What was the show? Can you guess it?
The most engaging show ever created for preschoolers was Blue's Clues.
Blue's Clues first aired on the Nickelodeon channel in September of 1996.
Blue was an animated blue dog and Steve Burns was the host. The show allowed kids to be involved in the story as they helped figure out what plans Blue had for the day. Blue would leave a trail of clues for kids to follow and Steve would help them. The story format drew kids in.
The producers combined key findings from child development and early-childhood education to make the show irresistible for preschoolers.
It was the highest rated show for preschoolers in the U.S. and has been called one of the most successful, critically acclaimed and ground-breaking preschool series of all time. It has been nominated for 9 Emmy Awards. It was on TV through 2011.
The producers also used a genius idea to make the show even more engaging. They brought in groups of kids to watch the episodes before they went to TV. They watched for times when the kids looked away. This meant they were bored with that part of the show and their attention had disengaged. The producers then went back and tweaked or changed those parts before the episode aired.
The show was so engaging and popular, that it is being brought back to TV this year. It will be interesting to see how today's kids will interact and engage with it.
There are many valuable tips we can get from Blue's Clues.
Make your lessons interactive. Create opportunities for kids to verbally converse with your lesson. Take a tip from Blue's Clues and initiate questions rather than demanding kids sit still and quiet.
Here is a great idea. Watch the clip below from Blue's Clues. See how they talk to preschoolers. See how they draw kids into the story. See how they ask key questions to keep kids engaged.
Another great idea. Watch the preschoolers during your lesson. Make notes about when they are engaged. When they are not engaged. When the participate. When they don't want to participate. Go back and tweak or drop those parts of the lesson or service.
And check out the new Blue's Clues shows that will air later this year. There's a lot you can learn from the most engaging kids' show ever.
