how television is a learning tool

Using the Television as a Learning Tool

No one can deny the importance of television to most members of society. However, too much TV can interfere with your child's valuable learning time. With intelligent planning, television can be an asset in the learning process.
Here are tips on how to use TV as a learning tool:
As a parent, you need to be a role model - TURN THE SET OFF. Have your child see you read newspapers, books and other reading materials daily. Use a VCR to record shows that you simply cannot miss.
Keep a dictionary near the TV to "look-up" unknown or unclear words. You can expand your child's vocabulary by looking up unknown or unclear words and their pronunciations.
Use TV to learn to read and write. Select programs to view together as a family. Discuss the program to see what your child has learned, and ask them to write down words and key phrases that best describe the show or have them write down words that come to mind to describe the program they are watching.
Encourage your child to read the TV guide. Have your child highlight programs that are interesting to them, then record these shows for future viewing. This allows you to limit the amount of television they watch as well as control the quality of what they are viewing.
Have your child keep a journal or log of the TV shows he or she watches while you are at work. Have him or her write a summary of the program(s) they have seen. Instruct them to narrate, persuade, reason, and/or describe why they liked or disliked a particular program.
Use videos to add emphasis to books your child has recently read or encourage your child to read a novel on which a recently viewed movie was based. Discuss similarities and differences, expectations and disappointments.
Talk about alternatives to a solution shown on TV.
Encourage your child to write down a recipe from a cooking show and prepare it.