes, colors and familiar objects
to help baby develop language skills and prepare your child to read. Adult Juror
Comments: Beautiful animation, excellent music. A series of classic tunes with
abstract illustrations. Using the abstract illustrations assumes the viewer
already is familiar with what they represent making this most appropriate for
five to eights. Kid Juror Comments: still being tested DVD. 55 min.; $19.98;
Age: 5-8. V.I.E.W. VIDEO
*** KIDPOP! All-original, upbeat, interactive music for children ages three
to ten by recording artist, Judy Pancoast. Features fourteen songs, including
the award-winning "Swimming in Jello." Adult Juror Comments: Nicely
assembled CD with many different styles of music from country to rap to dance.
Lesson songs are interspersed with plain old silly songs so it doesn't feel
preachy. Voices are cute and the lines in the original songs are ones the kids
will relate to Kid Juror Comments: Kids enjoyed this. "It was funny."
"I liked the bug song." "I liked the different kids of music
and the alien voice." Kids sang along with it the first time through. "This
is my all-time favorite music!" Audio. n/a min.; $14.99; Age: 4-8. KIDPOP!
** MISS NELSON HAS A FIELD DAY AND MISS NELSON IS BACK (SCHOLASTIC VIDEO COLLECTION).Harry
Allard's Miss Nelson tales, illustrated by James Marshall, are sure to bring
a chuckle as they explore every day kid adventures. Includes the title programs,
also featuring the notorious substitute Miss Viola Swamp. Music by Ernest V.
Troost. Adult Juror Comments: Well produced. The animation of James Marshall's
ingenious teacher and her class is delightful. The brief interview with Marshall
is a treat. The Bear and the Fly contains questionable behavior which is best
presented as what not to do with a bad temper. Kid Juror Comments: Kids enjoyed
this tremendously and related to the school environment where it takes place.
"I liked the part when the kids pretended to be the teacher." "The
kids in the movie were just like us." It shows what can happen when you
get bored. DVD. 54 min.; $14.95; Age: 5-8. SCHOLASTIC ENTERTAINMENT.
* SCOOBY DOO AND THE LEGEND OF THE VAMPIRE - Music, mystery and a legendary
Australian vampire are all part of the mix as the gang goes down under for a
hair raising adventure. Adult Juror Comments: Good, clean fun. Makes you work
to solve the mystery. Easy to follow story despite the different locations.
The ending explains every little detail beautifully so it's easy to understand
the mystery. Some might find the skulls and vampires offensive. Kid Juror Comments:
Kids loved it. "It was scary at times." "I liked how they worked
together as a team." "The vampire throwing fire bombs is a no-no isn't
it?" "It's a fun family mystery sort of movie." DVD. 80 min.;
$24.98; Age: 6-12. WARNER HOME VIDEO.
** STRANGERS (THE KREW).- America's first hi-tech super force for safety. Four
amazing kids join "The Chief" to create an extraordinary team inspiring
good decision making and providing the tools to make smart choices. Adult Juror
Comments: Very good tool for leaning how to safely deal with strangers. Some
kids will not know what a chat room is or what online chatting is but it explains
these and other potentially dangerous situations and shows kids how to stay
safe. Acting seems forced. Kid Juror Comments: Kids really enjoyed this. They
learned a lot from it and said they could see themselves responsibly in similar
situations. They loved seeing kids helping kids. "I didn't know that strangers
could look that nice and not be." VideoDVD. 20 min.; $14.95; Age: 5-8.
NOT TO BE RUDE PRODUCTION.
*** WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY When they find prized golden tickets
inside their wonka candy bars, five lucky children win a behind the scenes glimpse
of the legendary candy factory run by the mysterious Willy Wonka played by Gene
Wilder. Adult Juror Comments: This re-release of a classic holds up over time.
Though it's slow moving in the beginning, the acting is excellent and the story
line right on. Greed theme is appropriate as is the idea that if you work hard
and are honest you will be respected. Kid Juror Comments: Loved it. "What
a great story." They liked seeing the tour of the candy factory, the singing,
and loved Mr. Wonka. "It shows what happens when you're greedy." "We
learned about patience and hard work and doing the right thing no matter what."
DVD. 100 min.; $24.98; Age: 5-12. WARNER HOME VIDEO.
Ages 8-12
*** FREE WILLY 2: THE ADVENTURE HOME Jason James Richter as Jesse is back in
another adventure, this time to save Willy and his orca family form a dangerous
oil spill. Adult Juror Comments: Beautiful scenery and shots of whales. Excellent
production and quite stimulating. You are at a disadvantage if you haven't seen
Free Willy. Shows great cultural diversity. Addresses environmental safeguards,
family relationships, and ecology. Kid Juror Comments: Kids loved it. "The
whale, Willy, is great." All expressed sincere desire to watch it again."
"The whale shots were awesome." "I liked hearing the sounds they
make." "It made me want to learn more about whales." DVD. 98
min.; $19.98; Age: 8-12.
** FREE WILLY 3: THE RESCUE The endearing duo faces off against a band of whale
poachers. The excitement continues with this final offering in the series. Adult
Juror Comments: Good story, beautiful scenery. Thought-provoking story covering
history and ethics of whaling. Doesn't show graphic images of whaling. Excellent
lessons about standing up for what's right. Contains some fighting, offensive
language and a bar scene. Kid Juror Comments: Kids loved it and related to the
boy's concern about his dad. "It tells a good story about taking
care of God's creatures." "The boy didn't want his dad to hunt for
whales so they had to stop him." "I loved learning important things
about the whales." DVD. 86 min.; $19.98; Age: 8-12. WARNER HOME VIDEO
** HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS - The second installment in the
Harry Potter series, follows Harry, Ron and Hermione through their second year
at Hogwarts School. Adult Juror Comments: Exciting, action-filled, familiar
characters, and surprises. Special effects are magical. The attention to detail,
like the moving portraits, is incredible and consistent. Some behaviors are
bothersome, like Dobby being abusive to himself. Kid Juror Comments: Kids loved
it though definitely too scary for younger kids. Filled with images of ghosts,
giant serpents being slaughtered, and children being paralyzed. "It's helpful
if you've read the books first. I understood everything." "Shows different
creatures." DVD. 161 min.; $29.95; Age: 8-15. WARNER HOME VIDEO.
Ages 12-15
*** SO LITTLE TIME - VOLUME 1: SCHOOL'S COOL - A collection of episodes from
the hit television series. Chloe and Riley taking on weird biology partners,
dumb after school jobs and disastrous class projects, but even gym class is
bearable with your best friend along. Adult Juror Comments: Entertaining with
good role models for middle schoolers. Good acting, hip music. Characters are
believable and fun to watch. Timely topics - deals with consequences of cheating,
lying, responsibility, and honesty. Definitely appeals most to girls. Kid Juror
Comments: A winner with the girls who loved the music, the stories, the clothes.
They could relate to problems of the kids in the video. "My parents are
divorced and I could relate to what the family was going through." "We
liked the characters and the stories." DVD. 132 min.; $19.98; Age: 10-14.
WARNER HOME VIDEO.
** SO LITTLE TIME - VOLUME 2: BOY CRAZY (SO LITTLE TIME).Collection of episodes
from the hit television series where Chloe and Riley tackle first stuff like
first dates, first kisses, first loves and broken hearts. Thank goodness they
have each other. Adult Juror Comments: Well produced. Addresses issues appropriate
for this age group such as dating and high school. The girls are kind and help
others in real ways. Very hip and timely. Kid Juror Comments: The girls all
loved it; boys were hardly interested. The music is a big hit, as are the clothes
the girls wear. One child commented, "They have way too much money."
"These sisters get along with each other and do nice things for others."
DVD. 132 min.; $19.98; Age: 10-14. WARNER HOME VIDEO.
MEDIA NEWS *****************************
************************************************
From Connect for Kids, http://www.connectforkids.org
KIDS AND THE MEDIA
**Results of Nationwide Undercover Survey Released
How well does the ratings system work to keep teens from accessing explicit
material? Not well enough, says the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Although
the numbers are improving, this year&'s FTC&'s nationwide "mystery
shopper" study found that 83 percent of teen shoppers could buy explicit-labeled
recordings and 69 percent were able to purchase mature-rated video games. Movie
theaters allowed only 36 percent of shoppers admission to R-rated movies, but
81 percent could buy R-rated DVDs in stores. The FTC hosted a day-long workshop
on October 29 to discuss these findings and other issues surrounding self-regulation
in the entertainment industry. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2003/10/shopper.htm
**Entertainment Television as a Healthy Sex Educator
The majority of teens who watched an episode of "Friends" that included
the depiction of a condom failure that resulted in pregnancy remembered what
they saw. Youth who talked with an adult about the show were more likely to
report learning about condoms from the episode than those who didn&'t, and
appeared less likely to later reduce their perceptions of condom efficacy. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/112/5/1115
**Recording Industry Agrees to Warn First
Sue first, ask questions later -- that was the recording industry's tactic last
month, when 261 people nationwide were sued for allegedly engaging in online
music piracy. The public backlash prompted the Recording Industry Association
of America (RIAA) to agree that in the future it will issue warnings before
formally filing lawsuits, according to the Washington Post article, "Kinder,
Gentler RIAA."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52749-2003Oct20.html
**Music Madness!
In "Music Madness," CFK&'s Robert Capriccioso talked to kids about
the record industry&'s recent flood of lawsuits over downloading music from
the Internet for free. The kids had some advice that adults might want to listen
to. http://www.connectforkids.org/resources3139/resources_show.htm?doc_id=194051
Producer News**************************
*******************************************
CALL FOR ENTRIES - PRIX JEUNESSE INTERNATIONAL 2004
PRIX JEUNESSE INTERNATIONAL in Munich is ready for your contributions to our
40th anniversary festival, which will be held from 13 -19 June 2004 at Bayerischer
Rundfunk (radio house). Please click your way to the Contest Rules and Entry
Forms. Always keep in mind that we are looking for the best programmes FOR children
and youth, from around the world. PRIX JEUNESSE is the "Oscar" of
children's television, or even more - since the winners are selected by your
peers from around the world (see special PRIX JEUNESSE voting system!). The
festival is only as good as its programming, so here is how to enter your top
quality works to PRIX JEUNESSE. http://www.prixjeunesse.de/home.html
The KIDS FIRST! Film and Video Festival is looking for films that meet the
following requirements:
Are appropriate for ages eight to fourteen
Offer insight into a specific culture
Offer insight into social and family relationships of a specific cultural group.
Have not been released in the mass market, or are classic films.
If you have a titles that qualifies for this, please consider submitting it
to the KIDS FIRST! Film and Video Festival. To submit, go to http://www.kidsfirst.org/kidsfirst/html/submit.htm
THE RADMIN COMPANY/FILMMAKERS.COM SCREENWRITING COMPETITION - The Radmin Company
will read top 50 screenplays. Top Ten Get to Pitch their Script to a Hollywood
Producer. First Prize $5,000; 2nd Prize $1,000; 3rd Prize $500... Final deadline:
January 31, 2004. Information: http://www.filmmakers.com/contests/2004/scriptmag/index.htm
DV AWARDS - Shot it on DV? A competition with you in mind. The DV Awards is
an international competition celebrating outstanding achievement in digital
video and cinema. From independent films, commercials, corporate communications
and industrial videos to 3D animation and special effects, dozens of categories
will be recognized. Enter online at http://www.dvawards.com.
EXTREME FILMMAKER'S 48-HOUR FILM FESTIVAL - Want to be a filmmaker? Tired of
making excuses instead of movies? Entry deadline for the next event is February
6th, 2004. Festival screens in Los Angeles February 28th. For more details,
basic rules and films from previous festivals go tohttp://www.ExtremeFilmmaker.com
FAMILY AND PARENTING NEWS ****
*********************************************
Last month, the Kaiser Foundation released a report by Ellen Wartella, U.T.
Austin, Victoria Rideout, Kaiser Family Foundation, and Elilzabeth Vandewater,
U.T. Austin which examines about all the babies who are immersed in electronic
media for hours every day. According to a large study of young children's media
habits that was issued October 28 by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation more
than a quarter of children under 2 have a television in their room. On a typical
day, the study found, 59 percent of children 6 months to 2 years watch television,
and 42 percent watch a videotape or a DVD. The median time they spend watching
some form of media or another on the screen is slightly more than two hours.
For a complete report, visit
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/29/national/29BABY.html?pagewanted=print&position=
or http://www.kff.org/content/2003/3378/0to6Report.pdf.
We asked a Coalition Board Member, Dr. Irving Lazar, to comment on the use
of videos with infants and explain to us why it is that we can’t expect
baby’s videowatching to increase their I.Q. Here’s his response.
***********Videos for infants
*******************************
by Dr. Irving Lazar, Professor Emeritus, Cornell University
****What is the value of videos designed for 0-3 year olds?
****What is reasonable and unreasonable to expect?
Learning is a cellular imperative of children and other young mammals. We can
impede learning, but we cannot stop it. Learning begins at birth, and probably
in the third trimester of pregnancy. A great example is pictured in the video
“A Baby’s World,” in a segment in which the father of a ten-minute-old
infant holds the baby at eye level, catches his eye, and then sticks out his
tongue. The infant watches this, and then sticks out his own tongue. Our task
in raising...and teaching...an infant is to optimize the conditions for learning,
and providing them with the opportunities to learn the things we want them to
know. We, as adults, determine what we’re giving them to imitate and what
behaviors we are rewarding. We must not forget that a major task we have is
to socialize the child, and we start that early. So we must be aware of what
we are ex-posing them to, what we give them to imitate and what behaviors we
reward.
We want our children to learn about the world as a whole; not simply a list
of specific actions and habits. We want them to relate what they learn in one
situation to new situations. Indeed, that’s what happens in the family.
Each experience is captured in many senses; and each sensory dimension is sent
to the part of the brain that controls that sense and stores those sensations.
If the experience involved many senses, a web of neurons will be formed between
the sensory areas that enables the child to recall the whole event, and to retrieve
it through any of the sensory connections. Think of the mind as a having a filing
system. If you file a book only by its title, you have no other way to locate
it. If you cross-file it by author, topic, title and other characteristics,
you then have many ways to locate it. The same is true with memories. If an
event engages many senses, then it is both easier to recover from memory and
easier to relate to other learnings. Nature gives us a perfect model in what
happens in nursing. All the baby’s senses are simultaneously involved while
the discomfort of hunger is being reduced, and all the while the baby is staring
at the mother’s face, and
associating the pleasure of being fed with mom. Multi-sensory experiences thus
become easier to recover, to use and to relate to other and to novel situations.
A video only stimulates hearing and vision. You cannot build a web from two
points. The idea that listening to Mozart while the mother is pregnant will
make babies smarter is really silly, although the mother may well enjoy Mozart,
pregnant or not.
Can a parent or other care giver use videos designed for infants to raise their
IQs?
The simple answer is no. If anything, they can overuse them to decrease IQ.
IQ is not a genetic trait It is measured by a test which simply finds out what
the child already knows. That is why vocabulary is the best single predictor
of IQ. The score itself has no predictive power before the age of 6. You can’t
tell from a 4 year old’s IQ how well they’re going to do in school
unless they have extremely high or extremely low scores. But if they have extremely
high or low scores you already know that by their behavior. If videos are used
sparingly, and in connection with real experiences, there may be valuable learning,
but only in
connection to real experiences.
Why are there infant tests then?
Originally it was believed that intelligence was a physical trait, like height,
and that it would increase with chronological age as long as you fed it. until
the child matured and reached his maximum. The idea of IQ is a nineteenth century
idea and up until the 1950s that was the belief and for many people, it’s
still the belief. But in the 1940s it became obvious from research that IQ could
be modified from experience. Harold Skeels and Rene Spitz, in separate studies,
showed that both intelligence and personality were profoundly and permanently
influenced by the amount of early human contact in the first year of life. Infants
raised in orphanages were most likely to either die of emotional neglect or
become profoundly retarded and disturbed later in life. That’s why infant
orphanages were abolished in the United States, and why group care of infants
can be dangerous if there are insufficient care-givers.
What the IQ test measures is what the child has already learned. What the tests
don’t tell us anything about is why the child hasn’t learned specific
kinds of things, or even how he goes about learning. Because we know that children
have many ways of learning and different ways we hear and see things, if the
learning opportunities don’t match up to what the children’s learning
style is then he/she is going to have a difficult time learning the materials
presented. There’s a whole new way of looking at learning that’s popular
in Europe, and beginning to catch on here. It is called Dynamic Assessment.
Instead of looking at what the kid already knows it looks at how a the child
goes about learning and perceiving and solving problems. Unlike the IQ test,
the test looks at the process of learning rather than what has been learned.
It tells the examiner where the child’s strong
points and weak points are and how the child goes about learning and understanding,
so it tells the teacher where the kid needs help, and which strengths can be
built upon.
What can a parent do to increase his child’s IQ?
First of all, see that the child has a small group of caring adults who the
child relates to .Emotional security is the bedrock of intellectual achievement.
Yes, I know that there are brilliant people who have had tortured lives. Imagine
what they what they could have achieved without the torture! Second, Because
children learn from models and through imitation, let them see the world you
want them to learn about. Front-facing carriers lets the baby learn about things
outside his crib. Visiting other people tells him about people and how they
differ.
From the beginning the child needs to be talked to while being held Later,
they need to be read to. And they need to be taken places. They need to see
things, and feel them, and touch and smell them...and they need encouragement
in their explorations, along with protection.
So where do videos come in?
Videos come in as one of many experiences. Babies have very short attention
spans, and it is unreasonable to expect them to watch an entire 30 minute video.
There’s not much learning going on because that audio/ video experience
is not tied to anything else. They like to watch babies and animals but it’s
not in a context of the real world. Initially, babies don’t know the difference
between what’s real or unreal but then they discover that the doggie in
the video can’t be petted, doesn’t smell like a dog, doesn’t
feel like a dog, and if you gurgle at it, it doesn’t respond to you. A
real puppy will lick you, make noises and feel soft to touch. On the other hand,
a moderate amount of tv exposure is not going to hurt a kid. If tv exposure
is most of what a child is getting, then it’s skewing the child’s
level of experience because TV doesn’t present a whole experience. As an
example, consider the fact that our most primitive is smell. We’re usually
not aware of how much smell affects us unless we experience an unpleasant or
extremely pleasant smell. Smells are unique, and play an important role
in most of our perceptions. You can’t smell a video.
Let’s talk about the APP recommendation that children under the age of
2
don’t watch tv or videos at all. What do you think of that?
I think it’s unreal. TV sets are on most of the waking hours in many households.
I think we have to place limits on exposure and with children under two. If
you’re watching tv with your baby, keep the baby busy with something else
or tell the baby what he’s looking at. As for the infant videos I think
they’re fine if you need the baby distracted while you wash your hair,
fix dinner, or something like that. If what happens on the video ties in with
something else in their life, then there’s even going to be more interest
from the baby. For example, if you have taken a trip to the zoo and then watch
a video about a zoo you can tie it into the zoo experience by talking about
it. Now will that raise IQ? No. What will raise IQ is building vocabulary. But
that’s not enough by itself. It’s when the parent is talking to the
baby along with the video that the baby will benefit.
What do you think about the parents today who are concerned about accelerating
their children’s learning and are trying desperately to get their children
reading at young and younger ages.?
What they’re doing, often, is turning their kids off to learning the stuff
being pushed. Kids want to learn and what you want to do is to give them opportunities
to learn. If you’re reading to them, they’ll get the idea that those
squiggles on the paper mean something. They gradually learn what symbols are
all about and then they’ll use them. But they have to discover it on their
own. Forcing them makes it an unpleasant activity. If learning these things
is the requirement for getting them their mother’s love then they are likely
to wind up resenting the mother. The best predictor of the child’s reading
ability is the number of books in the house. If they see their parents reading,
then they’ll want to learn to read. There’s only about 3% of kids
who can learn to read comfortably at age four and there’s about 3% who
can’t learn at age 8. If you’re reading to a kid from early on, that’s
entertainment. You go through stages. The child wants you to read it over and
over until he has it memorized. In due course, he will actually begin to recognize
particular words. Gradually, he starts picking up the letters for certain words.
And then he’s ready to learn. With most kids, that’s around age 6.
The reason we start school at age 6 is not by accident, it’s based on when
kids have the visual-motor and language necessary to be able to read. If you
make demands for the child to learn to read before he is ready then you’re
raising expectations that the kid cannot meet. His ensuing feelings of failure
will diminish his urge to learn and his dependence on his parents for their
approval can breed resentment that he is not loved for himself and what he can
do. Parents need to remember that their children really want to please them,
so setting barriers that are too high can be counter-productive. Videos and
other media can be tools within a learning atmosphere; they cannot substitute
for teachers and real people and immediate approval for accomplishments. Indeed,
in a well designed plan to teach something, the intervals of difficulty should
be so small that failure is simply not likely to occur.
*********From Connect for Kids:
**New Thinking on Children, Poverty and IQ
Provocative new research showing a link between children's IQ scores and their
families' socio-economic status offers scientific support for the view that
reducing poverty will help kids succeed. Connect for Kids' Jan Richter interviewed
lead researcher Eric Turkheimer to learn more. http://www.connectforkids.org/benton_topics1544/benton_topics_show.htm?doc_id=198174
********Meg’s Gifts – Kids Helping Kids Helping Kids
********By Christine L. Pollock
Laughter and giggles erupt from children watching videos in the hospital room.
In a world filled with hardship, the grinning faces are a nice break from the
reality that threatens to intrude. The pain of separation from families and
the endless stream of medication, doctors, and nurses is forgotten as the children
focus on the movie in front of them. This movie, the children’s escape
from their fight for survival, is an indirect gift from a girl just like them.
A leukemia patient. This video is part of Meg’s Gifts.
Years ago, Mardi Clemens, Meg’s mother, talked with Ned Waldman, the publisher
for Tom Hegg’s book, PEEF The Christmas Bear. As Ned talked with excitement
about the stuffed bears they planned to market with the book, Mardi commented
that she wished the kids at Riley’s Hospital, in Indianapolis, had something
like that. She knew firsthand what the hospital experience was like and knew
the joy these bears could bring. To her delight, Ned agreed, and donated some
bears.
Ranny Levy, founder and president of the Coalition for Quality Children’s
Media had already begun donating videos to the Children’s Hospital at the
University of New Mexico. When Mardi told her about her plan, Ranny offered
to organize donating videos to Mardi’s cause in memory of her daughter
and Meg’s Gifts had its official beginning in 1996 as a project of the
Coalition. In 2003, Meg’s Gifts became its own stand-alone, not for profit
organization.
In its first year, Meg’s Gifts donated videotapes to twenty hospitals.
In the second year, the were donating to more than one hundred hospitals. In
2003, the list expanded to almost three hundred hospitals similar institutions
nationwide from Alaska to New York to California. Over ten thousand videos have
been distributed to date.
Not just any video is donated. This is a program with a blend of goals. The
Coalition’s mission of empowering kids to be discerning media users joined
with Meg’s Gifts’ mission of connection, community and compassion.
Therefore, the videos donated by Meg’s Gifts must be endorsed by KIDS FIRST!
and suitable for use in hospitals. To receive a KIDS FIRST! endorsement, a title
must first meet or exceed the KIDS FIRST! criteria of no gratuitous violence
or sexuality; no physical or verbal abuse; no bias in terms of race, gender,
culture or religion; no condescension toward children, and no unsafe behaviors.
Additionally, it must be approved by children.
The Community Harvest Food Bank in Fort Wayne provides warehouse space for
Meg’s Gifts. Volunteers package and mail them. Students from the Bishop
Dwenger High School Key Club donate their time to pack and ship the videos.
Last year more than thirty students volunteered. The videos are sent to the
hospitals every January.
One of the things that makes Meg’s Gifts particularly heart-warming is
the triangle of children working together. The kids who evaluate the videos
help select the best ones. The older kids pack and ship the videos to the hospitals.
Finally, hospitalized kids are helped by the videos they get to watch at the
hospitals. Kids and compassion are what Meg’s Gifts is all about.
When a hospital or organization receives a video from Meg’s Gifts, they
already know it is excellent material because of this screening process. Tammy
Else, a Child Life Specialist at the Lutheran Children's Hospital in Fort Wayne,
IN, says, “Meg's gifts makes parents feel better about the quality of programming
their kids watch.” She states that the workers and children in the hospital
feel really lucky to have so many videos donated. They now have a video library
in which the videos approved by KIDS FIRST!® have a star on them so that
parents know they are quality videos. The library keeps the KIDS FIRST!®
resource book on hand so they can look up other movie titles to be included.
At Lutheran Children's Hospital, the donated videos are used for inpatients
as well as outpatients. They are also shown to children in the pediatric intensive
care unit. Using the videos in the hospital help to distract and entertain children
who are undergoing difficult procedures such as dialysis or chemotherapy.
When three child jurors, CJ (10), Zebulon (7) and Hudson (4) heard about Meg’s
Gifts, they commented, “I never thought it (reviewing the videos) was such
a big thing. It’s fun for me and it helps them. I think it’s really
cool that they donate the videos. I didn’t know kids in the hospital watch
movies.”
Meg’s Gifts consistently gets feedback from the Child Life Directors in
hospital units saying, “Thank you very much. We love what you do. We don’t
have this in our budget and even if we did, we wouldn’t know what to choose.
It’s top quality material. Please don’t take us off your list.”
The children in the hospital who watch the videos send cards and pictures thanking
the organization for their donations. One card was a beautiful, full-page picture
of a house with the words “Videos make the hospital our home away from
home.”
With more and more hospitals across the nation added to the list, how does
Meg’s Gifts acquire all their videos? The major source is donations from
the producers or suppliers themselves. Warner Brothers Home Video, Walt Disney
Home Entertainment, MGM Home Entertainment, Paramount Home Entertainment, and
the Discovery Channel have all made substantial donations along with many independent
producers. They have donated classic titles as well as modern ones – titles
such as “A Bug’s Life” and “Miracle on 34th Street.”
Additional videos are purchased with money Meg’s Gifts raises through
fund-raising activities. When Meg’s Gifts began, family and friends were
the major donors. As it has grown, more funds were needed and raised. Meg’s
sister, Kathryn Clemens, pulled off the first fund-raising event in Indianapolis
with the help of her siblings and friends. For the past three years, a group
of golfers on the board have organized an annual golf fund-raising activity.
Meg’s Gifts still relies heavily on donated videos from producer and distributors.
We invite members and supporters of KIDS FIRST! to participate in Meg’s
Gifts, either as a donor or to sell your programming at a discount.
If you know of a hospital or organization that would benefit from this program,
please ask them to contact Meg’s Gifts. There is no fee charged to any
hospital for participating, all videos and DVDs are donated with no strings
attached. .
For further information, please contact Mardi Clemens, Director, Meg’s
Gifts, 1801 Kensington Blvd., Fort Wayne, IN 46805, 260-424-8881.
***********************************
Resources ***********************
******* KIDS FIRST! Book ***
Our book, A Parent's Guide to the Best Children's Videos, DVDs, and CD-ROMs,
featuring reviews of more than 1800 KIDS FIRST! endorsed videos, DVDs, TV shows,
and CD-ROMs is available now. To order your copy, call our office, 505-989-8076
or send your request, to kfnews@http://www.kidsfirst.org. You can view sample
pages of our book at http: //www.pgpress.com/Book_Excerpts/kidvid/
The 11th Annual report of "Dr. Toy's 100 Best Children's Products 2003"
awards announced today is now available to parents, teachers and others in the
magazine, Dr. Toy's Guide, on the Internet's World Wide Web. The Web Site address
is http://www.drtoy.com.
The "2003-2004 TRUCE Toy Action Guide" is hot off the presses in
time for the Holiday toy buying season. The Toy Action Guide contains information
on how to select toys that promote positive play and reduce the influence of
harmful toys on children. There is a list of TRUCE’s 2003-2004 recommendations
for "Toys for Healthy & Creative Play" as well as "Toys and
Toy Trends to Avoid." The Guide provides suggestions for "Shoe Box
Gifts," an alternative gift idea that promotes play around themes with
common objects often found around the house.. It is available for downloading
from the TRUCE web site: http://www.truceteachers.org.
********************************************************************
Become a Coalition for Quality Children's Media Member ***
If you've found our e-zine and web site helpful, please consider becoming a
member of KIDS FIRST! Members help underwrite the various projects of this organization
and are a critical component of our success.
The Coalition for Quality Children's Media's relies on the generous support
of its members and donors to support its programs. An individual/family membership
is only $25/year. An organizational membership is $100/year. An independent
producer membership is $200; Corporate membership $1,000 -$10,000 / year. For
more information, visit our website (http://www.kidsfirstinternet.org/kidsfirst/head00.htm)
or contact our office for an application form, 505.989.8076.
*** MEMBER NEWS ****
Please note the new Coalition for Quality Children's Media members below and
support their work by visiting their sites.
VISIT OUR MEMBERS' SITES ******************
*****************************************************
http://www.advancedbrain.com
http://www.adventuresinoz.com
http://www.allbymyself.com
http://www.anchorbayentertainment.com
http://www.babybrother.com
http://www.a-imagination.com
http://www.activeparenting.com
http://www.BabyAboutTown.com
http://www.babyeinstein.com
http://www.babygenius.com
http://www.babygourmet.com
http://www.babyplaytime.com
http://www.babyprodigy.com
http://www.babysongs.com
http://www.brainybaby.com
htto://www.coachcoz.com
http://www.devine-ent.com
http://disney.go.com/DisneyVideos/
http://www.eatyourlunch.com
http://www.edact.com
http://www.familiesoftheworld.com
http://www.fancymonkey.com
http://www.finemediagroup.com
http://www.filmmarketonline.com
http://www.familytv.com/index_usa.asp?AFID=2002072002"
http://www.ftfun.com
http://www.hunktabunkta.com
http://www.iluminadaproductions.com
http://www.judypancoastkidpop.com
http://www.kidskills.com
http://www.kathybyers.com
http://www.kidskills.com
http://www.kirikou.net
http://www.lafete.com
http://www.learningbyosmosis.com
http://www.LetsTalkPuppyDog.com
http://www.Littlehardhats.com
http://www.littlemammoth.com
http://www.magicfrank.com
http://www.makebabylaugh.com
http://www.master-comm.com/
http://www.mybabyandme.com/
http://www.mybestenglish.net
http://www.nafce.org
http://www.nestfamily.com
http://www.newvideo.com
http://www.northbayentertainment.com
http://www.pixiesage.com
http://www.powertocreate.com
http://www.production-associates.com
http://www.rainbowplace.com/
http://www.seafunforkids.com/
http://www.sesameworkshop.org
http://www.shanabanana.com
http://www.sosmart.com
http://www.splashesfromtheriver.com/web/pl1.html
http://www.sqedunk.com
http://www.strangerinthewoods.com
http://www.stinkyshoe.com
http://www.tcfhe.com
http://www.underthestarsandstripes.com/
http://www.underthewaves.tv
http://www.vidmedia.com
http://www.hamtaro.com
http://www.view.com/
http://www.vtmproductionsinc.com
http://www.wamtv.com
http://www.warner.com
http://www.zula.com
EVENTS and NEWS ***************
***************************************
November 7-15. KIDS FIRST! Film and Video Festival in Fort Wayne, IN. For more
information, call Fort Wayne Cinema Center at 260-426-3456.
November 14-16; National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) Conference, Chicago.
The Alliance for a Media Literate America Hosta media literacy strand at MCSS.
For information, go to http://www.socialstudies.org/conference/
November 15, Facilitator’s Workshop for KIDS FIRST! Junior Film Critics
Club at the Sangre de Cristo Girl Scout Council office in Santa Fe. For more
information, call 505.989.8076.
Nov. 16, San Francisco Going Beyond Just Say No: a Media Literacy and Prevention
Education Workshop; For details: http://www.apha.org/meetings/continuing_ed.htm
(click on CEI#2018)
For more information: email Lynda Bergsma at [email protected]
Nov. 15 & 16 : ACTION/CUT FILMMAKING SEMINARS - Excellent! - MovieMaker
Essential! – Script Terrific! - Creative Screenwriting Illuminating! -
Screentalk 9 A.M. to 6 P.M. Seminar Director: Guy Magar - Int'l film instructor
with over 50 feature/TV productions & recently on contract to Miramax Films.
To register: http://www.actioncut.com or call 800/815-5545.
December 9-12 DIGITAL VIDEO EXPO WEST 2003 Conference; Los Angeles Convention
Center. For more information go to https://www.cmpevents.com/dvx3/a.asp?option=B&V=2&SC=MMNF
Dec. 15 and 17, Facilitator’s Workshop for KIDS FIRST! Junior Film Critics
Club at Loisada in New York City. For more information, call 505.989.8076.
January 10, 2004. Facilitator’s Workshop for KIDS FIRST! Junior Film Critics
Club at Chaparral Girl Scout Council in Albuquerque. For more information, call
505.989.8076.
To add your event to this list, please sent a notice to
[email protected]
To add your event to this list, please sent a notice to
[email protected]
********* IF YOU FIND THIS NEWSLETTER USEFUL ...
FORWARD IT TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY ****************
*********** ADVERTISE IN THE EMAIL EDITION OR ON THE WEB
************************
Send comments, questions and feedback to [email protected] or use this: mailto:[email protected]
To SUBSCRIBE to our free e-zine, KIDS FIRST! NEWS: Send e-mail to [email protected]
or use this: mailto:[email protected]
To leave this list, send e-mail to [email protected] or use this:
mailto:[email protected]
This newsletter may be reprinted with permission.
Write to [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]
Copyright 2002 by Coalition for Quality Children's Media,
http://www.kidsfirst.org
**************ABOUT CQCM AND KIDS FIRST! ***************
KIDS FIRST! is the not-for-profit Coalition for Quality Children's Media's
initiative that evaluates and rates children's media -videotapes, CD-ROMs, and
television - using a highly acclaimed method that has been praised by parents
and educators alike. It utilizes professionally designed criteria and evaluation
tools and engages a volunteer jury comprising child development professionals,
teachers and parents nationwide and children of diverse geographic, socioeconomic
and ethnic backgrounds. KIDS FIRST! endorsed titles appeal to people around
the world and include many programs on topics important to children's development.
KIDS FIRST! - endorsed titles are available on CQCM's award-winning Internet
site, in The Parent's Guide to the Best Children's Videos, DVDs, and CD-ROMs
and in reviews it provides to more than 75 publications.
CQCM evaluates feature films, television programs, videos, CD-ROM, DVDs, and
audio recordings. For an application form and application deadlines,
visit our website (http://www.kidsfirst.org), call our office (505.989.8076)
|
