About 3rd & Bird - Educational Benefits

Helping children learn

By Laura G. Brown, Ph.D.

 
During the preschool years, children spend more time away from home. Some children go to preschool. Others visit friends or participate in community programs. Regardless of what your child does, all steps away from home are big steps at this age! The more children know about community life and managing new situations, the easier those first steps away from home can be.
 
Each “3rd & Bird!” story is designed to help children adapt to community life. Here’s how:
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  • “3rd & Bird!” stories show viewers that the community is a resource. When Muffin, Rudy and Samuel go to their teacher, Mr. Beakman or their neighbor, Mrs. Billingsley for help, viewers see that there are trusted individuals in a community who can help them.
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  • Some “3rd & Bird!” stories familiarize viewers with community events so they know what to expect when they encounter similar events. What is a play? A chorus? A community picnic? What happens in a scouting troop? “3rd & Bird!” explores these community events to build viewer’s comfort level with these new things.
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  • “3rd & Bird!” stories showcase social skills that help children get along in groups.  At school, on the sports field, even in the library, children have to make their voices heard while being sensitive to the needs of others. “3rd & Bird!” models skills like sharing, compromise, negotiation, listening and respecting others to help viewers get along with others.
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  • “3rd & Bird!” stories emphasize the need to persevere. It’s not easy to learn to ice skate or do a magic trick. “3rd & Bird!” shows characters persevering through obstacles so viewers can do the same.
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  • “3rd & Bird!” stories communicate that differences are interesting. Children inevitably meet people different from themselves as they explore the world beyond home. On “3rd & Bird!” differences are presented as interesting and good to encourage children to be open to the diversity they encounter in the real world. 
 
How can you help your child benefit from “3rd & Bird!”?
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  • Watch the program with your child. Children love when you take an interest in their interests! So watch with them and show them their opinions matter to you.
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  • Talk about things you see on screen that may be unfamiliar, like the scouting troop. This is a chance to teach your child more about community events, using what’s on screen as a jumping off point.
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  • Make connections between the story topic and things in your child’s life. For example, when a character is frustrated and wants to give up, point out a time your child may have felt similarly. Discuss what the character did to persevere – and what your child might do in a similar situation. 
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  • Ask for your child’s opinion. The more your child thinks about the story, the more useful the ideas presented will be to him/her. Ask things like, “Do you think Muffin felt better when they all played together?” or “Is it okay to be friends with someone who is different than you are (like when Muffin became friends with Elliot the Worm)?”
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  • Use the characters to play with your child. Sometimes, preschoolers are more interested in playing things than talking about them. Your child might like to pretend to be one character while you are another one. Or, maybe he/she wants to draw a favorite scene together, sing a song from the show or whistle like the birds! This is a fun way to bond with your child and possibly explore the storyline. Make sure you let your child lead the play though – or it won’t feel like play!
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  • Above all, have fun! You are the most important person in your child’s life. Watching quality television together can be an important story sharing experience. Enjoy each other and the unique insights you can offer one another.