Resources

Academic Performance

While it's possible for preschool age kids to learn basic literacy and math skills from high-quality educational media, too much media — for kids of all ages — can have a negative impact on their school readiness and academic performance. Specifically, poor grades and low reading ability and vocabulary are connected with too much media consumption. Plus, media usage and "multi-tasking" (using a computer while the TV is on, for example) are growing, according to a national survey conducted by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. This may contribute to kids paying less dedicated attention to their homework.

See below for related research studies on school readiness, academic performance and media.