You & Me
Authentic Learning Experience: The games and media across the PBS Kids site give children experiences across curricular areas, including early literacy, math, and social and emotional learning. One example is Daniel Tiger’s Tea Party, which allows the player to make choices for a tea party, helping children to learn about sharing, taking turns, using manners, and thinking about the needs of others. Children begin by making choices about the materials to use for the party, such as the tablecloth and food to be served. During the party, the player interacts with the guests by serving food and tea. Throughout the party, guests ask for or decline refills politely, giving children a chance to practice manners in social interactions. Daniel Tiger’s Tea Party is typical of the games found on the PBS Kids website which has been designed with ease of use for all learners.
Developmentally Appropriate Practices (child development, interest based, culturally appropriate): Children will be engaged in this game through the high interest characters of Daniel Tiger and his friends, along with the fun of hosting a party. The vocabulary of sharing, including please and thank you, is reinforced throughout the game and children will begin to imitate the language as they play. The skills learned during game play could easily be imitated during imaginative real-world interactions. This resource has racially and gender diverse characters. This game can be played by people with limited mobility; is equally accessible on desktop or mobile applications; and has Closed Captioning available.
Washington Early Learning Guidelines: Daniel Tiger’s Tea Party is appropriate for preschool children as they learn to express their own likes and dislikes; play with other children, as well as share and take turns with other children. In addition, they are exploring and practicing social roles through play. These developmental guidelines are:
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Show personal likes and dislikes
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Share and take turns with other children
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Explore, practice, and understand social roles through play. Adopt a variety of roles and feelings during pretend play.
General Overview: I chose PBS Kids, the umbrella for children’s programming through the Public Broadcasting System, because their well-researched and engaging material encourage children and their families to play and learn together using a wide variety of media, which appeals to all learners. Young children and their families can easily access these materials for free online, and the material is designed with an appreciation for diversity. There are multiple choices of activities, including videos and online games, are all easy to access both on a desktop or mobile app.