 In 1994 , research was conducted for " The <unk> Study " , funded by the Markle Foundation , which examined the effects of Sesame Street on adolescents who had watched the show as young children . The subjects had participated in previous studies as preschoolers . When the study 's research subjects were statistically equated for parents ' level of education , birth order , residence and gender , it found that adolescents who had watched Sesame Street as preschoolers were positively influenced by it . Compared with children who had not watched it regularly , they had higher grades in English , math , and science ; read for pleasure more often ; perceived themselves as more competent , and expressed lower levels of aggression . The effects were stronger in adolescent boys than in adolescent girls . 
