Lessons and Impacts of the Ahlan Simsim TV Program

A study in pre-primary classrooms in Jordan on children’s emotional development.

This study was led by Global TIES for Children at New York University

Researchers evaluated the effects of Ahlan Simsim, a Sesame Workshop show that has been viewed by more than 23 million children across the Middle East and North Africa, including 57% of displaced Syrians across Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq.

This study is one of the first causal impact evaluations of a mass media program designed for countries affected by the Syrian conflict and refugee crisis that focuses on preschoolers’ emotional development. It found positive impacts on: children’s knowledge of the Ahlan Simsim TV show and characters; ability to correctly state a pictured emotion; ability to identify others’ emotions in specific social scenarios; and mentions of breathing strategies as a way to manage strong emotions, an emotion regulation strategy from Ahlan Simsim.

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