A series of documentaries produced for public television by Jonathan Diamond Associates in association with the Child Development Institute at Sarah Lawrence College, The Learning Child Series was developed to assist parents and educators in engaging children to become motivated and thoughtful lifelong learners. The documentaries represent the view that intellectual, social, and imaginative growth, as well as specific skills such as literacy, develop optimally in the context of activities that are inherently meaningful to the child.

When Learning Comes Naturally

When Learning Comes Naturally profiles the efforts of four schools in New York, New Jersey, and California to introduce children to the natural world and to encourage them—through play, classroom activities, exploration, and their own creative work—to make a lasting connection to the environment. The program premiered on public television September 1, 2009, timed for the beginning of the new school year.

Learn more about When Learning Comes Naturally

Previous Programs in The Learning Child Series

To preview footage from each of the programs below, or to place an order for DVD or VHS copies, go to: http://www.thelearningchildseries.org

Values Go to School (2005)

The third documentary in the Learning Child Series, Values Go to School: Exploring Ethics with Children, premiered at the College on November 18, 2005, and aired on public television stations September 1, 2006. The program documents how values emerge and take shape in the school context, and how teachers can encourage children’s understanding and expression of the ethical questions that permeate our everyday lives...| Read more

From Pictures to Words (2003)

From Pictures to Words: Understanding the Foundations of Literacy Learning, shown on more than 150 public television stations in 2003–2004, explores children’s entrance to the world of literacy. Children from preschool through second grade are seen working with their teachers and with each other as they engage in activities ranging from drawing pictures to dictating stories, from early attempts at spelling to writing stories. In sequences of children at home, the viewer sees parents engaging with their children...| Read more

When a Child Pretends (1999)

When a Child Pretends: Understanding Pretend Play, narrated by Joanne Woodward, was shown on more than 100 public television stations in 1999–2000. Widely used in educational settings, the video has been shown across the United States, in the People’s Republic of China and on U.S. military bases around the world. The video shows scenes of children four years to eleven engaged in pretending, with primary focus on the younger ages...| Read more