The 2020 presidential election is upon us and as adults prepare for an election year unlike any other, many parents are wondering how best to tackle the topic with their kids.
Considering the intricacies of a lesson on civic engagement, it’s difficult to know where to begin. How can parents and educators successfully engage children — young and old — on the topics of voting and civics? For those who want to help their kids learn more about elections and civic duty, PBS LearningMedia and PBS Kids provides many resources, including:
- Explain how grownups vote with Daniel Tiger: To help your little one understand voting and the process of doing so, what better way for them to learn than alongside their neighbor, Daniel Tiger? If voting in-person this year, this video resource can familiarize young children with the voting process before they join their parent at the polls, with a step-by-step guide on how their grownup votes.
- Share a history lesson and make informed predictions with The Election Collection: Parents and educators of middle and high school-aged kids can help them not only keep up with election news, but also learn about the history and process of presidential elections with this collection of videos and activities. The interactive Electoral Decoder, for example, allows learners to explore electoral college results from previous elections, and predict the outcome of the upcoming election.
- Talk about civics in an age-appropriate way: This guide provides parents and caregivers of children ages 2-8 with tips and tricks to talk about voting and civic engagement, all while improving their reading, art and math skills in the process.
