Television and Homeschooling

Now that we've discussed using the Internet in homeschooling, let's move on to another older, but in some ways more controversial media outlet.....the television.

Television viewing habits have been debated hotly since television began. In fact the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests only 1 to 2 hours of quality programming a day. And in many cases, this includes any "screen" time: video games, computer games, DVDs, and TV shows.

But a case can be made for the huge benefits of combining TV viewing and home education. PBS (Public Broadcasting Systems) has been around entertaining children and educating adults for years. PBS remains one of the gold standards in quality, educational children's programming. Best of all, their website contains classroom and teaching resources that revolve around the shows that your children already watch and love!

Education experts often recommend using a child's interest as a springboard into learning, and the PBS parents' resources and teachers' resources provide a fool-proof way to do so. In fact, a good case could be made for using the SuperWhy show instead of a preschool curriculum if you are schooling at home. Sid the Science Kid provides a great gateway at our house for discussing science-related issues with the older one, and for introducing the concepts to our younger one.

And for the middle school and up crowd? PBS' History programming is world-class! Nova provides provocative, interesting, and scientifically acclaimed content to be viewed, discussed, and expanded upon. Utilize the related material on the website to maximize educational value!

The Discovery Channel, The Travel Channel, and the History Channel all provide a wealth of free and interesting information, and the related websites provide even further resources for education! The Biography Channel, part of the History Channel network, offers fascinating looks into the lives of famous people that you can use to gain interest in , or to supplement history facts.

The National Geographic Channel is another rich source of scientific information, with a beautiful related website, and even DVD of the individual shows that can be purchased and watched over and over. And to add a bit of fun to your science study, consider watching and studying the show Mythbusters!

Some families have found that this show is an excellent way to explain and understand the scientific process. This show takes a group of people with expertise in fields such as explosives, engineering robotics, special effects and so on, and sets them to prove or disprove a popular "myth". One example of a myth to be explored and "busted" or "confirmed" was so-called "killer quicksand" ; another was exploring whether the popular movie device of falling through various awnings and balconies prevented death when falling from a height.

So far, we've discussed using actual television content as an asset to your home educating. But don't forget the many, many videos and DVDs out there to enhance almost any subject your family is learning more about. Homeschool.com and other similar sites are providing a wide range of documentaries, movies and shows on DVD accompanied with learning guides. Families all over are using these to learn history, math, geography and social studies.

The above ideas are just a sampling of the way we can use television media to enhance our lives. That "idiot box" in your living room does not necessarily have to be the time-sucking, mind-numbing, energy-draining bone of contention that you and your children fight over control of!