Anyone Tried "Your Baby Can Read"?

I too was hooked by the infomercial. I went online and ordered a package that was about $150.00 - not quite as costly as the TV promo. I have bought the supplemental sliding flashcards as we have progressed from video to video.

I started it when my daughter was maybe 9 months old - she hadn't really ever watched TV prior and really enjoyed the started video. Be warned, the production quality is not fantastic but that really doesn't matter to a young child. They love seeing the animals, other babies/kids... My daughter is now almost 15 months and we are on the 3rd video in the set. I do it for her for two reasons mainly (1) because it buys me time while making her lunch/dinner and (2) she loves it- especially the songs & animals. As far as results, she is able to recognize many of the basic words before they are announced out loud (clap, feet, toes, head, ...) I am able to write words on a wipe-board flashcard and she will either do an action to show me she knows the word or say the word.

I also am a huge fan of the supplements that come with the set - but like another poster said, they are not toddler proof (the sliding flashcards are easily bent/broken). My daughter loves simple first word style books and so we spend a lot of time each day reading those books and also have textured puzzle flashcards from onestepahead.com that she loves.

Sooo, bottom line, if you are looking for something to occupy the curiosity in your child the system is a winner (although, like others mentioned you run a risk that if your daughter is used to regular cartoons/disney channel stuff this may not capture her attention long enough)- will it teach her to read? I am not sure about that.

I ordered "Your Baby Can Read" a few weeks ago. First of all it's VERY expensive ($200). I bought it on a whim and my husband thought I was nuts:-) We have played the starter video a few times, but honestly it's hard to get my 14 month old daughter to sit still and actually watch it (unless she is tired). I do however, really like the books and cards that came with it. We try to look at them every night, and she seems to really like them, and even if she's not reading yet it's still helping her learn new words for objects. So overall, I'm not sure if the program is worth $200, but we decided to keep it simply because all of the materials are educational and will be useful to our daughter at least until pre-school or kindergarten.

Never heard of it. But if your daughter knows that much already, just keep reading to her -- alphabet books, especially! -- and give her alphabet puzzles and magnets, too.

My son knew all the letters at 2, and all the sounds at 3, and he learned how to read (more or less on his own) at 4.

Enjoy!

Your daughter is similar to my 2 1/2 year old when she was younger. Currently, she knows all of her phonics that go with the letters and can "read" words that are important to her, such as "Dora, Barney, ect. She is on the cusp of reading! We encourage her by providing educational toys, such as the Leap Frog magnetic letters. Christmas, she received the Leap Frog Word Whammer are really enjoys putting together the letters to make words!

I have consulted with other parents of gifted children and asked if I should provide more "formal" training, such as the program you are looking into. I was told by many parents of gifted children that the best thing was to provide educational experience, such as toys and books, and let the child be your guide. Each child develops different and sporatically - meaning that for a period of time you may not see growth, then suddenly, she has picked up a book and is pointing out words. She will show you when she is ready to learn how to read.

Introduce www.starfall.com to your little one. My daughter constantly asks for "letters on 'puter".

Also visit the website for Dr. Ruf at educationaloptions.com

Google gifted toddlers and/or visit the website for MCGT (Minnesota Council on Gifted and Talented).

S.,
My daughter is 17 months old. We are currently using the program. The books it comes with are my daughter's favorites. That is saying a lot as she has a whole bookcase to choose from. We show her a video every morning while she eats breakfast. She is already starting to recognize words. We started the program just before Christmas. The videos are full of songs, kids, and animals, so it holds her attention. Even if it never does what it promises, I feel it has been worthwhile as she really enjoys the program. She carries the flashcards around with her. The only thing I have been disappointed with is that my daughter has been able to rip the pages in the books, and wreck the flash cards. We have found she is not always able to have unsupervised time without doing damage (like you can with board books). I wish I could tell you more about results, but I think it is too early to tell. Good luck.
Tess

My babysitter used it with her oldest. He is now in 2nd grade and loves to read. She said it seemed to work for him. She has played it from time to time for my little girl, but not consistently. I think it is the repetition that helps. Best of luck to you with your daughter!