Baby Can Read Infomercial

I HIGHLY recommend reading the book "Einstein Never Used Flashcards". It goes over dozens of scientific tests that prove that the best way for a child to learn is to put them in a room with a few other children and a bunch of open-ended toys (blocks, balls, legos, cars, etc). They will learn problem-solving.

Yes, you can teach your toddler/preschooler to read. HOWEVER... they are simply memorizing at that point. They do not learn to LEARN... and children need to learn how to learn new things. How to experiment. How to come up with ideas and be secure enough to try them. How to not be afraid of failure and simply go on to another idea when the first one (or 2nd or 5th or 10th) doesn't work.

Numerous tests have proved that by age 8 or 9 (basically 3rd grade) all kids are EQUAL. OK... not all... but in 99.9% of the cases, you can't look at reading ability to tell which kid was reading at 2 years old and which one learned in kindergarten. You can tell the difference... but not in a good way. The kids who learned the more traditional way usually scored higher on tests, had more friends, was more socially adjusted and generally more happy. (yes... surveys/tests prove this). In general, the kids who learned how to read at a young age lacked many social skills, didn't have a good imagination and was therefore 'bored' alot because they simply didn't know many different ways to play. Yes, it's a generalization and some kids are great if they learned to ready early... I'm simply saying what numerous studies have shown.

Ask any teacher and they'll tell you the most important things for a child entering kindergarten are things like standing/walking in a line, listening to teachers/adults, being able to deal with separation from the parents for the entire day, getting along and playing well with other children, taking turns, sitting quietly for 10 minutes, raising hands to talk, etc. Notice nothing academic like reading or knowing numbers.

My son went to preschool for a few years. He knew the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they made on his first day of kindergarten. Within 2 months, he was reading chapter books (along with the rest of his class... most of whom couldn't read anything the first day of school, either). If a teacher has a classroom full of children who are socially/emotionally adjusted and mature then they can teach them anything quickly.

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I just want to weigh in. I don't think there is much benefit (other than bragging rights) to children learning to read so early. If they can already read, what will they do in kindergarten? You don't want to make your kid the oddball, even in a good way. That said, I am very proud of my 2 year old who can identify all of her letters, even out of order, so I understand the temptation. I think the best plan is a reading rich environment- letter magnets, books, writing down what your child says, videos (if you are going to let them watch anyway, they might as well be educational)- we like Brainy Baby and Fisher Price, but I think the best we can do is talk, talk, talk all the time about everything, do activities, and take field trips. Make everything a learning experience. I just wouldn't push any one plan or program. Just strive to have a rich, interactive life for your little one.

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I have to say, I see no use in such a program either. I bet it could work, but what's the point? I have a four year old that has been reading for over a year, but not because I taught him. He actually learned just on his own. He started sounding out words right after his third birthday. I have grandparents talk about how they are afraid he'll get bored in kindergarten. I have agreed with them off and on, but the thing is, if a child is interested in learning something, they will. I have even brought other things into my son's life to see if I can avert his attention elsewhere. He really likes to put together puzzles of the USA and knows most of the states and capitals. So, basically, if your child wants to learn something before other kids usually do, he will, don't worry. If not, let him pursue his own interests.

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As a reading specialist,i concur with LB. Watching a video is not going to teach a child to read, I don't care who says it will. Toddlers should "learn" by having stimulating authentic experiences with toys, books, and nature. Don't waste your money, the best way to make your child a proficient early raader (age 4 or 5) is to expose her to books and other print material and TAKE HER AWAY FROM THE TV.

I have no experience with the program, but I wanted to give my two cents about early learning. Toddlers and preschoolers' lives should be filled with hands on sensory experience. Reading is best left until they are seeking it, around 5-8 years old; in other words, when they are in school. You can give exposure to letters and pre-reading skills by reading with your child every day, providing letters, magnetic or otherwise, as toys. Don't push her to "learn" the letters, just have them around for her to manipulate and play with. She'll learn them in time. My daughter's first letter was M when she was about 1 or 2. She is now 4 and can write most letters, and is asking that I spell words for her so she can make the grocery list. I have really tried to refrain from pushing her into reading, to make sure that she doesn't feel pressured. Incedentally, my 2 year old knows all his letters by sight.

There are websites with creative open-ended activities such as http://www.play-activities.com/ Familyfun.com is another site with nice ideas, but most of the ideas are crafts, rather than open-ended play.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents. I think so many kids today are pushed into activities that are developmentally inappropriate for them and they then lose the natural ability to be creative. Then when they get in school, they don't have the ability to think "outside of the box".

I am not familiar with these infomercials but I used a "Teach you baby to read" program with my little ones. I labeled objects around the house, and played memory games with homemade flash cards, and played word recognition games while we read stories together. Two of my children were reading at 3 1/2 years, the third one was reading at 5. They were so interested in everything and reading alone gave them the tools to find out what they wanted to know. And it was fun! You can probably find books about this type of teaching at your public library.

I read early and so then in kindergarten, I went with one other boy to the reading lab twice a week to do more advanced stuff while the other kids learned to read. I didn't feel like an odd ball, I thought it was cool! That said, a year or two later, the other kids caught up with me and we were all on the same page [pun intended;)] If you want to teach your kid to read, pick up a book and read with him. That's all my parents did. Granted, they are both teachers and at the time my mom was teaching at my preschool (opposite of when I went), but I don't think they did anything different than other parents. We read some during the day and every night before bed I got 3 books.
The best way to teach a young child is by example together! I wouldn't waste the money, just go to the library and foster a love of books :)

A word of caution. You should research the counterpoints of trying to advance your childs learning of reading, writing, etc. when they are too small. You have to look ahead and figure out the long term effect. My nephew taught himself to read at age two, but he is unique. While he did get his PhD from MIT this year, he also suffers with a serious, lifelong disease called Chron's disease, which can be manifested from the need to be perfect, or setting unrealistic self-expectations. (Note, these expectations were not from his parents) HIs psychiatrist had to help him to let go and believe that getting a B would not end the world. He began to make friends, do fun things, and found that the B he got mattered to no one. Point is, teaching your child to have fun, if they naturally gravitate toward reading or math or art work don't become obsessed by it, let it happen naturally. Teaching balance, character, love, creativity are just as important.

Hi C.
I would be worried about very young children reading at a 3rd grade level when they should be doing young kids stuff. Doing things early seems to be the rage these days but there are huge consequences for accelerating our kids.

The early years are the foundation of their lives. Play is the biggest job they should be doing. There will be plenty of time to read in the future. Read plenty to your little one. There are plenty of age appropriate activities that will build her in much better ways than being plopped in front of a screen.

Alarm bells would be going off with me with the words Video and young kids. I've not seen the infomercial. There is a lot of research and evidence available, now about the explosion of 'learning toys' and getting children to do things before their appropriate stage. It's truly fascinating and sobering reading. If you're interested try Einstein never used flashcards; What's going on in there? and The read aloud handbook.http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/rah-intro.html

We purchased the DVD's from an authorized reseller on eBay which were of course less expensive than the official website. My son LOVES the DVD's. He would get angry if he couldn't watch them everyday. He can truly read about 30 words. He couldn't talk when we started but he pointed to the body parts and found ways to let us know he knew the words we were writing for him. At this point he can't just sit down and read a book but he does understand what he is seeing and he points out words he knows in his books everyday. We didn't purchase them with the intent to send our son to Harvard or Yale someday but just to help him communicate and better understand his world. We also want him to love reading and learning. We don't pressure him and are slowly introducing new words but we don't force him to watch if he doesn't want to. It really does work and we don't regret purchasing them. I will send you the name of the reseller on private email if you are interested.