The Effects of Literacy Messages in an Educational Television Program: A Content Analysis and Experiment

Abstract

Educational television programs have the potential to promote literacy affect as well as literacy skills in young children.  This study involved a content analysis and field experiment to investigate the impact of the literacy messages conveyed in an educational children’s program on preschoolers’ and kindergarteners’ attitudes about literacy.  The content analysis showed that program included many positive messages about literacy, especially the power of reading and the encouragement of literacy activities. However, the results of the experiment did not show statistically significant differences between participants who viewed the program and those who did not.  Trends did emerge, particularly related to gender. These trends along with implications and limitations of the current investigation are discussed.