The Wise Buying Habit series is primarily targeted toward high school students with a disposable income. Written by Lina Ingraham, the three tapes along with the accompanying manuals serve as "how-to" introductions to becoming a savvy consumer in each respective subject area. Clothing Dollars and Sense is the best of the three in terms of content. Ingraham, who has written other scripts on "sewing", has a good feel for the fashion industry, as well as the various influences which affect teenager's choices. Using a framing device of a "fashion" fairy godmother, the program introduces a boy and a girl who have typically overstuffed closets. With some help, the teens learn about reading the labels on clothing, how to look for good workmanship in clothes, the pros and cons of designer label clothes, and how to mix and match for the best visual and economic effect. There's also a cautionary section on mail order houses. While the information is good, the production values are not that hot--a washed-out video look and audible hum on the soundtrack detract from the quality of the information. Making the Right Connection--Buying Home Entertainment Components has much better production values, but is so hokey in its presentation that only nerds will identify with the program. A teen who's saved up enough to buy some speakers gets burnt on a set of "as is" pieces of junk. We're told that he needed to follow the "decision making process", i.e.: 1) identify the problem, 2) determine financial resources, 3) search for solutions, 4) evaluate the solutions, and 5) make a decision. That's a fair share of bunk that is likely to turn most teenagers off to the program pronto. While there are some helpful suggestions about reading Consumer Reports and similar literature before buying something, there's nothing here beyond the basics--and those are presented in a pretty obtuse way. Surviving the Checkout--Wise Food Buying gets back on track, subject-wise, with a fair amount of useable information for teens striking out on their own, concerning making a shopping list, using coupons, selecting healthy foods, reading labels, etc. However, the poor technical aspects which characterized Clothing Dollars and Sense are back, with some of the audio in the supermarket scenes being nearly incomprehensible. High school home economics classes might get some mileage out of the "Clothing" and "Food" programs if they don't have alternative programs, but for other libraries these are not recommended. (See INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS for availability.)
Wise Buying Habits: Clothing Dollars And Sense; Wise Buying Habits: Making The Right Connection--Buying Home Entertainment Components; Wise Buying Habits: Surviving The Checkout--Wise Food Buying
(1990) 45 m. $79.95 (study manual included). Cambridge Career Products. Public performance rights included. Vol. 6, Issue 1
Wise Buying Habits: Clothing Dollars And Sense; Wise Buying Habits: Making The Right Connection--Buying Home Entertainment Components; Wise Buying Habits: Surviving The Checkout--Wise Food Buying
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