Preschool Clues: A Book Review
Originally published on 07/13/2018
I was asked to read and review a wonderful book titled “PRESCHOOL CLUES: Raising Smart, Inspired, and Engaged Kids in a Screen-Filled World”. Having been a preschool teacher and lover of small kids, I was happy to receive a copy for this purpose. I was intrigued by the simple fact that the author, Angela C. Santomero, M.A., was the creator of many children’s shows, including the preschool show on Nickelodeon Blue’s Clues. I enjoyed watching this show with my nieces and nephews. Angela is also the creator of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, which is based off of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Both of these shows help children interact with their environment and the television, which was the first of it’s kind. Research shows that children also learn from repeated learning, so when Blue’s Clues first aired, they showed the same episode all week. The Nickelodeon Heads didn’t know if that would be a good thing, but decided to try it out and just pull the show if things didn’t work out. It worked out perfectly and the show was an immediate success.
But, I digress. I’m here to talk about the book… “PRESCHOOL CLUES” teaches parents and caregivers how to choose their children’s shows more wisely. By finding highly engaging shows that children can interact with (and not just sit idly by), their brains become eager to learn and develop the basic skills they need for the rest of their lives. These types of shows were hard to come by in the ’90’s. Angela was able to “change the way young children watched television, destroying the myth that TV is a passive medium.”
In the book, Angela gives us eleven “clues” that can be used by parents and caregivers every day:
I was asked to read and review a wonderful book titled “PRESCHOOL CLUES: Raising Smart, Inspired, and Engaged Kids in a Screen-Filled World”. Having been a preschool teacher and lover of small kids, I was happy to receive a copy for this purpose. I was intrigued by the simple fact that the author, Angela C. Santomero, M.A., was the creator of many children’s shows, including the preschool show on Nickelodeon Blue’s Clues. I enjoyed watching this show with my nieces and nephews. Angela is also the creator of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, which is based off of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Both of these shows help children interact with their environment and the television, which was the first of it’s kind. Research shows that children also learn from repeated learning, so when Blue’s Clues first aired, they showed the same episode all week. The Nickelodeon Heads didn’t know if that would be a good thing, but decided to try it out and just pull the show if things didn’t work out. It worked out perfectly and the show was an immediate success.
But, I digress. I’m here to talk about the book… “PRESCHOOL CLUES” teaches parents and caregivers how to choose their children’s shows more wisely. By finding highly engaging shows that children can interact with (and not just sit idly by), their brains become eager to learn and develop the basic skills they need for the rest of their lives. These types of shows were hard to come by in the ’90’s. Angela was able to “change the way young children watched television, destroying the myth that TV is a passive medium.”
In the book, Angela gives us eleven “clues” that can be used by parents and caregivers every day:
- Clue #1: Play: Through co-play, parents help children understand their thoughts, feelings, and the world around them.
- Clue #2: Pause: An intentional four-beat pause after a question enables a preschooler to find her voice.
- Clue #3: Repeat: Preschoolers instinctively know that watching something repeatedly leads to learning and mastery.
- Clue #4: Think: Practicing higher-order thinking helps little ones see possibilities as opposed to obstacles.
- Clue #5: Resolve: Parents can teach preschoolers how to use play, empathy, books, and art to solve problems.
- Clue #6: Respect: Respectfully communicating by using rich, expressive language builds a child’s self-worth.
- Clue #7: Help: Honing in on a toddler’s desire to help will teach him to prioritize kindness for the rest of his life.
- Clue #8: Model: Kids depend on adults to model concepts as simple as eating healthy or as complex as independence.
- Clue #9: Observe: Finding the extraordinary in the ordinary can spark our preschooler’s passion.
- Clue #10: Enjoy: Songs and humor are educational tools every parent can has the creativity to use.
- Clue #11: Celebrate: Celebrating the small things grows a preschooler’s sense of optimism and intrinsic motivation.
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