"G" Is for "Growing" : 30 Years of Research on Children and Sesame Street

by Fisch, Shalom M.; Truglio, Rosemarie T.; Segui, Ivelisse; Zill, Nicholas

• ISBN13: 9780805833959
• ISBN10: 0805833951
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-11-01
• Publisher: Lawrence Erlbau

Summary

This volume--a collection and synthesis of key research studies since the program's inception over three decades ago--serves as a marker of the significant role that Sesame Street plays in the education and socialization of young children. Editors Shalom M. Fisch and Rosemarie T. Truglio have included contributions from both academics and researchers directly associated with Sesame Street, creating a resource that describes the processes by which educational content and research are integrated into production, reviews major studies on the impact of Sesame Street on children, and examines the extension of Sesame Street into other cultures and media. In the course of this discussion, the volume also explores broader topics, including methodological issues in conducting media-based research with young children, the longitudinal impact of preschoolers' viewing of educational versus non-educational television, and crosscultural differences in the treatment of educational content. As the first substantive book on Sesame Street research in more than two decades, "G" is for Growing provides insight into the research process that has informed the development of the program and offers valuable guidelines for the integration of research into future educational endeavors. Intended for readers in media studies, children and the media, developmental studies, and education, this work is an exceptional chronicle of the growth and processes behind what is arguably the most influential program in children's educational television.

Table of Contents

Foreword	xi
Joan Canz Cooney
Introduction	xv
Rosemarie T. Truglio
Shalom M. Fisch
PART I: INTEGRATING RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL CONTENT INTO PRODUCTION
The Beginnings of Sesame Street Research	3	(22)
Edward L. Palmer
Shalom M. Fisch
Creation and Evolution of the Sesame Street Curriculum	25	(14)
Gerald S. Lesser
Joel Schneider
Formative Research Revealed: Methodological and Process Issues in Formative Research	39	(22)
Shalom M. Fisch
Lewis Bernstein
The Varied Role of Formative Research: Case Studies From 30 Years	61	(22)
Rosemarie T. Truglio
Valeria O. Lovelace
Ivelisse Segui
Susan Scheiner
PART II: IMPACT OF SESAME STREET
A Review of Research on the Educational and Social Impact of Sesame Street	83	(14)
Keith W. Mielke
The Early Window Project: Sesame Street Prepares Children for School	97	(18)
John C. Wright
Aletha C. Huston
Ronda Scantlin
Jennifer Kotler
Does Sesame Street Enhance School Readiness?: Evidence From a National Survey of Children	115	(16)
Nicholas Zill
Sesame Street Viewers as Adolescents: The Recontact Study	131	(16)
Aletha C. Huston
Daniel R. Anderson
John C. Wright
Deborah L. Linebarger
Kelly L. Schmitt
PART III: EXTENDING SESAME STREET: OTHER SETTINGS, OTHER MEDIA
The World of Sesame Street Research	147	(34)
Charlotte F. Cole
Beth A. Richman
Susan K. McCann Brown
The Role of Sesame Street-Based Materials in Child-Care Settings	181	(16)
William Yotive
Shalom M. Fisch
Carrying Sesame Street Into Print: Sesame Street Magazine, Sesame Street Parents, and Sesame Street Books	197	(18)
Renee Cherow-O'Leary
Interactive Technologies Research at Children's Television Workshop	215	(18)
Glenda L. Revelle
Lisa Medoff
Erik F. Strommen
PART IV: CONCLUSION
Why Children Learn From Sesame Street	233	(12)
Shalom M. Fisch
Rosemarie T. Truglio
Afterword	245	(2)
David V.B. Britt
About the Authors	247	(6)
Author Index	253	(6)
Subject Index	259