There

are many ways you can help your child build these skills.

Try using television. TV doesn’t have to turn your family into “tube boobs.” It can actually be used to encourage critical thinking skills.

• During a commercial, talk about how you think the program will end. After the show, turn off the set and compare your ideas with the actual story. Was your ending better?

• If you’re viewing a dramatic program, stop watching about fifteen minutes before the program ends. Use your VCR to record the end of the program.

Then have everyone in the family write an ending for the program. Compare your endings with the one the screenwriter chose. You may find you like one of your endings better!

• Watch a show about nature. Look for books and articles on that subject in your newspaper and in the library. How is what you read different from what you saw on TV?

• Watch the news together. After seeing a news story on TV, look for a story on the same subject in your newspaper. Talk about how the stories are the same . . . and different.

With just a little planning you can turn the TV into a helpful learning tool for your children.

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