Television and video are among the first cultural experiences of most children. At an early age they learn to make sense of the moving images on the screen, the changes of size and angle, the switches of background and character, the sounds and music that signal danger, comedy, excitement and a happy ending.
By the time they are three, most children have learned another language in addition to their spoken mother tongue: they have learned the codes and conventions through which moving images tell stories.
Their mastery of this language is still limited: they may not be sure yet about what is 'real' and what is 'pretend' (although they are very interested in finding out) They may understand little of what they see on the news, daytime films and game shows. But most 3 year olds already have their own collections of favourite videos, which they know by heart, and are eager to catch their favourite shows.
Teachers know it makes sense to build on what children already know & can do. Children come to school with a high level of existing knowledge garnered from and about the media, and can often talk about these texts eruditely
There is a tendency to assume moving image media are bad for children and detract from 'real' education.
But the truth is this amazing world of images and sounds, with wild fantasy, gritty realism, scenes from yesterday and those from a hundred years ago, events from across the world, are all available for children to see and understand through moving image media. Some of these may present lies, some are offensive or frightening, some meretricious and worthless. The same goes for books!
However, we learn to read because books offer unique opportunities to share the knowledge and imagination of others; and for the same reason, learning about the world of the moving image is crucial.
This page is a summary of the opening pages of the BFI's fantastic publication Look Again