Introduction

Since its invention, television has assumed various roles and functions for its audience, the most important of which is transmitting messages and raising awareness. However, when the audience is specific, this specificity demands a corresponding function—especially when this specific audience is young children.
With the development of sciences such as child psychology, biology, and sociology, fundamental changes emerged in education, with profound attention given to the learner and a deep transformation in the role of the teacher. On the other hand, education was no longer limited to the school and classroom, and gradually the media, especially television, also played an important role in this regard.
The proper execution of this role requires a precise understanding of the young child and obtaining information about their growth, development, and characteristics so that the education provided in the programs has the maximum impact. In this regard, 12 principles have been extracted based on the developmental stages and important educational points of this period and are presented below. This article examines the developmental characteristics of young children in two categories: socio-emotional and mental developmental characteristics, and physical developmental characteristics along with the educational considerations derived from them.

Important educational points regarding the socio-emotional and mental developmental characteristics of 3-6 year old young children

1. During this period, the young child tends to socialize and play with children of their own age rather than with older people. Best friends at this age are of the same gender. Therefore, produced programs must cover the skills and abilities of communicating with peers in young children. Priority is also given to same-sex friends.
2. In this age group, despite the young child’s tendency to join groups, their group activities and games are not organized. Therefore, the content of the programs should be such that the young child recognizes the rules, becomes familiar with them, and strives to observe them.
3. In this age range, the young child does not know their emotions and feelings well and cannot express them properly. Sudden anger is frequently seen during this period. Produced programs for this age group should help identify feelings and ways to express and control them.
4. Considering the characteristics of this period, the role of parents, especially the mother, in caring for, nurturing, educating, and providing security to the young child is very sensitive and key. Therefore, it is recommended that in programs made for this age group, a prominent presence of parents, especially the mother, is seen.
5. The young child does not have the ability to read intentions, and events and stories must be simple, objective, uncomplicated, and if possible visual. The program must be able to convey the concept in a short time.
6. In this age range, young children frequently experience fatigue and hunger. This issue manifests as anger or other behavioral disorders. Therefore, paying attention to rest time, proper nutrition, and timely meals is of particular importance.
7. During this period, imagination and the desire for wondrous stories reach their peak. The young child is immersed in joy upon hearing these stories. In this regard, programs with imaginative stories and fantasy genres can be very successful.
8. Play is the most important aspect of a young child’s life. Play is also considered a medium of recognition and a way to manifest their talents. Through play, the young child learns how to communicate with others and expresses their personality. Therefore, in young children’s programs, the transmission of concepts must be indirect and accompanied by play and entertainment.
9. According to the characteristics of the young child, the use of electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and computer games is not recommended at this age stage. Therefore, in program-making for young children, the use of these devices is limited and reduced to a minimum. Personal ownership of these devices is also not defined for the young child.

Important educational points regarding the physical development characteristics of 3-6 year old young children

10. Children in this period are extraordinarily physically active and enjoy physical activity. This characteristic is considered from two aspects:

1- The time the young child spends sitting in front of the television should be short and they should have physical activity at regular intervals (media literacy)

2- Some programs can be produced based on this characteristic of the young child, with an approach to sports and physical activity.

11. The large muscles of the young child have developed more than the small muscles at this age. Therefore, manual dexterity skills such as buttoning clothes or tying shoelaces, etc., can be of interest to the program maker.
12. Due to the incomplete development of eye muscles and the lack of hand-eye coordination, the young child cannot focus on small objects. Therefore, it cannot be expected that they write well and do delicate tasks. Children’s drawings with large lines bear witness to this statement. This point is considered one of the subtleties of program-making for young children.

Author: Zakieh Jahandideh