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Education & Learning

How can I use screen media mindfully with a four-year-old and six-year-old twins?
 How can I use screen media mindfully with a four-year-old and six-year-old twins? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My wife and I have twin 6-year-old boys and a 4-year-old boy. Many of the strategies I’ve seen about responsible screen use, digital media, TV, etc. seem herculean for a family like ours. My wife will use commercial-free videos so she can take a break to cook, as well as online videos of volcanoes, jet…

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When and how should I introduce screens to my 2½ year old?
 When and how should I introduce screens to my 2½ year old? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: I have a 2½ year old, and so far, per the advice of our pediatrician, she has had no screen time. However, I have heard that educational television, such as Sesame Street, can be useful to offer in small doses after the age of two. My inclination is to continue not to offer her screen…

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Should apps be part of a library’s story time?
 Should apps be part of a library’s story time? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: There is a discussion among children’s librarians about including tablets and apps in story times at the library for children ages 2-5 or even younger. The assumption is that apps can and should be one more type of material that supports early literacy development (vocabulary, narrative skills, letter knowledge, phonological awareness, etc.). Some think…

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What can I do to stop students from texting in class?
 What can I do to stop students from texting in class? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: I read an article you were cited in about college students texting during class and the negative impact it can have on their learning and overall academic performance. I am a high school teacher, and texting during class is one of the biggest challenges that I am facing. Unfortunately, I feel that I have…

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Are reading systems like Tag Junior helpful for toddlers?
 Are reading systems like Tag Junior helpful for toddlers? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My mother-in-law just bought a Tag Junior for my two and a half year old. It feels unnecessary for my son, who already loves books and is learning the alphabet at his own pace through puzzles and songs, etc. Is there any support (beyond that promoted by Leap Frog) for this as a useful…

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Are there home school media literacy programs for seven-year-olds?
 Are there home school media literacy programs for seven-year-olds? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: We are a homeschooling family who has decided to exclude media from our daughters’ lives until they turn 7. Our daughters have never watched TV and have never seen an advertisement, movie, YouTube clip, etc. Our eldest is turning seven in June, and we want to introduce her to media though a media literacy…

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Is it okay for my toddler to watch the same Sesame Street movie over and over?
 Is it okay for my toddler to watch the same Sesame Street movie over and over? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: What is the consequence of watching the same Sesame Street movie over and over? It's Sesame Street and it's a movie, and it's only about 1 hour long. So it's not TV, it's not computer, it's not passive. We watch it together and we interact throughout it, with singing and dancing along. My daughter…

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My 10-year-old-daughter was frightened by a pornographic video, what do I do now?
 My 10-year-old-daughter was frightened by a pornographic video, what do I do now? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My 10-year-old daughter had a sleepover with 3 friends. It turns out that one of the girls brought a smartphone and pulled up some porn. My daughter is still quite traumatized by what she saw, and my husband and I are trying to figure out how to counsel her. The girls saw three explicitly pornographic…

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Am I limiting my child’s chances of success in today’s economy by trying to limit his screen time?
 Am I limiting my child’s chances of success in today’s economy by trying to limit his screen time? 150 150 Mediatrics

Q: My 11-year-old son spends every free minute in front of his computer—doing homework (he really does, thank goodness), social networking, playing games, and now creating his own games. Concerned that, one by one, he has dropped sports, playing with friends, getting outdoors, and, frankly, spending time with the family, I have struggled (and been…

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Is it ok to let my kids play with the iPad when I need a break?
 Is it ok to let my kids play with the iPad when I need a break? 150 150 Mediatrics

I have two kids, ages 7 and 2. My eldest is given access to the iPad on car trips and once in a while at home. My younger son likes to sit by his brother while he plays and of late, has been pointing to it and asking for it. There are some days when…

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