PRESCHOOL CHILDRENS COMPREHENSION OF A SESAME STREET VIDEO TAPE - THE EFFECTS OF REPEATED VIEWING AND PREVIEWING INSTRUCTIONS

Twenty male and 20 female 4-year-olds viewed a 19-minute Sesame Street video tape once a week for three weeks to determine whether comprehension of the plot of the video tape would improve if the children were given ample time to process the tape, and if they participated in one of two previewing instruction conditions. Findings indicated that repented viewing of the tape was the most important factor in children's ability to comprehend the plot. Previewing instructions and gender did not influence plot comprehension. It is suggested that repented viewing allowed the children to process the formal features of the tape and use them to construct a framework within which to interpret the plot of the show. Additional findings are discussed in terms of children's script representation and how such representationis acquired.