By embedding educational content into entertaining stories with compelling characters, high-quality children’s media can engage young viewers and foster their learning. From “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” to “Sesame Street,” public media have long targeted this blending of education with entertainment. Public media have become a trusted source for children’s programming, in part because of their relative independence from commercial influences. As such, public media are able to take the time required to intentionally target robust learning goals across developmental domains.

New research from Education Development Center (EDC) and SRI International provides a compelling example of how digital media can promote both academic and social learning for young children. Our research team conducted two experimental studies of the PBS Kids series “Molly of Denali,” an award-winning series designed to teach children ages 3–8 how to use informational text (defined as written, oral, or visual text designed to inform). Using informational text is a foundational skill both for succeeding in school and being an informed adult. In the show, informational text is interwoven with everyday life in Alaska. Molly and her friends model the use and creation of informational text to solve authentic problems, relying on a wide range of sources, such as field guides, instruction manuals, maps, weather reports, and even a recipe for homemade mosquito repellent.

In addition, “Molly of Denali” is the first nationally distributed children’s series in the U.S. to feature an Alaska Native lead character. The producers at GBH intentionally addressed both informational text learning goals and improving the diversity of children’s media, essentially doubling its educational return on investment. And, with all this, “Molly of Denali” is designed to be fun. Children (and more than a few adults) are pulled into Molly’s world, where strong narratives bring a wealth of learning along for the ride.

Read the full article about children's media by Joy Lorenzo Kennedy and Claire Christensen at Brookings.