Clifford the Big Red Dog

Clifford the Big Red Dog is another one of the shows cited positively in the Kaiser Brief:

Viewing of educational programs like Dora the Explorer, Blue’s Clues, Dragontales, Arthur, and Clifford between six and 30 months of age was associated with accelerated language growth,whereas overall television viewing (including adult programs) was associated with reduced vocabulary.

Norman Bridwell started writing the Clifford the Big Red Dog books in 1963 and created Clifford and his person Emily Elizabeth. The animated television show on PBS was introduced in 2000 and ran until 2003. Clifford is about a huge but cuddly and sweet dog and his doggie friends, Cleo and T-bone. Clifford’s person, Emily Elizabeth, is also featured in the show. Each half hour show is divided into two 15-minute segments, one of which often focuses on the dogs while the other usually focuses on Emily Elizabeth and her friends and family.

Let’s look at what Common Sense Media has to say about the show:

What parents need to know: Parents need to know that kids are often magnetically drawn to stories about Clifford because he's the magical pet every child wishes for. The program is chock-full of positive lessons and likable characters -- and may remind parents of their own childhood fascination with Clifford. The series is full of educational messages on social, emotional, and physical matters.

Norman Bridwell's Clifford the Big Red Dog series of books dates back to 1963, so most parents with young children probably remember reading the stories themselves. The reason the intrigue spans generations is quite simple: Everybody who loves dogs wishes they had one like Clifford. He's gigantic, playful, and loving, and he's an unfailing friend to owner Emily Elizabeth. The lessons of each show play out in an uncomplicated, formulaic manner that's easy for young minds to grasp. Sometimes, the lessons are learned by Clifford and his canine pals T-Bone and Cleo. Other times, Emily Elizabeth and her human friends do the growing. Themes have included how to be a good houseguest, why it's important to avoid prejudging others, and taking responsibility for one's actions. As with spin-off series Clifford's Puppy Days, this program's content is based on ten "Big Ideas" that provide the backbone of the show's moral messages. Some of the Big Ideas include helping others, showing respect, playing fair, and sharing -- universal values that kids should be exposed to in the preschool years.

Back to me. My family all loved to watch Clifford for many reasons. Yes, it was predictable but in a comforting way sort of like McDonald’s. You know exactly what you are going to get at Mickey D’s whether you are in Timbucktoo or Gastonia. But Clifford is much better nutrition for the mind than Mickey D’s is for the body. A few years ago, I stayed home sick with a bad cold one day but Drew was at school and my husband came home for lunch and found me watching Clifford. He was slightly bemused since I could watch anything at all that I wanted and finally got to hold the remote control. I told him that at that time of day, Clifford was simply the best thing on the hundred or so channels on television. Watching it makes you feel good because it reinforces simple lessons that we never outgrow.

There are dozens of Clifford books available to strengthen the lessons learned by your toddler from watching Clifford. Watching the show made Drew hungry for the books…what a great result!