Next time someone tries to make you feel bad for letting your child watch TV, just point them to this! Parenting can be tough with all the scrutiny—whether it’s about how you give birth, feed your child, or what they snack on, and yes, even what they watch on screen. While all forms of mom-shaming are absurd, there’s now a legitimate study to support a more positive view on screen time for kids.
To ease your guilt over your little one watching TV, consider the initiative to #turnonthesubtitles. A new organization, aptly named Turn On The Subtitles, aims to help children learn while lessening parental guilt about screen time. They assert that enabling subtitles while kids watch TV can significantly increase the chances of them becoming proficient readers.
This approach is known as Same Language Subtitling (SLS), where the dialogue is captioned in the same language as the audio. As children watch, they can follow along with the words on the screen, creating a powerful connection between spoken and written language.
It’s one of those “why didn’t I think of that?” moments. Of course, using subtitles would benefit children! Providing them with engaging reading material is crucial for fostering lifelong reading habits. A comprehensive international review revealed that in a study involving 2,350 children, only 34% became proficient readers through traditional schooling alone. However, with just 30 minutes a week of subtitled films or songs, that percentage jumped to 70%.
Prominent figures like Alex Johnson have endorsed this initiative. The organization highlights that the most significant push for subtitles has occurred in India, but research confirms the positive effects of subtitles on literacy in various countries, both English-speaking and otherwise. They emphasize that studies indicate that exposure to directly matched captions can enhance reading skills and language learning.
The appeal of this program lies in its focus on presenting captivating content. Turn On The Subtitles quotes Dr. Emily Roberts from MIT, who explains that emotional engagement is a strong catalyst for learning. When children are exposed to SLS in entertaining content, their brains form connections that help them understand language and phonetics.
Worried that your child might resist watching new shows with subtitles? Not to fret! The concept proves even more effective with familiar content. Research shows that for media they’ve seen multiple times, subtitles provide an added layer of predictable text. Your child already knows the storyline, and seeing the words reinforces their understanding.
The organization encourages parents and educators to spread the word, hoping that by turning on the subtitles, screen time can seamlessly transform into reading time as well.
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Summary:
Using subtitles during children’s TV viewing can significantly enhance their reading skills, with research showing that it nearly doubles the likelihood of becoming proficient readers. This initiative encourages parents to embrace screen time as a potential learning opportunity by making it more interactive and engaging through Same Language Subtitling.
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