BUSINESS OF THE DAY: Catch the Commercial!
TODAY'S AGENDA
Next time you’re watching television, ask your child to point out when a commercial is on. Talk through the commercial to discuss questions and learning points.
THE PRESENTATION SLIDE WITH TODAY'S OBJECTIVES: Why You're Doing This
- Help your child distinguish between a commercial and a television program.
- Explain that a commercial is a form of advertising and marketing designed for television.
- Educate your child about advertising and its purpose.
THE FAMILY CONFERENCE CALL: Questions to Talk About Together
- What is the commercial, or advertisement, trying to sell?
- How long is the ad? (Hint: Try timing a couple of them in a row and see if they are the same length.)
- Why are commercials short? What information do they share with viewers in such a short amount of time?
- What types of companies or businesses use commercials?
- Why do companies use commercials? Why do television programs allow ads to be run in the middle of the show?
STOCK TIP
Parents, with older kids, you could either sit with them to count the commercials; or have them make hash marks on a piece of paper to mark down how many commercials were displayed. Also, if you record shows, you’re also recording commercials – think about going back and watching the same commercials a couple of times and challenging your child to look for different things in that commercial each time.