There’s no doubt that most children watch too much TV. But that doesn’t mean that all TV is bad. In fact, on Idaho’s public television station you’ll find dozens of shows meant to educate, challenge, and engage children on different topics.

        If you’re looking for ways to introduce new ideas to your young children in a way that sticks, you might find that judicious use of the children’s programming available to you can be a big help.

        Ron Pisaneschi, the Director of Content for Idaho Public Television since 1987, knows a few things about children’s public television—how you can use it to enhance your children’s education and provide them with a unique learning experience that is tailored to their interests and needs.

        He was kind enough to sit down with me and share his insights into the process behind education programming for children and the goals those programs are meant to achieve.

        Pisaneschi’s opinion is a respected one. In addition to taking the helm at IDPTV, he also serves as an advisor on the national level, providing advice to producers on how to create educational programs that succeed in engaging and educating children.

        Pisaneschi emphasizes two things when it comes to successfully using television as an educational tool. First, parent participation is important. And second, the TV show should serve as a jumping-off point. It’s not just about watching TV, but about watching and learning and then doing and exploring.

        To give this goal more momentum, today’s public TV shows that are geared toward kids are very interactive. The show’s characters often ask the audience to participate. They might ask a watching child to remember a specific word or to do a certain action. This helps keep kids engaged and turns the viewing experience into something more than a passive activity.

        But the interactivity goes further than that. Each show has suggested activities associated with it that parents can find online and do with their children.

        “We hope,” says Pisaneschi, “that parents are watching these shows with their children and discussing them afterwards, so that the lessons the show is working to impart stick even better. We know it doesn’t always work that way, but that is the ideal.”

        So, it’s easy to say in general you should watch a show with your child, discuss the lessons, and then build an activity around what you’ve learned, but let’s take a look at what that really means.

        One of the current popular shows is The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That. In this show, Dr. Seuss’ Cat in the Hat takes two children, Sally and Nick, on adventures that help them learn about nature, the environment, and animal behaviors. The show weaves in songs and rhymes to engage young children.

        When you watch The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That, encourage your children to sing along with the songs and to learn the rhymes. Ask them about what they think is going to happen and listen to any questions they have about the show. For example, in one episode, Migration Vacation, Sally and Nick discover the purple martin swallow that lives in Sally’s backyard isn’t there anymore. The Cat and Nick and Sally track down the missing bird and learn about bird migration along the way. As you watch, you could ask your children about where they think the bird has gone and why.

        When the show is finished, talk about what you saw and learned. If possible, draw connections between the show and experiences your child has had. In the case of Migration Vacation, you might ask your child what she thinks it would be like to migrate every year or if she knows some local birds that migrate.

        Then, plan an activity that will support what your child learned in the show. This is something that you can design yourself. It can be as simple as drawing a picture of a favorite scene or as involved as going out and observing real life instances of what was discovered in the show. For Migration Vacation, you might ask your child to draw the different habitats the purple martin travels to during the year. Or you might take him to visit the Deer Flat Wildlife Refuge to learn more about local migratory birds.

        If you’re stuck for activities, you can visit the show’s website for ideas and for more resources to help you bring science to life for your kids. For the episode Migration Vacation, the site has instructions for making a hanging bird feeder. It also provides tips on observing birds as they come and go and recording your observations.  

       Each of the children’s programs on Idaho Public Television has a corresponding website with activities and resources to help you make the most of your child’s TV time. You can find Idaho’s full programming schedule at www.idahoptv.org/schedules. Click the “Full Day” link, so you can see all the shows. When a show interests you, click its title to learn more. In the window that opens, look for the link to the show’s specific website with activities for kids, suggestions for parents, and resources for both.

        In closing, Pisaneschi underscored the community effort that is involved in bringing quality educational programming to the public broadcasting channels. “These shows aren’t like others that are meant to provide a vessel for commercials. These shows are meant to educate and entertain, but that means the funding can be harder to come by.”

        Idaho Public Television uses donations from private citizens and businesses to contribute to the development of engaging, interactive, educational, and fun programs. Because community involvement is important from beginning to end, Pisaneschi emphasized that he loves to receive feedback from parents about children’s shows—what’s working, what’s missing, what you love, and what could be better. Your feedback helps make children’s public programming better for everyone… including the next generation of growing, curious, precious young minds.

        You can contact Ron Pisaneschi at Idaho Public Television by writing to Idaho Public Television, 1455 N. Orchard St., Boise, ID 83706-2239, or by calling 373-7220.


Children’s Weekday Programs On Idaho Public Television

6:30        Clifford the Big Red Dog

7:00        Arthur

7:30        Martha Speaks

8:00        Curious George

8:30        The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That

9:00        Super Why!

9:30        Dinosaur Train

10:00     Sesame Street

11:00     Sid the Science Kid

11:30     WordWorld

12:00     Caillou

12:30     Barney & Friends

1:00        The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That

1:30        Zoboomafoo

2:00        Between The Lions

                D4K (third Tuesday of each month)

2:30        Martha Speaks

3:00        The Electric Company

3:30        WordGirl

4:00        Maya & Miquel

4:30        Cyberchase

5:00        Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman

Heather Robson is a local freelance writer with a passion for healthy families. You can reach her with questions and comments at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .