Taking advantage of educational television

By Hillary Rodham Clinton

Have you seen what's on daytime television lately? During a recent workout, I started channel surfing, and the first show I saw was about wild teen-agers and their mothers. Another network featured women who use men for money. And on a third were people who believe their thoughts are controlled by aliens.

I cringed.

Then, I found refuge in Big Bird.

For many parents across our country, there is great comfort in knowing that however prurient, violent or sensational daytime programming has become, there is still an oasis for children called public television.

The truth is, my daughter is a Sesame Street kid. When she was younger, we would tune in together and read the books that went along with the shows. Over the years, my husband and I could see that Big Bird, Ernie and Bert and Cookie Monster had helped her learn to spell, count and, perhaps just as important, appreciate the cultural richness of our country.

But my daughter's experience is not the only reason I am disturbed by recent attacks on public television. There is no escaping that television is a pervasive influence in the lives of all of our children -- one that can have a significant impact, positive or negative, on their social and intellectual development.

A friend told me recently about the time her daughter came home from the first day of school and was so excited that she couldn't stop talking about it. After telling her parents about everything that had happened, she went to television set and told Mr. Rogers too. Can you imagine that child having the same conversation with the Power Rangers?

The little girl's story gives us a window on the latest research. Studies show that children who watch programs like "Sesame Street" and "Mister Rogers Neighborhood" are better prepared to learn by the time they begin kindergarten than children who watch only commercial television. Early on, reading becomes a part of their lives. So do numbers, ideas and a rich imagination.

In fact, just at that wonderful stage when young children seem to absorb every new word and concept they come across, educational television provides a unique learning tool. Even watching as little as 25 minutes a day can help. Researchers have found that low-income children between the ages of 2 and 5 who watch a small amount of educational programming do significantly better on tests of reading potential, vocabulary, mathematical reasoning and overall readiness for school.

By contrast, kids who spend the same amount of time watching non-educational cartoons and adult programs are not as well prepared for learning in school.

Recently, Sonia Manzano, known to millions of children as "Maria" on Sesame Street came to the White House to talk about educational television. She described what it was like to grow up in the Bronx as a Hispanic child who never saw anyone who looked or talked like her on television.

"I know that if a child spends his life not seeing himself reflected in society, which mostly means on television, it will wear him down," she said.

Children's programs like Sesame Street, she said, offer a feeling of belonging and positive role models to all children in our society.

They are particularly beneficial to low-income children whose families often lack other opportunities for intellectual stimulation.

The public broadcasting channel is the only source available for educational children's programming for about one-third of American families that cannot afford or do not have access to cable television. And I bet most Americans would be surprised to know that the majority of public television viewers come from families with annual incomes of less than US$40,000. It is the children in these families who gain the most from public broadcasting.

I do not mean to suggest that public television is a panacea. Clearly, we parents must take responsibility for turning off the television more often and monitoring the shows our children do watch. And we can do more as a society to help our families meet that challenge. A rating system and the proposed v-chip to block out violent programs from individual homes could make a difference.

But let's not kid ourselves. In a culture like ours, which is so dominated by television, children's programming is not a luxury enjoyed by a privileged few. It is a necessity for tens of millions of American families.

-- Creators Syndicate