Good Media
May I Present to You... Kids First!
Andrea Rock, contributing editor
If you read this column regularly, you may recognize the name, “Kids First,” which I mentioned in December as a good source for movie reviews. But this month, I’d like to more fully introduce you to this very wonderful organization, and its opportunities for you and your children. Founded 20 years ago, it evaluates, rates and endorses (or rejects!) children’s media. Those who do this review are a diverse bunch of trained individuals, ranging from child development professionals, teachers and librarians, to parents and even children, from a wide variety of ethnic, socio-economic, and geographic backgrounds. If you’ll log onto www.kidsfirst.org, I suggest you start with their mission statement, and I’d like to reproduce their wonderful goals here:
A. To teach children to become critical media users
B. To help adults recognize the importance of teaching critical viewing skills to children
C. To help children identify and be aware of outstanding media programming
D. To develop programs for children with special needs such as low-income, hospitalized or at-risk children
These goals are reached in quite a variety of ways:
Film Reviews: The reviews are conveniently divided into age groups, so that you may go directly to read about entertainment that is appropriate for your children’s level of development. Their reviews of endorsed titles are also available on Amazon.com, Parenthood.com, Grand Magazine, LA Parent, Bay Area Parent, Boston Parent, Colorado Parent, ParentGuide, TiVo's KidZone and Macaroni Kid, a network of more than 100 local online websites.
KIDS FIRST! Film Festival: The Festival “showcases new and classic children's films and videos from studios as well as independent and youth filmmakers. To qualify, a film must meet the KIDS FIRST! criteria of no gratuitous violence, no racial or cultural bias, no inappropriate sexual behavior, no replicable unsafe behavior and no condescension towards children. The Festival partners with more than 150 venues that host screenings year-round, to an audience of more than one million.” To find a venue near you, visit their online tracking system at kidsfirst.org/fest.
KIDS FIRST! Film Critics Program: Children are taught critical viewing skills, designed to enhance their cognitive, social and behavioral skills and cultivate healthy media habits. In 2010, KIDS FIRST! started a first annual nationwide "search" campaign to find 5 kids who became official KIDS FIRST! Film Critics. The five winners and two alternates are reviewing one to three films every month, and interviewing talent both on and off the red carpet. Their videotaped reviews are featured on the KIDS FIRST! Website. And a new KIDS FIRST! page on AOL Kids features a new film review 2-4 times a month. In addition, last November they established the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics Weekend, setting a world's record of the greatest number of kids "viewing and reviewing" the same film &mdash The Velveteen Rabbit — on the same weekend. A $10,000 college scholarship was awarded to the child who wrote the best review.
KIDS FIRST! Juror Program: A media literacy program for parents, enabling you to run Junior Film Critics programs in your own neighborhood. Should you want this only for your own edification as a parent, you will learn to evaluate film, television, video games, and better understand what your kids are doing when they surf the Internet. The course is $10 per person, offered in a two-session webinar. See the Website for details! There is more to this organization than I can describe in the scope of this column. I urge you to go to www.kidsfirst.org/fest to learn more about it may serve your family, and how you may serve each other.
