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Learning through cartoons
Rajat Jain, Managing Director, Walt Disney Television International-India, with a person dressed as Mickey Mouse at a press conference in Bangalore on Thursday. -- Photo: K. Gopinathan
MOST OF us grew up with the memorable cartoon characters created by Walt Disney. It was fun for us then, but now we are told it will be part of a learning process as well.
The just-launched Disney Channel on TV is said to be dedicated to fun-learning programming with a Playhouse Disney block. It has been designed for children aged two to six, according to Rajat Jain, Managing Director, Walt Disney Television-India. As Mr Jain put it: "Playhouse engages the minds and imaginations of pre-schoolers through learning-based experiences, confidence-building tasks and achievements that will help parents raise well-rounded children."
Hype apart, there will be a Whole Child Curriculum endorsed by international experts aimed at child development on seven different levels: physical and emotional development, social skills, cognitive development, thinking skills, creative development and moral/ethical development. Things that appeal to the imagination of young minds also kindle their interest.
Something like the stories grandmothers used to tell in the days before cable TV.
Other content, we are told, is designed to stimulate thinking skills, develop motor skills, foster early academic learning, instil moral and social lessons and encourage creativity and artistic expression. The programmes try to combine Disney characters and storytelling with local programming and meet the tastes of pre-school children.
Educationists say pre-school learning promotes a child's development in several ways, from teaching good manners to healthy habits and social skills. Language learning is enhanced. And we used to think "toon" characters were good for just a chuckle or two.
By K. Satyamurty
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