As a music teacher and early childhood educator, Rachel Griffin Accurso had no shortage of ideas for engaging with her toddler son. But when he was diagnosed with a speech delay, she struggled to find a resource to 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 over 9 million subscribers by holding herself to the highest educational standards. Her “Songs for Littles” are colorful, fun and full of cheerful music, but they can do much more than just hold toddlers’ attention.
Rachel
Griffin
Accurso
YouTube Creator,
Ms. Rachel
Rachel
Griffin
Accurso
YouTube Creator,
Ms. Rachel
Ms. Rachel’s videos feature research-backed lessons ranging from pronouncing basic words to potty training to helping kids handle big feelings. Ms. Rachel — who recently completed 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.
Although the early videos she made for her son were comparatively simple, she’s developed a process that’s on par with professional production companies, starting with detailed research and proceeding through preparing a script and shooting the film. She records either at her home, in a local studio or on location, as when making a video about vehicles took her to the Manhattan Children’s Museum.
“We used to do it all ourselves but now we have a great team of people, from animators to Broadway actors, that help us bring the show to life,” she said.
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 circ*mstances, those lessons go a long way. Rachel especially treasures the 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.”
“Just because a video is entertaining doesn’t
mean it lacks value — entertainment and
education can reinforce each other.”
Jill Murphy
Editor in Chief of Common Sense Media
Connecting kids to enriching content
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. But the popularity of such material is unquestionable: a 2023 study1 showed that 95% of teenagers have used YouTube, while a 2023 report² said that 92% of users report using YouTube to gather information and knowledge. To build on that success, YouTube’s Youth and Family Advisory Committee developed a set of quality principles calling for content that promotes, “creativity, play, and a sense of imagination.” Since those guidelines were published in 2021, the committee has continued working closely with the platform to ensure that they stay up to date.
“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 member of the committee.
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.
Click or tap to read about YouTube’s Youth QUALITY Principles
Being a
good person.
This content demonstrates or encourages respect, good behavior, and healthy habits. Examples include content about sharing or being a good friend. Videos might also be about brushing your teeth or encouraging kids to eat vegetables.
Learning
and inspiring curiosity.
This content promotes critical thinking, discussing connected ideas, and exploring the world. Content should be age appropriate and designed for a young audience. It can also span traditional to non-traditional learning.
Creativity, play, and a sense of imagination.
This content is thought-provoking or imaginative. It may also encourage kids to create, make, and engage with something in a meaningful and novel way. Examples include creating imaginary worlds, storytelling, soccer tricks, sing-alongs, and creative activities like art and crafts.
Interaction
with real
world issues.
This content includes life lessons and strong characters, or encourages building social-emotional skills, problem solving, and independent thinking. It often includes a complete narrative (like character development, plot, resolution) and clear takeaway or lesson.
Diversity,
equity, and
inclusion.
This content celebrates and encourages representation and participation of diverse perspectives and groups of people. It shows a range of ages, genders, races, religions, and sexual orientations. It also advocates for equal treatment of those differences.
YouTube’s Youth QUALITY Principles
Being a
good person.
This content demonstrates or encourages respect, good behavior, and healthy habits. Examples include content about sharing or being a good friend. Videos might also be about brushing your teeth or encouraging kids to eat vegetables.
Learning
and inspiring curiosity.
This content promotes critical thinking, discussing connected ideas, and exploring the world. Content should be age appropriate and designed for a young audience. It can also span traditional to non-traditional learning.
Creativity, play, and a sense of imagination.
This content is thought-provoking or imaginative. It may also encourage kids to create, make, and engage with something in a meaningful and novel way. Examples include creating imaginary worlds, storytelling, soccer tricks, sing-alongs, and creative activities like art and crafts.
Interaction
with real
world issues.
This content includes life lessons and strong characters, or encourages building social-emotional skills, problem solving, and independent thinking. It often includes a complete narrative (like character development, plot, resolution) and clear takeaway or lesson.
Diversity,
equity, and
inclusion.
This content celebrates and encourages representation and participation of diverse perspectives and groups of people. It shows a range of ages, genders, races, religions, and sexual orientations. It also advocates for equal treatment of those differences.
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, a former K-5 special education and bilingual instructor who now trains new teachers, designed lessons that connected 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. She found that her kids responded best to the kinds of deeply researched and lovingly made content produced by creators like Ms. Rachel and encouraged by YouTube’s quality principles.
Juliana Urtubey
teacher,
k-5 special education
Juliana Urtubey
teacher,
k-5 special education
When she showed videos to her classes, she chose those that inspire children to create something together or play outside, or that models how to engage in conversations, solve problems as a group and speak up. She used children’s yoga to help her younger students relax in between activities; science lessons to learn about Monarch butterflies and videos like “You Are Welcome Here” to spark conversations about welcoming multilingual students into the school. Thanks to 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 learned right alongside her students. She once brought in earthworms to teach a lesson on conservation, only to find that setting up the habitat was more complicated — and messier! — than she’d expected.
“So I decided to be honest with my students and admit I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing,” she said. “My students were so generous, they said that it was cool for us to learn together and we could watch YouTube videos to figure it out. Videos like ‘Vermiculture Made Easy’ really helped!”
That video is a fitting embodiment of the platform’s quality principles — it’s both playful and informative, packing an entire biology lecture into five charming minutes. It helped Juliana and her students create a comfortable home for the classroom worms — and taught them a few new things along the way.
“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.”
Jill Murphy
Editor in Chief of Common Sense Media
Setting up teens for success
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 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.
Gohar
Khan
youtube creator,
gohar’s guide
Gohar
Khan
youtube creator,
gohar’s guide
“My primary motive for posting to YouTube Shorts was to provide high school students with the information I wish I had when I was applying to college,” he said. “The admissions game is a murky, anxiety-ridden process for many, especially first-generation students. I wanted to bring clarity to the process and help these students craft the most compelling applications they can.”
Although Gohar’s Shorts are, by definition, short, they are made with extreme care. Each takes about four hours from start to finish, beginning with a brainstorming process in which he asks himself, “What are my viewers struggling with? Why did they subscribe to me in the first place?” and proceeding through writing, prop creation, filming and editing. The result is tightly focused, deeply informative videos on topics ranging from everything from nutrition to fitness to learning to drive. 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,” said Murphy, the Common Sense Media editor. “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 short videos 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.
Igniting joy for kids and teens
Rachel and Gohar may have very different audiences, but both creators strive to give teachers like Juliana the content that she’s found works best in her classroom: 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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