Media Literacy Resources
Navigating the Children's Media Landscape: A Parent's and Caregiver's Guide will help the important people in a child's life understand the effects media can have on young children. This guide offers ideas and strategies to help parents and caregivers select and use media in ways appropriate for children.
The report, authored by the American Institutes for Research and released by National PTA and Cable in the Classroom, suggests that families develop a comprehensive media plan that will allow them to become savvy consumers who can take more control of their TV viewing, Internet use, and other media activities. (Also available in Spanish.)
Access Learning: Cable's Guide to Education Resources is a monthly magazine about using technology and media for teaching and learning in the classroom, in after-school settings, and 
at home. Published by Cable in the Classroom, the magazine provides parents and caregivers tips for using educational media actively at home and articles about parent involvement, media literacy, and family learning projects. The magazine also offers listings of upcoming educational cable programs and educational web sites by school subject areas.
The National PTA, National Cable & Telecommunications Association, and Cable in the Classroom joined forces in 1994 to help parents take control of the family television. Through partnerships with National PTA and other organizations, Cable in the Classroom continues to produce and distribute media literacy resources for parents and educators.
- TV Programs Are Created to Achieve Specific Results
Just like building a house, a TV program is constructed to send certain messages. Help children understand that TV shows are pretend-not real. Explain that even if a TV show seems real, the events have been altered for the viewers. - People Interpret What They See On TV In Different Ways
Depending on age, gender, and life experiences, children will get a wide variety of messages from a television program. Watch TV with them and discuss important issues, such as how conflicts are resolved or how people are stereotyped. - Television Violence Takes Many Forms
Violence may be portrayed as realistic, funny or even thrilling. Discuss with children what is real and not real, funny and not funny, harmful and not harmful in cartoons and in other programs. Slapstick humor may seem funny to some while violent to others because viewers rarely see the negative consequences. - Television Has an Underlying Economic Purpose
Most television is supported by paid advertising. Explain to children that advertisers want TV viewers to buy their products. Ask children to think about why certain commercials often appear during certain programs, for example, toy ads during cartoons. Also, discuss how the commercials make products look great, perhaps even better than they might be in real life.
