Educational goals of Sesame Street facts for kids

Sesame Street, a famous children's television show, first aired on public broadcasting stations in 1969. It was special because it was the first show of its kind to use a detailed plan for teaching, with clear goals for what children should learn. These goals came from careful studies and research, and the first teaching plan was created by experts in 1968.

The show aimed to help children learn both academic skills and important life lessons. At first, the creators focused on teaching things like letters and numbers. They believed that learning these skills would also help children feel more confident. Their main goal was to get young children ready for school, especially those from families with fewer resources. The show's creators used methods like showing good examples, repeating lessons, and using humor to achieve their goals. They often changed the show to keep children interested and entertained. They also encouraged older children and parents to watch by including jokes, cultural references, and famous guests.

After its first season, Sesame Street started to focus more directly on teaching life lessons. They taught about getting along with others, accepting different people, and solving problems without fighting. The show often showed characters working through disagreements. In the 1980s, the show used real-life events from its cast and crew to teach about feelings. For example, they talked about sadness when a beloved character, Mr. Hooper, was no longer there. They also discussed new beginnings, like when the character Maria became pregnant. In later seasons, Sesame Street even helped children understand big real-world events, like community challenges.

The show also worked hard to reach children everywhere. From the very beginning, they had a special plan to promote the show to families in different communities, especially those who might not usually watch educational TV. Later, the creators developed many learning materials that schools and families could use.

Why Sesame Street Was Created

According to author Malcolm Gladwell, Sesame Street was built on a simple but powerful idea: if you can keep children's attention, you can teach them. Gerald S. Lesser, who helped guide the show's creation, said that for TV to be a good teaching tool, it needed to grab and hold children's focus. Sesame Street was the first children's show that carefully planned each part of an episode, making small but important changes to keep kids watching.

Sesame Street was one of the few children's TV shows that used a detailed and complete teaching plan with specific learning goals. These goals came from research done while the show was being made, which helped improve it. Independent studies also measured how well the show was teaching children. The first teaching plan was created in 1968 during several meetings with the show's creative team and experts in education and child development. They made a long list of goals, which were then grouped into categories like understanding symbols, thinking skills, learning about the world around us, and social skills.

Learning and Thinking Skills

One of the main goals for Sesame Street was to help children get ready for school. The creators knew that children who were prepared for school felt better and learned more easily. So, they wanted to give young viewers a desire to learn. They also aimed to teach basic school skills and show children both what to think about and how to think. The show focused on skills that children aged three to five would be ready to learn.

How They Taught Kids

The creators of Sesame Street knew that television was great for showing good examples. Children often copy what they see on screen. So, many parts of the show were designed to model good ways to talk and act. For example, characters showed positive behaviors like being curious and enjoying learning. If a joke or action didn't teach the right lesson, it was changed. Muppet performers learned to show emotions in ways that were good examples for children.

The show's creators understood that young children could easily get distracted. They made sure to highlight what children were supposed to learn. They removed anything that might distract kids without making the show boring. The show had to be very appealing because children often watched it at home with many other things happening around them. They also found that children learned more when they were encouraged to talk and interact with the show.

Repetition was a common tool on Sesame Street. The creators knew that repeating things helped young children practice new skills and connect new ideas. Children often enjoyed material more after seeing it several times, which also helped them guess what would happen next. Repetition made it easier to teach complex ideas that a child might not understand from just one viewing. In the early years, the show often repeated the same short segments many times within an episode. They also learned that changing small details while keeping the same format was a good way to use repetition.

A famous example of repetition was the alphabet segment with actor James Earl Jones. He would pause before each letter, which appeared on screen just before he said it. Children loved these segments. The creators noticed that after watching a few times, children would say the letter before Jones did. This made watching TV more interactive, and they called it "the James Earl Jones effect."

Humor was used on Sesame Street to get children's attention and to encourage parents and older siblings to watch together. The funny characters created by Jim Henson were key to making the show enjoyable for both younger and older viewers. The creators believed that humor was very important for educational television. They made sure that the jokes fit with the lesson being taught. Even though some thought silly comedy was too rough, the show found it was very effective and a favorite with young children. Any silly actions were only used in cartoons and short films.

Another way the show encouraged families to watch together was by including jokes or references that only adults would understand. Many famous people also appeared on the show. By 2009, over 500 celebrities had visited Sesame Street.

Important Life Lessons

At first, Sesame Street taught about feelings and social skills indirectly. The creators believed that focusing on learning academic skills would naturally make children feel better about themselves. They also showed different people and cultures by having actors of various backgrounds. Later, after more research, the show started to teach about feelings more directly. They focused on social skills, accepting differences, and solving problems peacefully. Sesame Street became a place where children could see good examples of how to get along.

Dealing with Big Feelings

In the 1980s, Sesame Street began to explore feelings more deeply, often inspired by the real experiences of the people who worked on the show. For example, after the actor who played Mr. Hooper passed away in 1982, the show helped children understand sad feelings and grief. In 1985, Sesame Street talked about adoption when Gordon and Susan adopted their son, Miles. They showed how a new family member changes things, including how it affected other characters like Big Bird.

For the 1988 and 1989 seasons, the show created a story where characters Luis and Maria fell in love, got married, and had a baby named Gabi. This storyline was inspired by the actress who played Maria, Sonia Manzano, who was pregnant in real life. Research was done to understand how young children think about love, marriage, and families. Studies after these episodes aired showed that children's understanding of pregnancy increased.

Helping in Tough Times

Sesame Street also helped children understand real-life challenges. For example, after the September 11 attacks in 2001, they aired a special episode in early 2002 to help children cope. They also produced a series of episodes after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to help families dealing with that disaster. These episodes were part of the show's community programs.

Writer Emily Perl Kingsley was very skilled at making sure the show taught about acceptance, diversity, and including everyone, especially people with disabilities. She helped bring the Little Theater of the Deaf to Sesame Street and was important in adding Deaf actress Linda Bove to the cast. Kingsley's son Jason, who had Down syndrome, also appeared on the show several times. She noted that Sesame Street has done a wonderful job of including people with disabilities regularly and comfortably.

Reaching Every Child

Sesame Street wanted to help children from all backgrounds, but especially those who might not have many educational opportunities. The creators knew that to truly succeed, they needed to encourage all children to watch. Their main goal was to make the show appealing to families in different communities who might not usually watch educational programs on public television.

Community Programs

The creators put a lot of effort into promoting the new show. They worked with educators and the TV industry. They understood that they needed special ways to reach their target communities because traditional advertising might not work as well. They hired Evelyn Davis to lead their Community Educational Services (CES) division, which helped spread the word in different communities.

After Sesame Street became popular, the CES team focused on creating educational materials for preschools and childcare centers. These centers became a very important part of their work. Early efforts included mobile viewing units that brought the show to inner cities, rural areas, Native American communities, and migrant worker camps. In the early 1980s, the CES developed the Sesame Street Preschool Education Program (PEP). This program helped preschools use the show as a learning tool, combining TV viewing with books and hands-on activities.

The show's outreach programs also provided materials for children and adults who spoke languages other than English. Instead of just translating English materials, they created new materials that were designed to fit the culture and language of different communities. Starting in 2006, the show expanded its outreach by creating specials and DVDs about how military families cope when a parent is deployed. The outreach efforts also focused on families facing different challenges, health, and safety.

Sesame Street in Communities

In 2013, the creators launched "Sesame Street in Communities." This program works with parents, caregivers, and community groups to provide resources for families dealing with difficult issues. It offers hundreds of videos, storybooks, games, activities, and other tools in both English and Spanish. Topics include early reading and math, healthy eating, understanding emotions, and dealing with changes like divorce. This program received funding from organizations like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. By 2017, Sesame Street in Communities had expanded to many communities, working with thousands of service providers and reaching millions of young children and their families.