This guidebook focuses on the reality of children's television viewing and the possibilities open to teachers for mediating the experience to enhance children's development and enrich the school curriculum. A Piagetian framework is used to examine and structure material suitable for the classroom. Part I of the guide reviews the historic development of systems of communication and describes the role of television in the lives of 2- to 3-year-olds, 4- to 6-year-olds, 7- to 9-year-olds and 10- to 12-year-olds in relationship to preoperational thought and concrete operations. Part II introduces teachers to ways of increasing their knowledge of their students' television viewing by describing the use of oral and written surveys and TV logs. Guidelines for setting up a classroom TV resource area are provided. Part III consists of developmentally appropriate sample lessons designed to help children understand the nature of TV. Each lesson indicates appropriate developmental stage, related Piagetian operational functions, applicable curriculum areas, a learning activity, types of TV programs suited to the activity, needed materials, and specific tasks related to the learning activity. The concluding section, Part IV, describes ways (e.g., parent meetings, workshops, and study groups) of involving parents in the television viewing learning activities program. (Author/RH)