Repetition provides opportunity for mastery. Young children love to experiment, testing their experience by doing things again and again.

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2 Viewing Teletubbies together can be a wonderful opportunity for you to share the joy of first discovery through your grandchild's eyes. Teletubbies is crafted with the knowledge that little children watch television in a radically different way than older children and grown-ups. Rather than use direct instruction, which would be appropriate for older children, Teletubbies seamlessly integrates cognitive concepts like shapes, colors, opposites, spatial awareness (e.g., near/far, next to, etc.), sets, counting, size, and sequence. Everything about Teletubbies nurtures young viewers confidence and encourages their curiosity. A celebration of play and imagination, Teletubbies segments are designed as age-appropriate games for toddlers, presenting real people and fantasy adventures - just like a child encounters real people and stuffed animals. To understand how it s done, look for these design elements: Pauses leave time for prediction and participation. For example, notice the time between hearing a familiar sound and the appearance of the character associated with that sound. The pauses leave time for young viewers to say the answer before it is given on screen, allowing a child to stay one step ahead of the Teletubbies and giving them a sense of accomplishment. Repetition provides opportunity for mastery. Young children love to experiment, testing their experience by doing things again and again. Multiple stages of language are included in every episode, from normal adult speech to preschoolers describing their world to the Teletubbies play-language. The Teletubbies emulate the stage of emerging speech that we hear as a baby s first attempts at forming words, while children in the video segments provide a model for the next step and the adult voice encourages the kind of repetition of words that helps vocabulary development. Humor, especially the kind of silly sounds and gentle slapstick appropriate for toddlers, makes learning fun and serves as a way to demonstrate understanding. Children who laugh when something is out of place know the way things are supposed to be. Otherwise they wouldn't get the joke. Short films about real children give young viewers a chance to explore parts of the world beyond their own homes and families. And children love watching other children.

3 Viewing Teletubbies is not a silent activity. When you watch with your grandchild and help them interact with the program, their learning is amplified and their bonds with you are strengthened. Join the conversation Talk about what you are both seeing and encourage comments. When the Teletubbies say hello, wave and say hello. When the Voice Trumpet asks a question, repeat it and invite your grandchild to answer. Ask your grandchild, What do you see? Count Whenever the Teletubbies count, join in. As you go through your day, count other things together, like how many bites it takes to finish a cracker or how many scoops it takes to fill a bucket with water. Point and name Help your grandchild to learn the names of the things they see on screen (e.g., Look, Po has a scooter! A scooter. Invite your grandchild to repeat the word.) Predict Which Teletubby will pop up last or who will try on the hat next? Correct predictions indicate knowledge. For example, when a child knows which Teletubby comes next because the Teletubbies are popping up in size order, it means the child is seeing size relationships and patterns. When three Teletubbies have appeared and children know which one will pop up next, they understand that there are four in a full set of Teletubbies and they know which one is missing. For grownups, this seems simple, but for toddlers, recognizing sets, size, sequence, and patterns are important cognitive concepts. Role play Make a game of imitating the things that the Teletubbies or the children in the video segment did. Make connections Wherever possible make connections between the program and your grandchild s own experiences both during the show and at other times of the day. For instance point out if their pajamas are the same color as Dipsy (green), or if you are doing some of the things that the children in the program s video segment did, or if you are cleaning up a spill like the Noo-noo. Celebrate discoveries and accomplishments with a BIG HUG Every Teletubbies segment ends with a big hug. The hugs provide comfort that helps ease the disappointment of transitions (the game is over and I don t want it to be Big Hug!), or celebrates a new discovery (look, I found what I was looking for Big Hug!).

4 Tinky Winky Dipsy Laa-Laa Po Noo-noo Meet the Teletubbies Voice Trumpet

5 Bumping tummies, giggling, imitating, falling down, and joining in the games are all an essential part of the fun of Teletubbies. You and your grandchild can play along: Predict To grown-ups, prediction is a thinking skill, but to young children, it is a game. So ask your grandchild what they think is going to happen next. Dance Many episodes include the Teletubbies doing a dance. Getting up and moving with them helps children build muscles, coordination, and balance. Plus, it s fun! Follow the Voice Trumpet s lead For young children, following instructions can be like playing follow-the-leader. So, for example, if the voice coming from the Voice Trumpet says Going up, raise your hands up above your head and if it says Going down, put them down. Treasure Hunt Find something in your home that you saw in the program. Is there a ball like Laa-Laa s? Something purple like Tinky-Winky? Make up a story about the Teletubbies Where did they go when the program ended? What might they do tomorrow? What will they see next on their video screens?

6 Make up your own Teletubbies dance Cut out the squares on this page. Let your grandchild pick one. Do the movement together. Then pick another card. Do the movement on the first square. Follow that by the movement on the second square, and so on. By the time you have done 3-5 squares, you have constructed a Teletubbies dance that a toddler can do and remember. To help with spatial concept and vocabulary development, name each step as you go (e.g. forward/backward, up/down, front/back, etc.). Don t worry if your grandchild doesn t do each move exactly right or if they need you to hold their hands to help them balance. The idea is to have fun together. Just turn up the music and boogie! Side Step Backward Step Cut pages out along dotted line to keep the rest of the book intact. Cut pages out along dotted line to keep the rest of the book intact. Swing Arms Jump Wiggle March Turn Around Forward Step Hands Up & Down Toe Tap

7 Be aware of the early signs of autism: Autism Speaks is a nonprofit organization, founded by Suzanne and Bob Wright, who are grandparents just like you. We are proud to partner with Teletubbies to help promote awareness about autism. Watching Teletubbies with your grandchildren is one way you can stay connected with them while also helping to promote healthy childhood development. Unfortunately, not every child develops normally. One out of 150 children today is diagnosed with autism, a developmental disorder that can affect, often severely, a person s ability to communicate and socially interact with others. No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by nine months or thereafter No babbling by 12 months No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months Failure to respond to name by 12 months No words by 16 months No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age For more information, available resources and questions please visit If you have young grandchildren who aren t reaching the appropriate developmental milestones, encourage their parents or guardians to consult with a pediatrician. Early intervention is critical.

8 Still have questions about Teletubbies? Here is your video guide to Understanding Teletubbies: Feel free to contact us with any quesitons or concerns. Send s to: TELETUBBIES and Character Names:, TM & 2007 Ragdoll Worldwide Ltd. PBS KIDS and the PBS KIDS logo are registered trademarks of the Public Broadcasting Service and are used with permission Sprout and Sprout logo are service marks of the Children s Network, LLC Autism Speaks Inc. Autism Speaks and Autism Speaks It's Time To Listen & Design are trademarks owned by Autism Speaks Inc. All rights reserved.