Lewis Bernstein Interview Part 1 of 3 - EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG

Summary

Dr. Lewis Bernstein shares his journey from studying psychology in Israel to joining Sesame Workshop in 1972, inspired by the educational potential of Sesame Street. He details the groundbreaking research methods used to measure children's learning, attention, and social development, emphasizing collaboration between educators and producers. Bernstein discusses adapting the show internationally, respecting cultural differences while maintaining educational goals, and evolving the program to meet changing media landscapes. He highlights Sesame Street's dual-level content for children and parents, and its role in teaching literacy, social tolerance, and coping with trauma, showcasing the enduring impact of thoughtful, research-driven educational television.

Takeaways

• 😀 Sesame Street content is designed on two levels: one for children to learn foundational skills and one for parents to stay engaged and reinforce learning.
• 😀 The show uses humor, celebrity appearances, and cultural references to engage parents while still maintaining educational value for children.
• 😀 Research was central to Sesame Street, including studying children’s learning, international adaptations, and the effectiveness of various educational methods.
• 😀 International co-productions are encouraged to create local versions of Sesame Street using their own characters and content while guided by the show's educational framework.
• 😀 Directly dubbing U.S. episodes is possible but not ideal, as local cultural and educational needs differ significantly from the original content.
• 😀 Sesame Street addresses social and emotional learning, including topics like fear, resilience, tolerance, and standing up to bullying.
• 😀 Post-9/11, the show created episodes to help children process trauma and understand the role of protective adults like firefighters.
• 😀 Global partners adapt content to respect cultural norms, such as teaching values without directly promoting organized religion or other sensitive topics.
• 😀 The show promotes social reasoning skills: children learn to make decisions, evaluate situations, and respect differences.
• 😀 Countries participating in co-productions can set their own curriculum goals while staying aligned with Sesame Street’s core values like respect, fairness, and problem-solving.
• 😀 The series has evolved over time to incorporate universal messages such as mutual respect, peaceful conflict resolution, and combating intolerance.
• 😀 Engaging parents intentionally enhances the educational impact of the show on children, creating a dual-support system at home and on-screen.

Q & A

What is Dr. Luis Jay Bernstein’s background and early life?

Dr. Luis Jay Bernstein was born on December 9, 1947, in New York City. His father, Jacob, worked in the dress industry as a pattern maker, and his mother, Mary, was a bookkeeper. He grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family in a predominantly Irish and Italian Catholic veteran community. He had one sister, Rachel, who worked at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center.

What influenced Bernstein’s interest in working with children?

During college, Bernstein initially studied psychology and interned at a mental hospital in Israel with Holocaust survivors. He found the work emotionally taxing and switched to focus on helping and educating children, inspired by their openness, joy, and potential for development.

Where did Bernstein complete his higher education?

He earned his bachelor's degree at Queens College (City University of New York), his master's at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel, and his PhD at Columbia University.

How did Bernstein first encounter Sesame Street?

Bernstein first saw Sesame Street in Israel around 1970 while completing his master’s degree. He was struck by the show’s modeling of diverse communities, the nurturing environment, and its approach to combining joy with learning.

What motivated Bernstein to contact Sesame Workshop in the U.S.?

After completing his master's degree, Bernstein wanted to work in educational television and called Sesame Workshop to meet Dr. Edward Palmer, expressing interest in their research and production. Although there were no internships, he was offered a full-time research fellow position in 1972, working on Sesame Street.

What was unique about the research-production collaboration at Sesame Street?

The workshop paired creative producers, who may not have had educational expertise, with educational researchers, who may not have known television production. This 'shotgun marriage' ensured that educational goals and creative storytelling informed each other iteratively, with producers and researchers learning each other's language.

How did early Sesame Street research measure children’s attention?

Researchers, led by Dr. Edward Palmer, used a distraction technique where children were shown a changing slide show at a 90-degree angle while watching the program. If the segment held their attention, children ignored the distraction; if not, they looked away or engaged with toys.

How did Sesame Street measure children’s learning and comprehension?

Researchers used multiple methods, including questioning, rearranging Polaroid photos to recreate stories, and passive identification of letters, numbers, or words. They tested children in diverse daycare settings, capturing differences in attention and comprehension between advantaged and disadvantaged children.

What role did Sesame Street play in promoting social and racial tolerance?

The program tested children’s willingness to interact with peers of different races and found that frequent viewers were more likely to accept and play with children of diverse backgrounds. This aligned with the show’s broader educational mission inspired by societal needs, including programs like Head Start and the Great Society initiatives.

How has Sesame Street research and methodology evolved over the years?

The show no longer uses the original distraction study. Researchers now observe children in homes and small groups, using modern techniques to assess attention and comprehension. Additionally, Sesame Street has adapted its content and format to remain engaging in a changed media landscape with more channels, remote controls, and varied educational programming.

What impact has Sesame Street had on children’s long-term educational outcomes?

Studies, including longitudinal evaluations by the University of Kansas, showed that early viewing of Sesame Street positively influenced reading levels, academic progress, and even high school and college outcomes. It demonstrated that educational television could have significant, lasting effects.

Why was Sesame Street designed in a magazine format with multiple segments?

The show was designed with short stories, animation, and Muppet inserts to cater to young children’s limited attention spans while providing variety and engagement. This approach allowed children to remain attentive for the hour-long program and absorb both educational content and social messages.