There was a time not too long ago when TV programming for kids actually encouraged them to be dumb. All that was available for children to watch on TV four decades ago was cartoon characters that couldn't seem to do anything right. Elmer fudd spent his whole career in show business hunting Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny and never was successful even one time in bagging either one of them.

Wily Coyote chassed the Road runner up and down the highway each and every morning day after day and every trap he set for him seemed to go off on him and the big boulder would fall down the mountain and land right on him every time. They were fun to watch but lets face it, they didn't teach a kid one damn thing.

Then someone had the bright idea that while the kids were plunked in front of the TV, they could be taught stuff like basic math and the alphabet and it worked. Things have moved along rather slowly in children's education programming since then, considering that today's children are tomorrow's adults.

Dish Network has taken a different approach and has made educational programming for children and preteens a high priority and what they have done is take this type of programming a quantum leap beyond anything that their competitors have to offer.

Their base level programming package is called the Dish Family pack and it has some of the most progressive children's educational programming that you will find anywhere. The Discovery Channel always has great nature and science programming that encourages young people to develop a keen sense of logic and reasoning, while it explains the dynamics of the world around them.

The Disney Channel is chock full of great educational programming and Disney has a great reputation for ethics and morals in what they produce. ABC Family is another great channel for children's programming that is also educational but kids need cartoons too and that is why they included great cartoon programming in this package. All of your local TV channels are also included in this package and you can also add on their high definition package to it if you want to.

This entry level programming package is quite possible the least costly entry level package in the TV programming industry because of its super low over all cost per channel. Dish Network stocks a great choice of top of the line receivers that are so easy to use that even a child can learn to operate them and that is why they come with a fool proof parental control function.

With the Vip311 DVR receiver, it's so easy to record all the best of the children's programming that is available and have it ready every time children use the TV set. In the end educating your child is your responsibility and no one else's. Schools are great, but the time that a child spends at home should not be wasted and this is the best time to give your child the edge that they will need when they have to face the real world.