Study: Pre-K Lessons Linked to TV Produce Gains in Literacy

A study financed by the US Department of Education and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting found that the 398 low-income children picked from 47 preschool centers in New York City and San Francisco, on average made significant gains in acquiring skills such as naming letters, knowing the sounds associated with those letters, and understanding concepts about stories and printed words. The study compares the children’s performance with that of preschoolers taking part in a technology-supported science curriculum. Each set of children received 25 hours of activities over 10 weeks. The study looked at a technology-supported literacy curriculum and also included online games which targeted some of the same literacy skills. These shows included Super Why!, Sesame Street and Between the Lions. The online games were produced by the same producers that put the TV shows together.