Young
children who watch a lot of TV aren't just missing out on more stimulating activities. They may also be destined for problems at school and unhealthier habits later in life, new research suggests.
Each additional hour of TV that toddlers watch per week translates into poorer classroom behavior, lower math scores, less physical activity, and more snacking at age 10, according to a new study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
Read the full article at CNN.com.
I think that pointing to the TV as the problem is too simplistic. We've never been a family that limits TV viewing; however, we do do a lot of other fun things. My older kids, who definitely watched well over the recommended limits, just finished their annual assessment testing. My 8 year old son scored 6th grade for reading and language arts and above the 11th grade average for math. My 10 year old daughter scored above the 11th grade for reading, well above the 11th grade average for language arts, and 7th grade for math (which is her most despised subject). The excessive, by these standards, viewing habits haven't harmed their education at all.
Left by JoAnn Kuhn | May. 19, 2010 at 12:44pm
Studies like these to be taken with a grain of salt. While research shows a correlation between children watching excessive amounts and poor performance in school, we must first consider all of the other variables. For instance: What type of television program are the children watching? Are adults engaging with the child while watching the show with them? For that matter, do the adults in the child’s life find time to interact and engage with him or her? And does the child have opportunities for playful, creative, open-ended learning in his or her day?
Television is not “bad”; however, it should not be the only teacher in a child’s life.
Left by Alyssa Marsh | May. 20, 2010 at 1:21pm
