Gene Said:

What do you think about "Your baby can read" books/cds?

We Answered:

Save your money and get a library card.

I have not met one child genius yet who was a genius because they watched those videos.

Kathryn Said:

Does anyone know if those "teach your baby/ toddler to read" programs work?

We Answered:

Yes, at least one works. The cost is $15 for a book and a few paper supplies.

I was looking for fun games to play with kids in the summer and stumbled accross this reading program. I am currently testing it out and I lOVE it. It has 32 steps to arrive at a grade 1.1 reading level, and then 42 additional steps. My 5 year old completed the 32 steps easily in 18 days because she knew the letters and sounds already and it was mostly remedial work. The results with her have been astounding!!! I started my 3 year 11 month old son the same time and in 18 days he is on step 10 and writing and reading words! I have taught the kids that came to play too because it is so fun and every kid I've tried it on loves it, one is even severely speech delayed and learning easily. My kids loved this "game" which they called "blocks" so much they asked to play first thing in the morning, after lunch, and as I tucked them into bed. I actually had to start limiting how much time they worked on reading because it was out of control.

I am CONVINCED this method would work beautifully for a two to three year old as well, just like it claims. I have a baby and when I'm done teaching her shapes and animal sounds, whatever age that may be, I think she will be ready to learn to read, the method says it takes about a year for a two year old. I totally believe it. I recommend only the book I have reference below, there are A LOT of books that say "teach your child to read" or "phonics" that aren't this easy or are not phonics.

For contrast, I spent all of April and May trying to teach my 3 year old son letters of the alphabet for about 15 minutes a day, in all that time he learned one letter:(

My daughter had been "trying" to learn to read by practicing kindergarten level pre-readers off and on for all of last school year with NO success. She guessed and read backward, she hid books, whenever she asked me to help her read it always turned into a battle because she found it so frustrating, it was sad and depressing.

Me, I was at the bottom of my class learning how to read in the first grade, I took a remedial class using the same method I am using on my kids right now during the summer and was the top reader in my class for the rest of my school experience.

Julia Said:

What are your opinions of teaching your baby how to read as early as 3 months old?

We Answered:

No.
My kids will learn to read like kids have learned to read for centuries.
By picking up books, by being read to and asking for help, and when they need to, when it's useful to them as a tool for understanding their world or accomplishing some end.

It's so sad. People are forcing school and school-related things on kids so early now.
There's no need for it. Just let them be kids!

Shane Said:

is the teach your baby to read program effective?

We Answered:

Yes, but it is very superficial.

Have you seen this little 18 month old girl on Oprah who recognises over 100 countries all over the world? She can't speak well, she can't read and she doesn't even know her alphabet, but she can recognise countries? How is this possible?

I have done some of that with my 5 kids and is so much fun. It is only site reading though. Think with me for a moment, "True reading is in the phonics (sound) of the word". For example, a pathologist may use a list of words that are not REAL words to help young children with reading impairments or difficulties in uderstanding the basic phonics of vowel combinations. For example: DAT, LAT, WAT or TOAG, DOAN, POAN or maybe even TOAGAT, POANAT This technique is used by many therapists and Pre-K to 1st teachers.

A baby can't learn this and it is far too complicated. A baby who could learn to site read, however, but would not only have a difficult time with practice words (the fake words that are given to confirm understanding) but would not be able to sound out any compound and/or more complicated words. Neither would a baby be able to gather meaning from sentence structure. But, almost any baby can learn to site read and remember the shapes of the words and site reading is very similar to sign language which a baby can also use and understand. The benefit to site reading and signing for babies is that it gives them an avenue of communication and will most likely cut down on the emotional expressiveness. But, I'm not sure that a baby would point out the picture of an apple every time he/she wanted one. If you are looking for an avenue of communication, signing for babies is much more practical. If you are looking to inspire your baby's brain, skipping the phonics of reading may not be what you want to do. Inquire into the special education in your local school district for more answers.

Amost every school in America teaches site reading in K-3 grades. It is very effective. For a baby to learn this would be fun and may minimize some tantrums, but is only one aspect of reading that is comprehesiable for a child of that age.

Google "site reading" and you will gather a real understanding of what I am speaking.

-Mom of 5 (two with autism and 3 who are gifted)

Deborah Said:

Has anyone used the "Teach Your Baby to Read" program?

We Answered:

The concept is good, but your child will learn better with flashcards, not watching the TV screen.

My mom taught my sister to read when she was 2 using flashcards. We're teaching my daughter, who is 4, to read using flashcards as well. She's up to about 25 words now.

I have the Teach your Baby to Read program. It comes with a few flashcards, and it comes with a small dry erase board. That's what we use every night to go over her words. Its much easier than writing out and storing actual flashcards. We keep a list in a notebook of words we've introduced to her.