Infant Your Baby Can Read - Tulsa, OK

I know you were looking for others who have used that program, but my experience may help you anyways.

My daughter has been watching the Signing Time! series since before she was a year old. At first, she would watch & seemed to be trying to do the signs along with the videos. But now, even if I buy her a new one, she doesn't do anything along with the show, she just watches. And she may not always sit and watch the whole show through, but she always asks to repeat shows she's watching, so she eventually sees every piece.

Then, when she's not watching the videos, I have caught my daughter doing signs from the new videos that I hadn't seen her do before. So, even though she doesn't actively participate or even watch the whole thing closely, she was learning the signs!

She will be 3 years old next month and I couldn't even tell you how many signs she knows!

So I guess my advice is, let her watch (or not watch) the videos, but don't push too hard. The more she watches, the more she will learn.

You've already heard from some skeptical folks, but I'm adding my 2 cents. I've read several books that make a very persuasive case for allowing kids to learn at their own pace. When a child is ready to read, they'll read, and trying to jump the gun can lead to early burn out. The way to get a kid to love to read is to read to them, at least 30 minutes a day, and to always have interesting books around, and to let them see you reading books you enjoy. Don't make reading "goal oriented" ("you will read by X age) but something you do for fun or to learn something new (like "I don't know, let's look it up so we'll know!").

The books I've read include "Einstein Never Used Flash Cards" - highly recommended - and "Making the 'Terrible' Twos Terrific!" and "Failure to Connect" (which is about computer use among young children).

I started reading at age 3, and not because my mom did any special program. We always had books around the house, and she and my dad read to us a lot, and I remember my mom always being in the middle of at least one book or magazine at any time. We also had World Book encyclopedias and I loved looking at all the pictures. My husband didn't learn to read until he was 7, but once it clicked, he was reading at an 8th grade level.

I'd recommend checking out the books I mentioned, but especially the Einstein book, because it's a summary of the most current research in child development and makes a very persuasive case for free-form play as the best developmental activity for a child, which is backed up by the other books. :)

I currently use this program in my small Christian private school along with our core curriculum. I have found that even at 3 yrs old some of the children would rather play while watching instead of just watching it. Do not be dismayed as your child will still learn from the program. With the first student at 3 and a half yrs old she was reading a few words after the first few times watching the introductory video. I remained consistant with her and the program as well as our core curriculum and at 4 yrs old now (her bday was in October) she is able to read most of the words on the introductory video and the proceeding videos. In addition to this program this student has also learned her letter sounds from our core curriculum and guidence from me as to how to put the sounds together phonetically to read. She now can read just about any two or three letter word I put in front of her. Our next step is blending sounds. I also have another student that started this program at the beginning of December when he first started attending my school. He won't turn four until March, but is already reading a handful of words from the video. Just don't give up, it really does work!! I only wish I had access to this program when my children were babies, although I had them both reading at 3 & 4 yrs old as well.

R.,

Please let me know what kind of responses you get from this. My son is 21 months old and my mother is just dying to buy this for him!

Thank you,

L.

Just to encourage you - your sweetie IS learning! At this age very few children can actually truly read unless they are just overly exceptional. I honestly don't know much about the Baby Can Read program, but I do know that I have been reading to my children since they were little bitty - even just a little book before bedtime makes a difference. All three of my children have done things like recognize store signs and the specific writing of a company - that is a pre-reading skill and is very significant. Also, as you read the same book over and over again, your daughter will begin to memorize what you're reading, which is a great indicator of brain preparation for reading.

Really and truly, you will see all of this pay off when your daughter is four, five, and six, when the time is appropriate for her to really learn to read. At that point, as phonics blends are explained to her and her brain is mature enough to comprehend the building blocks of words, something will trigger based on all she has been taking in, and reading will become natural to her. It will still take some work, don't get me wrong, but it will definitely begin to click. So, don't give up on teaching her now because that is a huge asset for her learning. But, also don't be discouraged if she doesn't pick up a book and start reading the words.

Oh, and also know that children often learn best when multi-tasking. Listening to a cd while playing is a great learning technique. My two-year-old has been listening to his sisters' geography songs cd's (we homeschool), and although he has no clue that he's singing the continents, oceans, and countries of the world, he definitely knows the words to the songs. One day when I am teaching him the same geography lessons, those songs are going to come back to him, and it's all going to click..."Oh, THAT'S what that was!"

Hope that encourages you to keep going, to expect great things, but to realize those things will come at the appropriate age.

Remember, the results shown on the tv commercial don't show the entire learning process. It just focuses on selling the product.

Your baby is learning. Play is a process for children to learn. Keep playing the videos and educational programs. One day your child will surprise you with her responses and intelligence!

I usually turn on NOGGIN tv for my granddaughter (almost 3 years old). She absolutely loves the programs and the interactive puzzles in between shows. She never stays still and actually watches the shows, but she has picked up a lot from just hearing. (NOGGIN is an educational preschool channel that tells you what each show is going to teach before the show starts. It's wonderful!)

Just my 2 cents for what it's worth. In college I took an elective called "early childhood development." It had a life changing impact - allow a child to develop at its normal rate. i.e. why does a child at 2 even need to read? There are so many wonderful things developmentally appropriate for your precious daughter to be learning at this age: sharing, talking, building blocks (beginning math), cooperation, jumping/coordination skills, etc. What value will be added to your child's life by having her actually READ at such young age? Read TO HER and model a love for books by reading yourself but don't push it. If she picks up reading on her own, great. My daughter didnt' actually learn to read till 6 1/2, when SHE was ready. She's a VORACIOIUS reader now, at 7 1/2. She's in the 1st grade and is reading chapter books - reading at a 3rd grade level. By trying to get her to read at this young age, she may be missing out on an important developmental milestone that's more appropriate for her age. Just my 2 cents. Take it or leave it! Thanks.

this is just something to consider, i am not trying to discourage you. when your child is old enough to go to school, teachers and schools have different curriculum and different ways of teaching that to your child. be careful not to get you child too far ahead. i have seen children struggle, both socially and academically, because they were advanced beyond their grade level and were taught something one way then had difficulty learning with the rest of the class. just something to think about.

I've heard that your child's response is typical. There aren't a lot of babies who can read. Relax and enjoy your toddler and she will be reading soon enough!