Television

During the ages of three to six years, children learn and acquire important social skills and values which will shape the person they become. The ability to be creative is an important factor in the development of a young child's mind. By sitting down and watching TV for a couple hours, the child is entertained, but is also not thinking. Information in spoon-fed to them, so when it comes time to read a book in school, some can have a hard time grasping ideas. They are so used to having images flash before them to provide understanding; they have trouble moving their eyes side to side to gather the information for themselves.
	The hidden effects of TV are real risks for emotional, social and cognitive deficits. Children spend more time watching TV than any other single activity during the height of the most critical period for language and cognitive development. Children ages three to five spend, on the average, 3-7 hours a day watching TV, and by the time they are six years old will have spent 5,000 hours viewing television. On average, kids from six to seventeen watch from three to four hours of TV a day. By the time of graduation, it can add up to 15,000 hours of watching TV, compared to only 11,000 hours of being in school.
What Parents Can Do: - Try and restrict television time. - Encourage viewing of pro-social and educational TV programming. - Don't use television as a babysitter. - Parents can watch with their children and ask questions to see what they are understanding from the program. - Find alternatives to watching TV.
	TV Turn-Off Week: Limerick Elementary School plans to participate in TV- Turnoff Week in April. We will be participating in this event together with thousands of other schools and communities nationwide. The purpose is to take a healthy break from TV and refocus on activities that are more academically, socially, and physically rewarding. We encourage your whole family to participate in this experience and leave your television set “off” for the entire week. Last year more than 24 million people participated, which suggests that a solid week recess from television allows people more time to converse, read, volunteer, exercise, play, think, create, and participate in their community. The point of TV – Turnoff Week is to examine the extent to which television distracts people from more productive and rewarding activities and to reconsider the role of television in our daily lives.
Positive Alternatives to Television: * Listen to the radio * Write a story * Paint a picture * Write a letter * Make cookies * Read a magazine * Start a diary * Play cards * Do a crossword * Play a board game * Build a puzzle
	* Have a picnic * Walk the dog * Plant a garden * Take pictures * Go camping * Take a walk * Climb a tree * Visit the library/book store * Visit the zoo * Try out for a play * Learn to play a musical instrument
* Go roller skating * Go for a bicycle ride * Play frisbee * Play a sport * Dance * Go bowling * Play hopscotch * Clean your room * Make puppets * Have a slumber party * Blow bubbles * Read a book!
Turn Off the TV! My father gets quite mad at me; my mother gets upset -- when they catch me watching our new television set. My father yells, "Turn that things off!" Mom says, "It's time to study." I'd rather watch my favorite TV shows with my best buddy. I sneak down after homework and turn the set on low. But when she sees me watching it, my mom yells out, "No!" Day says, "If you don't turn it off, I'll hang it from a tree!" I rather doubt he'll do it, "Cause he watches more than me.