Sesame
Beginnings arrive on DVD in April
Sesame
Workshop to roll-out Sesame Beginnings a research based DVD series
created for parents and children six months and older
Courtesy
of Sesame Workshop
November
8, 2005
Today,
Sesame Workshop breaks new ground by introducing an innovative research-based
DVD series for parents and young children that encourages learning
through parent-child interactions. Based on research that shows
that young children learn best when experiences are shared with
a loved one, these DVDs -- Sesame
Beginnings -- are specially designed to help parents and caregivers
encourage their child’s curiosity and interest in learning
during everyday interactions.
Sesame
Beginnings offers age-appropriate content while entertaining, engaging
and encouraging interaction between caregivers and their children.
Featuring baby versions of the Sesame Street Muppets and their caregivers,
these characters provide fun, engaging examples of these kinds of
moments, while the various songs, activities and stories provide
parents and caregivers with fresh material for interactions they
can enjoy with their child throughout the day. The DVDs are also
supplemented by a printed guide, offering parents additional tips
for ways to extend the learning after viewing through activities
such as feeding, bath time and playtime.
Thirty-six
years ago, Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization
that created Sesame Street, broke new ground in television by proving
the medium to be a positive learning tool for preschoolers. Today,
Sesame Streetis considered to be the world’s largest informal
educator of children. Now research is revealing that millions of
children under the age of two are watching TV and videos, including
Sesame Street. Consequently, Sesame Workshop felt a responsibility
to better serve the families of children under two by creating programming
that is specially designed to be developmentally appropriate for
this younger age group, as well as, model interaction between caregiver
and child.
Sesame
Beginnings content was developed in collaboration with an advisory
board of child development and media experts and ZERO TO THREE,
a national nonprofit organization comprised of pediatricians, child
development experts and researchers dedicated to promoting the healthy
development of infants and toddlers. ZERO TO THREE is the primary
source for development of the parenting content in the program,
as well as, accompanying print materials written specifically for
parents and caregivers.
Dr. Rosemarie
Truglio, Sesame Workshop’s Vice President of Education and
Research, commented: “Research indicates that children learn
best when experiences are shared with a loved one. In the style
of Sesame Street, Sesame Beginnings was created with this dual audience
in mind; while there’s age-appropriate content for the young
child, the playful Muppet caregivers model fun songs and activities
to be adapted by the adult viewers to create their own special moments
with their children.”
“Our own
research showed that Sesame Street videos were among those frequently
viewed by the under two set, in spite of the fact that the content
and curriculum of Sesame Street is designed for ages 2-5,”
noted Sherrie Westin, Executive Vice President, Sesame Workshop.
“With the Sesame Beginnings DVDs, we’re providing parents
and caregivers of children under two with content specifically designed
to use media as a tool to further adult/child interaction.”
|
Sesame
Beginnings cast includes Elmo and his dad, Cookie and his mommy,
Prairie Dawn and her mommy, and Big Bird and his aunt. |
“Quality
early learning experiences are grounded in strong parent-child interactions,”
said Claire Lerner, L.C.S.W., ZERO TO THREE’s Director of
Parent Education. “Sesame Beginnings DVDs offer parents a
developmentally appropriate, interactive viewing experience.”
The
DVDs, “Beginning
Together” and “Make
Music Together” created by Sesame Workshop and distributed
by Sony Wonder will be in stores April 4, 2006. They will join the
wide-ranging product line, Sesame Beginnings, which Sesame Workshop
introduced last year, that currently includes apparel, books, products
for health, body and home as well as seasonal products. As with
all Sesame Workshop licensed products, proceeds from the sales of
these videos help fund the Workshop’s educational projects
for children around the world.
MORE
SESAME NEWS
• Sesame
Street Season 45 premieres Monday September 15
• Elmo
Muppeteer Kevin Clash resigns from Sesame Street
• Kevin
Clash takes leave from Sesame Street
• Sesame
Street to air hurricane special Friday November 9
• Sesame
Street Old School Volume 3 coming to DVD November 6
• Sesame Street Season 43 begins September 24 on PBS
• Fan
support essential for production to begin on "I Am Big
Bird"
• "I
Am Big Bird" Caroll Spinney documentary in development
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