Preschoolers typically have their favorite cartoons when they come home. They like the characters and the action. But cartoons may be holding your preschooler back a little bit. It is a question of growing up. It is up to you to determine if that cartoon they are watching is no longer serving its purpose of teaching your preschooler about the new things that they are discovering in preschool. In other words, it might be time to expand their horizons with higher level teaching cartoons. Who knows, they might find a new favorite.
Before you begin the process, really sit down and watch your kid’s favorite cartoon. Determine if the concepts presented are something that your preschooler already knows. It is very likely that they have the particular concepts memorized if they have watched it a thousand times. List the skills you see and then test your preschooler. This will help you determine if they need to move onto the next level.
Screen the cartoons you want your preschooler to watch. Pick an appropriate learning level where the cartoons build upon the skills that your preschooler already has. Try to pick a couple of different ones. Pick cartoons that emphasis counting to higher numbers or figuring out basic problems using math skills. Look at ones that introduce your preschooler to reading and letter recognition. Cartoons like this are out there, you just have to look for them.
Of course, you don’t have to completely ditch your preschooler’s favorite cartoon. But you can pick a couple of days in which they should take a break from the cartoon. Then alternate between the new cartoons and their favorite ones during television time. The swap might be met with a little resistance at first. After all, getting them to try something new can be challenging. Expanding a preschooler’s horizons is not always an easy task.
It might be time to move on for some preschoolers. Even though they will eventually grow out of Dora, they may already be well beyond the concepts that the cartoon teaches. In order to challenge them to learn more, you will need to explore higher level concepts in their cartoons.