Research and development of print materials at the Children's Television Workshop

Abstract

The mission of research within The Magazine Group of the Children's Television Workshop is fourfold: (a) to ensure that each editorial product is comprehensible to and developmentally appropriate for its intended target audience, (b) to conduct formative and summative evaluations of editorial material for the Group's editors, (c) to keep all staff members of The Magazine Group apprised of the latest academic research in child development and education, and (d) to serve as an in-house advertising and market-research arm for the publisher. This article provides case studies of how research serves each of these functions and concludes with observations on how to optimize the effectiveness of print materials for children, parents, and elementary school teachers.