"Your Baby Can Read"

[SWA]

"Your Baby Can Read"...has anyone tried this program? I would love to hear any pros and cons of your experiences, please share.

 

[CharlesFamily]

I haven't tried it, nor have I ever seen it. HOWEVER, as an Early Childhood Intervention Specialist, I would have to say it is pretty much a crock. From the commercials, this is my interpretation. The babies are "reading" in that they have memorized the shape of the word to match the stimuli picture that is presented. My guess would be that if you presented the word written in a different format, you would not get that response.

Now, I may be wrong, but I have taught a lot of kids to read - and this is not how you go about doing it. Reading is such an abstract concept. At the age of the kids shown on this video, children are just learning about spoken language, and understanding that concept. To understand that verbal language corresponds with marks on a page that can be copied to produce words that can then be read again - well, that is what reading is in a nutshell and NOT what these babies are doing.

Of course, spending that much time working with your child is going to be beneficial. But don't pay money for this program! You can accomplish the same thing, and probably better by just READING every day to your child. Promote a lifelong love of reading and learning and they will be much better off!

Barbara

 

[~Lisa~]

I have not seen it in person or used it but does look interesting. I do believe that babies are more capable of learning then we think.

 

[sdmini]

I've looked into several series and agree this one is more of a memorization practice rather than reading.

 

[miniwhinny]

I saw a scientific review of one of these programs just a week or two ago. It might not have been this actual one but the same principle. Results = did not work at all.

 

[susanne]

Why not spend that same amount of time reading to the baby?

A mechanical exercise that teaches reading through memorization does little to instill a love of reading.

My parents read to all six of us kids every night for at least an hour. As the fifth child, I'm sure I was listening from within the womb, becoming thoroughly addicted to reading from the get-go. They also read constantly for their own pleasure, and our living room was a library, wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling books. Reading was never work, but a never-ending pleasure.

 

[Aristocratic Minis]

There have been a number of early reading programs over the years. I think the best ones are ones which have parent/child interaction rather than putting the child in front of a TV.

I agree, as an old elementary school teacher, that reading to your child is the most important thing a parent can do to help your child. Different kinds of reading - rhyming books, colorful books, books appropriate for the age. Books about animals and the different sounds they make are appealing to small children.

The way you read, the animation of your voice, the cadence of the language, the pauses to point to pictures, pauses to ask for input from your child - all of these are important. It is certainly the interaction between the reader and the child which stimulates the interest and the love of reading.

Some of the programs that you see promoted on TV serve as a babysitter for children. Plop your child in front of the TV in hopes your child can learn while you clean or cook.

There may be some programs which will help a child, but I think a real, nurturing person can do more to inspire and instill a love for reading and learning.

 

[SWA]

Thanks so much for everyone's helpful insight. This was in question for my grandson, LOL. Actually, we already do read to him every day, and I also do little "puppet shows" for him too for some extra special "Grandma Time" with him, LOL. He is always just so amazingly comprehensive and perceptive, and he's only a year old. I was just inquiring about this program to help as an "aid" for "teaching", as I am not a teacher, and don't know how to help him learn to read. I just see him get so excited when we do read to him, he loves the colorful pictures and very perceptively follows along with the stories through them.

Will go ahead and just "keep reading" as we have been, and let him just continued to pick things up on his own, as we go along.

Thanks again so much for all your helpful comments.

 

[crponies]

Something that you could do super easy without any gadgets or special programs is just work with him on letter recognition and start teaching him the sounds of the letters. That would be the best thing you could do honestly besides just reading to him as you are already doing.

 

[Miniv]

I agree with the others.......

I began reading to Brianna when she was an infant and by the time she was about a year old I was pointing to the words as I said them. Since she was an only child, we started her in pre-school very young and she started reading on her own very quickly........ I remember her teacher asking me if I had been reading to her at night. She said she could usually tell the difference with her students when the parents were readers.

 

[Reijel's Mom]

I'm glad you asked this question, I wondered myself!