As a music teacher and early childhood educator, Rachel Griffin Accurso had no shortage of ideas and enthusiasm to engage with her toddler son. But when he was diagnosed with a speech delay, she struggled to find a resource that might help him learn to form words while also keeping him interested and entertained. So she decided to make one herself.

Ms. Rachel, as she’s known to kids and parents around the world, has been creating children’s content on her YouTube channel since 2019 and has amassed nearly 7 million subscribers. Her “Songs for Littles” are colorful, fun and full of cheerful music, but they can do much more than just hold toddlers’ attention. 

Each of Ms. Rachel’s videos features research-backed lessons ranging from pronouncing basic words to potty training to helping kids handle big feelings. Ms. Rachel — who will soon hold her second master’s degree in early childhood education — works closely with specialists to model the right techniques, and gets full marks from speech pathologists and child development experts. 

“I wanted to share information I would have found so helpful when I was trying to help my son,” Rachel said. “Now, parents share a lot that the show has helped them get support because it made them realize their child was behind.”

Not all kids’ content is made equal, and the kinds of media that kids watch can make a difference in their learning and emotional development. Videos like Ms. Rachel’s help teach kids basic skills, but they can also help them learn more about themselves, interact with the outside world, and understand and welcome a diverse range of people and ideas.

“We want children to know they are bright, capable and important,” Rachel said. 

When it comes to kids in unique circumstances, those lessons go a long way. Rachel especially treasures two notes she’s received from child life specialists working in hospitals. They shared how the coping skills Rachel imparts in her videos help comfort and teach pediatric patients. 

“I keep those emails on my desktop,” Rachel said. “They give me endless energy to do more.”

It’s a truth as old as television itself: families feel strongly about what content their kids are watching. There are debates — from Congress to kitchen tables — about what role devices and digital platforms should play in the lives of young people.

Research from UNICEF shows that high-quality content online can help young children develop an interest in educational, informative and social online experiences and enable them to develop a range of technical and critical capacities. Moreover, videos can spur emotional development and personal connection when viewed alongside a grownup and accompanied by discussion, according to a study from the Journal of Children and Media. 

YouTube is committed to making the internet safe and age-appropriate for young users. The company has launched a totally separate app, YouTube Kids, for parents of very young viewers, as well as supervised experiences for tweens and teens that let parents choose content settings that are right for their children. The platform recently published a set of Youth Principles that it will adhere to in its product and policy development for young users.

The platform is also committed to raising the quality of content for young viewers and helping its many talented creators like Ms. Rachel thrive. To make sure that it promotes enriching and engaging videos, YouTube developed a set of quality principles in 2021 with experts in child development, emerging media and digital wellbeing. 

“These are scientifically-guided practices that help creators create content that is engaging, healthy and fun for youth,” said Jessica Piotrowski, a professor at the University of Amsterdam and a member of YouTube’s Youth and Family Advisory Committee, which helped formulate the principles.

Videos that abide by YouTube’s quality principles — that promote learning, diversity, being a good person and being curious — are more likely to be raised up in recommendations. Conversely, low-quality content — heavily commercial or sensational content, or content that encourages negative behaviors — is less likely to be recommended, is ineligible for monetization and might even be removed from YouTube Kids.

Enriching content works best when it brings kids joy. Common Sense Media, an organization that reviews and rates media on its suitability for children, wants to remove the stigma from engaging, playful content. 

“Just because a video is entertaining doesn’t mean it lacks value — entertainment and education can reinforce each other,” said Jill Murphy, Editor in Chief of Common Sense Media. “Being relatable and watchable can bring great videos to an even wider audience.” 

Her commitment to representation, empathy and learning is why Ms. Rachel is featured on Common Sense Media’s list of “YouTube Channels for Kids Who Love Stories.

Bringing classroom lessons to life through video

In Juliana Urtubey’s classroom, videos help illustrate a range of skills. Juliana, who has worked as a K-5, special education and bilingual teacher, designs lessons that connect foundational tools with exciting, hands-on learning, much of it in a 20,000-square-foot garden that she built alongside her students and their families. 

When she shows videos to her classes, she chooses content that inspires children to create something together or play outside, or that models how to engage in conversations, solve problems as a group and speak up. And with her innovative approach to her curriculum, Juliana was named National Teacher of the Year in 2021 by the Council of Chief State School Officers. Ultimately, she hopes to spread her ideas for what she calls “joyous and just” education.

Sometimes, Juliana is learning right alongside her students. She once brought in earthworms to teach a lesson on conservation; she and her students watched YouTube videos together to figure out how to set up a healthy ecosystem in their garden.

“YouTube can serve as an equalizer for people everywhere because it gives us access to learn just about anything from anywhere,” Juliana said. “My hope is to inspire us all to reflect on how we can use important tools like YouTube to connect and bring more joy to our learning.”

As kids grow up and start having to study for tests in high school and college, learning can become a source of stress. Gohar Khan helps tweens and teens deal with that pressure.

When he was in high school, Gohar, a first-generation student, set his sights on attending a top university. After being accepted into multiple top schools, Gohar chose to study computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Then, in Gohar’s junior year of college, covid-19 closed down MIT’s campus, and Gohar started posting quick videos on YouTube Shorts. Now boasting over 3 million subscribers, his channel — Gohar’s Guide — features study tips and college application advice gleaned from his own experience, experimentation and research.

“I want my viewers to understand and believe that they are capable of achieving their academic goals,” Gohar said. “I want them to feel confident, but more importantly, I want them to enjoy the journey of being a student and of bettering themselves.”

As his channel has grown, Gohar has received requests from teens and parents for advice beyond college admissions. He’s now made videos about adapting to life in college, nutrition and fitness, learning to drive and dealing with the pressures of being a teen in today’s high-achieving world. Gohar’s humorous and innovative approach to these serious topics earned his channel a spot on Common Sense Media’s list of “School and Life Skills” creators.

“When kids relate to and identify with hosts or characters, it can lead to higher self-esteem, underscoring the importance of realistic, diverse and inclusive representation,” Murphy said. “We love that Gohar uses his own unique perspective, background and platform to connect with his audience.”

Gohar says the most gratifying part of his work is hearing from the students he’s helped. Viewers often message Gohar to thank him for telling them about a summer program, or to share a moment of joy after they get accepted to their dream schools. Bite-sized as they are, Gohar’s videos have altered these students’ academic journeys. 

“Realizing that multiple Shorts together can equip students with the techniques and lifestyle habits they need to do better in school and in life is an incredibly rewarding feeling,” Gohar said.

Rachel and Gohar may have very different audiences, but both creators strive to craft videos that educate while still being engaging and entertaining. For Gohar, that means clever storytelling, like using an apple and a banana to explain what makes a great college essay. For Rachel, it means teaching kids and parents “songs and games that produce lots of bonding, giggles and squeals,” she said.

“I hoped that children and their grownups would benefit from the show and that parents would carry over the games, songs and techniques and use them away from the screen,” Rachel said. “Our hearts are so warmed seeing whole families watch and dance to the content together.”

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