Sesame Street’s Global Classroom: How One Show Taught 120 Million Kids to Read Before School | Chinecherem Enujioke
On November 10, 1969, Sesame Street premiered on the National Educational Television Network, which later became the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States. It was the pioneer TV show for educating children. Its original creators were Joan Ganz Cooney, Jon Stone, and Jim Henson. In its 56th year, it has continued to teach children, enlighten them on social issues, and prioritize education.
How to Get to Sesame Street is the theme song charming children just like the current Cocomelon on YouTube. Although it was thought to be controversial, Sesame Street brought social issues down to children’s level of understanding. It became the most widely viewed children’s program across the globe and has garnered viewership in more than a hundred and fifty countries.
123 Sesame Street is a fictional urban street set in New York where the cast and characters of the show live and interact with each other. Joan Cooney wished to create entertaining and educational programming for pre-schoolers, and through Sesame Street, she helped children from underprivileged homes prepare for kindergarten.
The show encourages positive social messages and teaches children about the world outside their minds by capturing them with muppets. Until 1990, puppeteer Jim Henson developed Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Grover, and Big Bird, who are the institutional characters of Sesame Street.
The goal of reaching children is achieved in how the creators hired child psychologists, educators, and researchers in designing content that is both educational and entertaining. Animation and live-action combined with Henson’s puppetry engaged children inside their homes. In 56 seasons and with over 50 characters introduced over the years, Sesame Street has impacted early childhood education, diversity and representation, parenting, inter-personal relationships among children and promoted inclusivity.
You can watch Sesame Street on YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, etc.
References:
playgroundstation.com
Photo credits:
sesameworkshop.org
