Teachers, parents and administrators across
the country are struggling to find new ways to
give
students the support they need to succeed in school
and life. These attempts to reform schools are
important - indeed good textbooks, challenging
classes and qualified teachers are important
ingredients for success. However, experts agree
that the basic building blocks for school success
are
put in place long before students enter the classroom.
School readiness starts at home.
There are many elements in a family's life that
can keep kids from getting some or all of these
building blocks. One of the most preventable-and
most powerful-of these factors is an unhealthy
media diet. That’s not to say that there
aren’t video games, movies, and television
shows that can
inform, educate and even inspire. Unfortunately,
too many kids are spending too many hours in front
of screens that don’t count in the classroom.
For example, we know that kids who have TVs in
their
bedrooms perform more poorly in school. It’s
clear that paying attention to what our kids are
doing
outside of school helps kids thrive when they
reach their desks.
