Reading Skills for Today's Adults

Rosa is the mom of four children. Her oldest child is nine. She has five-year-old twins. Her youngest child is three. She wants her kids to be kind and caring. She wants her kids to behave well. She wants her kids to use respectful language.

Rosa knows the TV programs her children watch affect their behavior. Kids mimic​ what they see on TV. They repeat the behaviors of TV characters. They repeat the words of TV characters.

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Rosa does not have much time to watch TV with her children. How can she know if a program is a good one for her kids?

Rosa asked her teacher for help. Her teacher told her about the TV parental guidelines. The guidelines are shown at the start of every TV show. They are found in the upper left corner of the TV screen. They can also be found in TV guides.

Two guidelines are used for children’s TV programs. A TVY program is okay for all children, even ​y​oung ones. A TV7 program is okay for children ages seven and above.

Four guidelines are used for general programs. A TV​G​ program is okay for all ages, general viewers. A TVPG program may not be okay for younger children to view. Parental guidance is needed for these shows.

A TV14 program is not okay for any child under the age of fourteen. A TVMA program is not okay for children under 17 years of age. It is a program for mature viewers only.

Understanding the TV parental guidelines has helped Rosa choose better shows for her children. She lets them watch kind, respectful programming. She wants her children to be kind and respectful.