Do Ms. Rachel’s Videos Actually Help Your Child’s Development? An Expert Weighs In
By Movieguide® Contributor
YouTuber Ms. Rachel is a smash hit with kids around the world, but are her videos good for children’s development?
“There are way worse things for kids to be watching than Ms. Rachel,” Meryl Alper, an associate professor of communication studies at Northeastern University who specializes in the impact of technology on children, told Northeastern Global News.
Alper added that “any claims that she has made about the effectiveness of her programming isn’t backed up by evidence.”
“She’s had speech language pathologists who have advised her on the kinds of cues that she uses and the way that she designs the show, which is perfectly fine and good,” Alper continued. “But when it comes to having children actually learn language and acquire a sense of what’s called the transfer of learning — if you learn a word, use it in a different context — nothing really beats real-life interactions, especially for this age range.”
For parents and kids who love Ms. Rachel’s videos, Alper recommended rewatching the same videos to aid in development, “as much as it annoys parents.”
The repetition is key to learning for young children and also helps kids build a connection with her.
“A child knows nobody better than a parent or maybe a close relative,” Alper explained, adding that the connection makes kids’ “interactions” with Ms. Rachel more meaningful.
READ MORE: IS MS. RACHEL REALLY SAFE FOR YOUR LITTLES?
Ms. Rachel is now bringing her kids’ content to a wider audience. Netflix recently added four episodes of MS. RACHEL to its streaming library that includes “interactive lessons that teach letters, numbers, colors, shapes, and more,” per a press release from Netflix.
“Incorporating singing, dancing, and play, Ms. Rachel’s videos help children learn how to talk and express themselves and their emotions,” the release continued.
This is just the latest addition Ms. Rachel — real name: Rachel Accurso — has made in her $11.9 million kids’ content empire. She also recently published her first children’s book, Ms. Rachel and the Special Surprise: Encouraging Speech and Learning Through Play and Music.
“While Ms. Rachel invites readers to open a series of imaginary boxes to see what’s inside, she guides them through exercises like pointing, waving, and call-and-response,” a description of the book reads. “Fans will recognize characters from their favorite videos, and everyone will join in on singing the lyrics to songs like ‘The Wheels on the Bus.’ After the adventure ends, parents and educators can use the helpful tips included in the back of the book to assist with brain and language development.”
READ MORE: MS. RACHEL 1.1-1.3 REVIEW
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