News release

ThinkTV to Help Parents Manage Children's TV Viewing

Education (July 1999 - March 2013)

A new resource for educators is being introduced to help parents use television viewing to support their children's learning.

ThinkTV: A Guide to Managing TV in the Home, is a manual outlining a series of workshops based on the idea that television can be used to develop important literacy and life skills. The workshops guide parents in making decisions about the content and amount of television that their children watch, and how they watch it.

The ThinkTV manual is designed for use by adult educators who work in literacy and upgrading programs. These professionals can use the resource to lead three to five workshops for parents.

"The home is a child's first classroom," said Education Minister Jane Purves. "By helping children to make sense of what they see on TV and to think critically about it, parents can use TV as a positive tool for their children's learning."

Through the workshops, participants learn critical-thinking skills, how to apply them to media and television in particular, and the language of TV and advertising. One workshop focuses specifically on using TV to support children's success in school.

ThinkTV was developed by the Nova Scotia Department of Education and the Association for Media Literacy-Nova Scotia. The association is made up of educators, parents, media professionals and media consumers interested in the impact of media on modern life, culture and education.

"We believe that a media-literate person is an informed citizen," said the association's past president, Debbie Reeves, who was involved with the project. "By understanding mass media, how their products are made, who makes them and for what reasons, students, educators, parents and all media consumers will think critically about media messages, make informed decisions and become more active in the way they relate to the mass media."

Ms. Purves added that the department is committed to improving literacy levels in the province. "We've launched a number of initiatives aimed at helping Nova Scotians of all ages to improve their reading skills. ThinkTV is one of several steps we've taken to help young people develop a strong foundation for future learning."

Among the department's literacy initiatives is the Active Young Readers program. Launched last September, it is already helping more than 44,000 primary to Grade 3 students develop solid reading skills. To improve adult literacy, the department is creating the Nova Scotia School for Adult Learning, which will enable more adults to complete their high school education. The school is expected to be in operation by September.

Parents and educators are attending a session today introducing ThinkTV. The session is part of celebrations for Family Literacy Day held annually on Jan. 27.


ThinkTV -- Tips for Parents

Get involved with what your children watch:

  • place the TV where you can monitor what your children are watching and when.
  • watch with your children whenever possible.
  • talk to your children about what they are viewing.
  • carefully select the programs your children watch.

Set limits on how much TV your children watch and when:

  • leave the TV off when there is no reason to watch it. Plan
    ahead by checking the TV listings for specials or programs that
    relate to your children's interests, hobbies, or school work.
  • plan family viewing times when the whole family can watch a
    program together.
  • balance TV with the other things your children need to do each
    day, such as homework, reading, sports, hobbies, and household
    chores.

Teach your children how to watch TV:

  • ask questions about what you are watching together.
  • link TV programs to other activities, such as reading a
    book about dinosaurs after watching a special on
    dinosaurs, checking the atlas to find countries mentioned
    on the news, or writing a fan letter to a favourite TV star.
  • set a good example by managing your own viewing.
  • make your viewing intentional, not habitual.