With more great shows for preschoolers coming out all the time -- from Imagination Movers to Sid the Science Kid -- we thought it would be interesting to check in with someone behind the scenes. We recently sat down with Nancy Kanter, Senior Vice President, Playhouse Disney Worldwide (whose own kid TV favorites included Shari Lewis and The Mickey Mouse Club) to get her take on what makes today's preschool TV tick.

Common Sense Media: What makes TV good for kids?

Nancy Kanter: We look at it as an opportunity to show kids a little something that they might not see in their own lives. Little Einsteins, for instance, references fabulous pieces of art, exotic places all around the world, classical music. You also have good modeling of social skills and emotional skills in the way characters behave towards each other and interact with the audience.

CSM: How can parents determine which shows are good for their kids?

NK: Obviously, all of the people who are putting out preschool programming want it to offer some kind of learning value or some kind of appropriate experience for their kids. But I think you really just have to watch the show. And I think it's a bit of a balance between what a mom would want her child to watch if it were entirely up to her and what kids want to watch. There are shows that moms fall in love with that, boy, you couldn't make a kid watch. And if the kids aren't really engaged, then the learning might not be absorbed. I think Mom has to feel comfortable with something, but she doesn't necessarily have to understand the appeal lock, stock, and barrel.

CSM: When it comes to developing shows, where does your research come from?

NK: We seek out different kinds of advice depending on where we think the best learning opportunities are for each show. For one of the more academic curriculums, like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, we had someone whose name was literally Dr. Math. ... With Handy Manny, we have three consultants on the show -- two cultural consultants and somebody for the Spanish language. ... Every show depends on what we're trying to do and what we think we need.

CSM: Do you keep specific developmental guidelines in mind when you're creating shows or characters?

NK: We use a technique called scaffolding, which means that there's a layer of the curriculum that we know will be approachable for 2- or 3-year olds, and then there's a layer on top of that meant more for 4s and 5s, which 2s and 3s can aspire to. For example, with Manny, we scaffold the Spanish language. We have instances in every skit where they just repeat one word -- a specific name for a tool, for example, which is a much easier thing for a 3-year-old to mimic. Then in other instances we repeat certain phrases -- "happy birthday," "happy New Year," "how are you?" Those will obviously be a little more challenging for a 3-year-old, but by the time kids are 4 and 5, they're able to absorb that.

CSM: How do Playhouse Disney shows encourage kids to be creative?

NK: We think that the characters and the stories stick with kids, so after the TV is off, they have a really creative moment where they can role play Manny or Mickey, and so on. With the Imagination Movers, we hear all the time about kids who are coming to their mom and saying "Let's brainstorm about this." And that's a pretty big word for a 3-, 4- or even 5-year-old! If a child can say, "I'm going to think differently about this" or "I don't know exactly how to solve this problem, but I can brainstorm about it," that's a great example of creativity.

CSM: Speaking of when the TV is off, how do you use other media components to extend your shows' entertainment and educational values?

NK: We have a rich Web site that's constantly being updated with new activities, and we did a really interesting, successful mobile application when we launched Special Agent Oso, where moms could sign up to have Oso call their child on their cell phone. It furthers the idea that after the show is over, there's a takeaway. If we can reach kids like that in very personal ways, it's a powerful opportunity to extend what we're doing in the show in terms of educational value.

CSM: How can parents use these non-TV media types most effectively?

NK: The most effective thing, whether it's television or other media, is just to be engaged with your child. ... As often as you can, be a part of that experience so you can talk to your kids about it, ask questions, and create a conversation about what they've seen. Kids love when they feel that Mom is watching the same shows that they are.

CSM: What's the trick to creating TV that's worthwhile rather than inappropriate or just silly?

NK: Well, I think "silly" for preschoolers is actually a good thing! If you can make a kid laugh, that's a great way to engage them, so I don't shy away from silly. But I think that the trick is to recognize who the audience is. We don't want to talk down to kids, even preschoolers. They're really smart. ... People always refer to kids as sponges, they can soak up so much information. I think that's a key point that we always reference back: Is the show doing enough to feed that curiosity for kids?

CSM: How do you see media impacting kids in both negative and positive ways?

NK: The negative is when media is the only activity that a child has, at the expense of being outside or reading books or having a conversation with another sibling. And the positive is that there are characters and stories and series that offer a great entertainment experience. ... I think we can all look back at characters and shows that we watched when we were really young, and those are really great memories.