"Sesame Street and the Death of Reading" was an interesting article to read. The author explains many who actually sit down and watch the program see no educational gain for their children. It teaches kids how to read (in some areas of the program), but it doesn't teach these things that are needed most when learning to read: language, active reflection, persistence, and internal control. Sesame Street teaches words, numbers, etc. only for a short one minute time frame on the program. I'm sure the kid will remember the word for a while, but in order for growing brains to learn is to repeat what it is being taught - something that Sesame Street does not do.
             Since the "learning period" is so short, teachers are blaming kids' short attention span and low listening skills to Sesame Street. This program is kind of like commercials that play all day for the world to see. What you see is what you get. What you want is what sells. The Children's Television Workshop's philosophy is "what kids watch is what 'sells' " (formative) rather than evaluating it's real educational outcomes (normative).
             The author did a great job on pointing out the main factors on why Sesame Street is not the "way to go" program for children, especially ones aged beyond preschool and kindergarten. I thought it was interesting that the author said that "the visual events, noises, and slapstick comedy emphasize a trouble in view of the fact that both disadvantaged children and those with learning disabilities have difficulty using 'verbal strategies' for processing information." When you learn in the class there is hardly ever any comedy to it like there is on Sesame Street. I remember watching Sesame Street when i was little. All of those short breaks of learning letters and numbers I already knew. I thought it w
             ...