 ETS , whose prestige enhanced the credibility of its findings , conducted two landmark summative evaluations in 1970 and 1971 , demonstrating that Sesame Street had a significant educational impact on its viewers . These studies illustrated the early educational effects of Sesame Street , and have been cited in other studies of the effects of television on young children . ETS reported that the children who watched the show most learned the most , and achieved better results in letter @-@ recognition skills . Three @-@ year @-@ olds who watched regularly scored higher than five @-@ year @-@ olds who did not ; children from low @-@ income households who were regular viewers scored higher than children from higher @-@ income households who watched the show less frequently . Similar results occurred in children from non @-@ English @-@ speaking homes . Although adult supervision was not required for children to learn using the material presented , children who watched and discussed the program with their parents gained more skills than those who did not . Children viewing the show in an informal home setting learned as much as children who watched it at school under a teacher 's supervision . Regular viewers adjusted better to the school environment than non @-@ viewers . They also had a more positive attitude toward school and better peer relations than non @-@ viewers . 
