Wondering About Your Baby Can Read

It is expensive BS. There is a lot of science on early childhood development - a good synopsis of it can be found in the book "Einstein didn't use flash cards." While children can learn the name of letters and can learn with quite a bit of drilling that a certain combination of letters are a certain word, they aren't really learning to read. Research looking at whether this kind of drilling really improves their ability to read long term suggests that it doesn't. At the age of 1-3 or 4, they are sensitive to learning vocabulary but don't yet get the concept of really reading. Time at this age is much better spent playing and goiing with a child's interests, reading to them, learning new words etc. So I wouldn't waste my money on the Baby can read stuff.

I have seen these advertisements and while it seems kinda cool, why does any baby need to read? I mean I think when your child is a baby you should just enjoy that. Reading to them is one of the best things you can do for them and it is a great way to bond and get them interested in books. What's next? "My baby does the grocery shopping" or "My baby can balance the checkbook" =) I guess I just don't see the rush. They will be reading, doing math problems before you know it and you will be wishing for simpler days gone past. I know this wasn't your question, so I apologize for my unsolicited opionion.

The Your Baby Can Read takes advantage of the fact that infants and toddlers are little sponges and just teaches them to read words "by sight" meaning that they learn what a word looks like and can recognize it without having to sound it out. Unfortunately, this does not give children the strategies that they eventually will need to read new and novel words when they come across them - they will need phonemic awareness and phonics to decode unfamiliar words. The best things that you can be doing with your infants and toddlers is to spend time reading and talking to them so that they have a strong foundation of vocabulary and concepts of print (the understanding of books and how they work). You can also get them prepared for learning to read by pointing out the names of letters and the different sounds that make up words (mom begins with the sound mmmmmmm. Milk begins with the sound mmmmmm). This document is based on the results of the National Early Literacy Panel and tells parents what they should be doing with their toddlers, preschoolers, etc. My son is 3 and is working on skills that are typically associated with kindergarteners. http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/publications/Literacy_Home.pdf So my recommendation is not to waste your money on the Your Baby Can Read program and spend your time working on the skills that are going to give them a strong foundation for later success.

I agree with the others. Why would you want your baby to read?

I have not used this, but I was teacher for seven years, and would highly recommoned you NOT use this. Let your baby be a baby. He/she will have plenty of time to read. The best way for babies to learn is to let them play and explore - not to sit in front of a DVD. Take time to read lots of books to them yourself and make it fun for them so as to instill a love of reading at a young age. Plus, if you do "teach" your baby to read at 2, what in the world is he/she going to do at school?? Be bored out of his mind until all his classmates catch up? Skip a few grades and be way behind his peers socially and physcially? I guess I just don't see what the big rush is. I personally feel that parents who push their kids into to doing things so early are thinking more about their own "bragging rights" than the best interest of their child. You wouldn't push your child to walk at 4 months... their body isn't strong enough for that yet; so why push your child's mind to do something that, developmentally, it's not ready for yet, either? I know it's tempting to give into the infomercials... I saw them myself and was almost sucked in. When I stopped to really think about it, though, I realized it would be great for me (the parent) but probaby not so great for my little girl. Good luck!

I totally agree with Anne...why do you want your baby to read at age 2? As a teacher you should know that there is no benefit pushing a child to learn things before their time, you can do more harm than good. Cuddle with your child and read to him/her. Play games to promote counting, rhyming, and learning...but just have fun!

your child will learn to read why would they need to sit down and learn to read (AKA memorize at this age) when they should be being two and playing and getting dirty. I think it is ridiculous for parents to do this to their children when they are not ready. If your child is gifted and trying to read, well then by all means yes teach them but other than that 2 year olds should be having fun and playing outside not sitting at home watching TV and looking at flashcards!

As a Reading Specialist, and a mom of three who were all reading before Kindergarten, I say DON'T waste your money! Talking with your children as much as possible to develop their oral language and vocabulary, and reading to them from an early age consistently, is the base that you need to be providing right now. With this child that is reading at age 2, so WHAT is he really reading? In order to understand what we read, we need to have an oral language base that allows us to comprehend the words (think about reading in a foreign language - we may be able to say the words because we know the pronunciation, but not have a clue because we don't know what the words mean if we haven't learned them yet!) So, I can't imagine what this two year old is actually reading. Also, just from my limited knowledge from the commercials about this program, it looks like it's heavily based on a "flash card" way of teaching...is that really reading? I would hate for you to burn out your child on reading, just to get him to read early. So, my advice is to TALK, TALK, TALK to your child and spend your money on the fabulous children's literature that is out there. You'll BOTH enjoy that! :)

Hi B. My grandson has been saying is numbers, letters and shapes since he was a little over one years old. He learn plenty from children channels on televison and from books and flash cards. She never use the book but she heard about it and she said it seem that they learn how to read from memory. That like when I started school, I learn from reading Dick and Jane. And it's was just a repeating of the words in the book to get in your long term memory. Your daughter is only a year old but give it a try.

What's the rush. By the time she gets to Kindergarten she will be bored in school. I would just read to her, as that is the best thing you can do for your child. If she picks up some words, then that is great. Just enjoy this time and age with her. I truly miss the younger years with my kids. I miss just going to the park and playing.

Hello B. S:

I have been studying this program for last two year. Just to verify the basics of this program I studied human brain development and came to know how a brain develops and its receptors and nerves keep growing in infancy. I already knew that an infant can learn a few languages at this age perfectly and naturally. I applied the basic rules of this new program for six months on a new born in my care and he did learn words with pictures. I believe in this program very much.
There are several other sites of similar programs on the Internet just the same and cheaper.

You will only gain a lot of advancement in your child's upbringing.

Another very successful program in this connection is teach your child to be goal oriented and out standing, for a life time of success.

For over active children, it is very important that they use their brain to a planned activity even in the early months. You are thinking in the right direction. Just direct his attention to the new objects that he may like to learn about, he will stay busy and make sure his surroundings are child proof.

Good luck and Happy mothering.

FranA

I have worked for over 10 years at a children's specialty bookstore. I have worked with many kids, both advanced readers and reluctant ones. All I can say is that programs like 'Baby Can Read' have NEVER caused any kids I have worked with to be better, happier readers.

My own son is now 10 and is a very advanced reader and started reading in kindergarten. I did not push him to read any earlier than his own development allowed. Why? Your baby is learning so many new things already- motor skills, etc. why would you push your baby to read? So you can tell people your 2 year old is a 'reader'?

I can't tell you how many times we hear that sort of thing "Little Whitney is so advanced! She read all of the Harry Potter books by the time she was 7!" Oh really? Ask yourself- if the child READ that, what did they get OUT of it? The act of physically and mentally learning to read is one thing- enjoying it is another entirely and enjoying it is what will create a lifelong reader with a high skill level.

Please do not make your baby into one of the many bright children we have worked with who see reading as a CHORE- something they just have to do because their mom makes them do it. I know that is not what you are picturing, but I am telling you I have seen this happen many times.

To really do your baby a favor- and yourself!- READ OUT LOUD- and keep doing it!! At about age 2 the launguage centers in the brain are stimulated particularly by rhyming- The Cozy Book by Mary Ann Hoberman is one we read over and over and over and my son recognized huge chunks of it and could recite them aloud with me long before he was physically reading- and loved every minute of it.

Studies have shown than just growing up in a house with reading material- books, newspapers, magazines, anything- creates an environment where kids are more likely to read for pleasure. Reading out loud to children and continuing it after they are able to read on their own is also one of the most positive things you can do to promote your child's literate future. It is the simplest thing, but it works better than anything else!

Hi B.,

I am a former teacher and now a Supervisor with Usborne Books. Usborne Books used to carry this product, so I am familar with it. I have also heard Dr. Bob Titzer, the creator of Your Baby Can Read, speak on 2 occcasions. He does have a lot of "statistics" that his product does work.

I just returned from Usborne Books National convention last weekend and heard Jim Trelease, the author of The Read Aloud Handbook, and his message is very clear. Bottom line...if you READ ALOUD to your children, they will become readers.

My girls were 10 months and 3 years when I started selling Usborne Books. We read constantly with them and books were everywhere in my house! Just the exposure to all these books and our reading aloud to them had both reading before kindergarten. We did not use any special product, just our Usborne Books and the girls reading flourished.

My suggestion, fill your home with books, turn off the tv and snuggle with your kids. Reading books is such a bonding time, too.

If you are interested in learning more about our books or getting books for free or becoming a consultant...let me know! I started with this company 8 years ago just to get the books at a discount for my girls cause we loved them so much!!!!

Happy reading with your little one!!!!!

D.
____@____.com
www.UsborneBooksInfo.com

At 1 yr. my child was totally disinterested in watching video. Depends on your child. I may try and see if he will start watching it now that he has more of an attention span at 1.5 yrs. Video is quite boring.

Flipside here - my dad is getting older and has altzheimer's, wants to be involved with my kids but isn't able. So he bought this for my little guy because he said it made sense. I was like whatever. But to humor my dad I played the tapes once a day. He loves them. I'm not a huge fan of memorizing words, I like phonics but I do like these. They have songs & rhymes & big (absurd words like Rhinocerous) as well as smaller words like dog. My son is 21 mos and says words like "bicycle" (really cute to hear him get excited & say the word!) and LOVES books. I don't know if he would've any way, but he does like the videos. I wouldn't have spent the money for them but I'm not sorry my dad did.

The package came with videos, books & flash cards. I'm not able to spend a ton of time with the other stuff, hope to in the fall, but he is a sharp kiddo so I have no doubt he'll get it.

My only wish is it had more emphasis on what the letters are and the sounds they make. I taught my older kids with phonics and they're both really good and avid readers.

Sorry I'm a little wishy-washy in my opinion on this, but I do hope that helps somehow.

D.

Hi,

I have been reading the posts and find them interesting because there is little mention of research. B., learning is for long term (vs memorizing), and if your child learns in this manner, and that makes learning easier then you have a strong case (through interactive technology) for using the program. Many individuals are confusing the difference between p The program sounds like many of the interventions that are used as children that have not learned to read in the earlier grades through the use of phonics. Phonics and phonemic awareness are being confused in many of the posts. Phonics does not work for every child because not every child's brain processes learning to read by sound-by-sound like "t" in isolation, and through phonemic awarenes which is bringing sound-sound-by-sound to make the word "cat", and that children need explicit instruction (which is what the video does base on the discriptions I have read because I have not seen it myself).

The people that told that children can not learn to read before the age or discuouraging you from doing this are not accurate either because the reasearch clearly states that reading is not developmental (Cunnigham). I have been coaching teachers for the past two years on how to implement best practices in for literacy instruction. I have also had significant success on assessments with my own student's that were primarily ELL and Learning Challenged in a mainstream classroom in an urban district. The person that was most on base was the person that works for the book company. The more kids read the better off they are because the are exposed many words and vocabulary (this will help with spelling too).

If the child is board in Kindergarten that is a teacher issue, this is one of the areas I coached teachers on how to tier reading in a classroom (teachers are and will be chanaging this practice because it is federal and state law that no child will be left behind-teachers are aware of the term RtI).

As for the confusing the child, just because the teacher thinks the student needs is not always what they really need becasue there is no assessment used to determin this in the classroom (teachers are teaching based on what they think the students should know rather than what they actually know). My daughter reads at a fourth/fifth grade level and she is going in to 2nd grade. She has been reading since she was 3. However, she was speaking in complete sentences by age one, and indentifying letters between 12-18 mos. My two year old knows all of her letters, and knows sounds of most. We read tons!! We practice reading skills while reading and in the bath tub (with the foam letters). Both love reading! We read there favorite books over and over (because reading is about them not me). I am not bragging merely providing you examples of how we used play and what we do in our home that now I have early readers that love it! I would ask yourself this if my child would learn or connect to reading by using video? Then go for it! If your child has the motivation (atteniton span for what what ever engagement they will learn by learning it in that manner)? Then do it!

Reading is brain training and the more they practice the skills and apply it to books then the better off the will be in other areas of life(learning other content matter and problem solving). The earlier the child learns the basics the better off they will be to learn the higher level learning that requires crtical thinking such as problem solving. I have spent a many hours observing instruction, and reading in schools in not about what the children love to read or be in engaged what skill the child has already learned (teachers...just think about this). Here is an assesment you can use to see what the child has learned from CORE (the Consortium On Reading Excellenc). I have done much reading/literacy training through them :Read this website:http://www.scholastic.com/dodea/Module_2/resources/dodea_.... If you want to see how your child is doing this a phonics survey. My one suggestion is just to make sure that children stay connected to reading through personal love for what they are reading. Here is a site with good reasearch and information that I believe you will find interesting.

http://www.earlyliterature.ecsd.net/phonemic%20phonic%20a...

L.

We bought it and we love it. Both our 3 year old and 1 year old love the songs on it too. I don't see anything wrong with a little positive stimulation. Granted, most kids won't come out of the program reading Moby Dick, but it helps with word recognition.

I don't agree with most of the other posters.....it's not a matter of rushing or pushing but just exposing them to something that they may be interested in. Just giving them the opportunity to read and to encourage them to try different things. If your baby reads at an early age what harm can it really do? Unless you are really pushing them and they don't want to. Especially if they are excited about it and want to impress you with what they have learned. I just don't believe in sitting them in front of the tv and walking away while the video is playing, but if you are sitting with your baby why can't you cuddle and play with them and involve the video also. It will benefit them in school and might make things a bit easier to grasp. Just my thought.

I was interested in it too. My husband found some reviews on line and were pretty close to your other posts. We decided against it because it seems to focus on word recognition and not phonics.
After some more thought, I figured what's the rush. They are growing so fast. There is plenty of time to read, that's what school is for. My husband thought since phonics were not involved it might make "relearning" to read more difficult when he does go to school.
There are plenty of sing a long videos that are much cheaper.

Good luck.

I see you've chosen not to get the program, and I am glad! We were surprised and fascinated by this program too, so I looked into it further. It seemed to me that just going by the commercials and the "proof" on the website, the babies and children have only memorized certain words and phrases, but have not obtained the skills to truly read. Meaning if they are shown different words, they wouldn't be able to say what they are. This isn't really "reading" in my opinion, just identification, like with shapes or animals. My son knew all the letters and numbers by the time he was 18 months old, and even schoolteacher friends said that was "reading," but I only saw it as shape identification. He just turned 2 and now is stringing letters together and learning phonics, and can count up to 15 (20 on a good day) actual objects without seeing the numbers. Now I can say he's reading. And these are things he did on his own! Granted, once we realized he knew a few letters and numbers at around 15 months we definitely started working with him, but we don't push it or drill it into his head, which is what I think one would have to do with the "Your Baby Can Read" program.
The older children in the commercial are "reading" passages from books, but with a lot of emotion and inflection, which shows they are already very familiar with that passage. Otherwise it would be pretty monotone at the initial reading!

Just encourage your child to learn the letters and numbers, and the rest will come naturally!

I have a 10 month old and my husband and I purchased this off of craigslist and we have been using it since she was 8 months old and I can't get her to pay attention to it long enough for it to really work. Her attention span is not there and I have tried to have it on when she has her morning bottle and still she really doesn't want to watch it. I am hoping that when she is older maybe it will work but for right now I don't really see it working. she would rather play and that is fine with me.