Revisiting the Potential Uses of Media in Children’s Education

When Sesame Street launched in 1969, it was the first show to attempt to teach young children school-readiness skills with catchy songs and playful Muppets. Not only did it revolutionize the children’s media landscape, the program sparked a love of learning among generations of children all over the world.

For Revisiting the Potential Uses of Media for Children’s Education, journalist Chris Berdik interviewed more than 20 experts from a range of fields, including developmental psychologists, educators, media historians, app developers, as well as education nonprofit leaders and funders, to understand some of the lessons that can be learned from the successes and failures of children’s educational media over the past 50 years. Together, they explore what we must do to make the most of new technologies and the changing role of families and teachers, and grapple with questions about media, learning, and educational equity.

We hope the insights shared in this paper will help inform and inspire a positive vision for the future, in which media and technology can be used to advance children’s learning and healthy development.