Discussion thread for "Your Baby Can Read"

[abond0017]

I saw this advertised on tv and thought it was amazing if it really could work for anyone.
Has anyone here tried it for their baby?
It is a bit expensive but I think it would be awesome to have my baby (when I have one) read at 18 months old....that is just so young and such a good start for their future.

www.yourbabycanread.tv

[frogmama]

I saw a news special on a kid who could read that was 2. The reporter would flip a page in the paper and the girl would read it or she'd write it on a piece of paper and the kid would read it.

Be careful what you wish for though! I have an early reader and DH and I couldn't spell aNYTHING to eachother by the time she was 4! And then there's the things that at 3 you dont wANT them to know how to read (IE newspaper articles, christmas lists). And it was very challenging finding a school for her that would challenge her in reading when all her kind. classmates were just learning. Its been nice to be able to write a note to her or something, but its hard to keep her in line socially and academically at the same time with her peers.

[MrsPinecone]

OK, I am en ex-English teacher and have very strong feelings on topics of this kind.

PLEASE, do not push your kid by using any of the programs like this. Let them learn to read when it's time to learn to read-- 18 months is NOT the time. Kids who are pushed into learning before their time can and do burn out. By the time they get to this stuff in school, they are worn out and not interested in learning. It makes school a terrible chore instead of a place that they want to go.

It's not a good start to their future. It's turning your kid into a performing monkey. If they are interested, and learn to read BY THEMSELVES before kindergarten, great. Fabulous. Encourage the joy of learning.

But as the pp said, it can make school very hard to deal with, and create issues both academically and socially.

They are babies for such a short time. Don't make them grow up before it's time.

[abond0017]

I appreciate both of your input. I hadnt thought of it exactly that way. I went back to the site and read more and realized it didnt seem right to actually "teach" a toddler as strictly as they ask, but I didnt think about future problems as a reason why.

I just thought it would be wonderful to have a way to stimulate their brain even more when it is in its prime of learning, but this program seems to go overboard with that idea. Maybe Ill just do some DVD's like these occaisionally and then the rest will be taken care of by reading to them and through playing.

I am just trying to plan to give them all the benifits I can when it comes time for me to be a mom. I hate all of the stories about how poorly kids are learning and being taught these days...especially reading. Its horrible.

I guess the old saying still reigns true....if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.

Thanks again!

[austinmomto2]

Our daughter showed an interest in reading before the age of 1. She was talking by 6 months, recognized many words and speaking in sentences by age 9 months. We talked with her pediatrician regarding her intelligence and her pediatrician actually encouraged us to use learning tools like Your Baby Can Read to help foster her love of learning. We let her watch the videos occasionally and sat down with flash cards with her because she "wanted" to. When she would show disinterest due to her attentions span at the time, we would stop. I think it helped expand her vocabulary and it kept her challenged. Her doctors all said she will constantly need to be intellectually challenged or else she will become bored with learning and school. Both my DH and I are like this and we definitely agree with the doctor. My daughter is 4 now and can spell and is already reading some books. My DH and I are looking into placing her into a gifted academy in our area.

My advice is to go with the cues your child gives you. If they show an interest, then go with it. If not, no need to push. Case in point, we now have a 17 month old son who has no interest in his books. He'd rather build, crash and climb. We don't push the books and learning videos. We take a few board books out before nap and bedtime and if he gets bored after a few pages then we quit.

[frogmama]

abond - I completely relate to you. I always made sure my DD was challenged (in age apropriate ways) if she wanted to be. I wanted her to have all the opportunities. i watched her diet very carefully, both when I was prego and when she was a baby, and still try to. I dont think I have any regrets because I never pushed anything on her. I made sure I got books on subjects she was interested in and at her level. I read to her whenever she asked me to, pretty much. She has a natural love for reading, but we gave her the "tools" to thrive if she wanted to.

She met all the requirements academically by summer of 2007. She was 4 3/4, so still couldnt go. Now i see the social difference between a 5 and 4 year old that I didn't see then. Because of her advancement, we have thought about homeschool. I hope and pray she doesnt get burnout. Fortunately, we have a montessori charter school here that she is going to, so she can learn at her own pace. The whole Montessori thing is a whole other topic, though!... I guess I am just re-iterating the pp and what I said - they'll learn when they are ready, just have appropriate toys/books/activities around. Your sincere care for doing the best for your future children really shines out and no doubt you'll be a very good mother because of if. Best of luck!

[rmtrivas21]

My dd in Kindergarten could read at almost 2nd grade level. She is now in 1st grade, and I don't know what her reading level is, but at our teacher/parent meeting, her teacher told us we need to slow her down on her reading, because she is too far ahead of her class. That was kind of odd to hear, because how are we supposed to slow her down? We don't force her to read, she loves it, we've always have read her a bed time story, and then she'll stay up and read a couple of books before she goes to sleep. She is pretty much on level with everything else compared to her classmates, so it was weird to be told to slow down.

So, I guess you could have problems in with school later on, but if your child is interested in reading, don't hold him back either. Just follow his cues, and interest. But personally I wouldn't waste my money on some program, just stick with the old fashion way of sitting down with a book.

[JGMOMMY]

I recently saw this on the Doctors TV show. Talking about this program that teaches your baby to read, they start as early as 3 months. it looks convincing. but I am not sure if I am just falling for it because I want what is best for my DD. Has anyone tried this or know of anyone who has it.... let me know if I haven't provided enough information. I just don't want to blow 200 dollars, if it works then it is worth it to me. thanks

[austinmomto2]

Originally Posted by JGMOMMY I recently saw this on the Doctors TV show. Talking about this program that teaches your baby to read, they start as early as 3 months. it looks convincing. but I am not sure if I am just falling for it because I want what is best for my DD. Has anyone tried this or know of anyone who has it.... let me know if I haven't provided enough information. I just don't want to blow 200 dollars, if it works then it is worth it to me. thanks

See my post (post #5). I have tried it for my DD (who is now 4 and can read and loves reading). We started this well before she was 1. Sghe really enjoyed it bit I think it depends on your child and where their interest lies. My DD starting talking at a very early age-6 months- and was talking in sentences and recognizing words in books, signs etc before 1.

[newatthis]

My m-i-l got this program for my dd for her 1st bday. We just slip a new book from the pack into her book basket every now and then and she looks at them as much as the other books she has. When I taught kindergarten, there was a little girl in the class next to me that read on a 2nd grade level and lots of times she was bored in the class. That is my only concern with them reading early. This would be great for home schooled children. I just know that even as much as the teacher next to my room tried to keep the little girl challenged, there were sometimes that she had to work at the other children's level, so it was kind of frustrating for her. I've not opened the dvd's or the flash cards, so I can't comment yet on those. I just let her enjoy the books.