Your Baby Can Read!

Brett's Honey · 03-16-2009, 02:47 PM

Has anyone watched these infomercials or tried the program? I keep seeing middle of the night infomercials showing how babies learn at an astonishing rate between the ages of birth to 5 yrs. After watching fun videos with the words, sounds, & flashcards, babies even around 5 months old are reading flash cards that are not super easy, and they have not just memorized the order of them. I HAVE to get this for my 9 mo old grandson and try it. I'll submit feedback, but would love to hear from anyone who's tried it. Thanks!!

Flint · 03-16-2009, 02:49 PM

Haven't see it, but with flashcards wouldn't they just be memorizing which symbols represent which sounds and/or meanings?

That being said, I'm a huge proponent of teaching sign language to babies. And...I'm not sure at the moment what's different about that...

Nevermind...I guess I'm just thinking out loud...

dar512 · 03-16-2009, 02:57 PM

The best way to teach your child to read is to read to them - a lot.

I can highly recommend The Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease. It has some excellent suggestions.

We read to our kids until seventh or eighth grade (a kid's aural vocabulary is always more advanced than their reading vocabulary).

I'm firmly convinced that reading to our kids regularly was one of the two best decisions we made as parents. (The other was no tv on school nights)

Clodfobble · 03-16-2009, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brett's Honey

I HAVE to get this for my 9 mo old grandson and try it.

Just remember, if he's busy learning to read, then he's not busy learning something else. Don't underestimate the importance of learning things like how to play, facial expressions, emotions... all those things that little babies are learning without our necessarily thinking about it.

Flint · 03-16-2009, 03:07 PM

Yes, there are other important things to guide them through, like how to make jokes. The basic proto-joke is to take something which is not a hat and put it on your head. This actually encapsulates the concept of humor as a juxtaposition of unlike elements. . . . Both of my kids kill with this one.

dar512 · 03-16-2009, 03:24 PM

Flint - From this and other posts, I'd guess you are a great dad.

Flint · 03-16-2009, 03:25 PM

ha ha, thanks. it's a long-running science experiment

03-16-2009, 03:37 PM

I think that kids want to do what they see their parents doing... I hate reading aloud (not fond of talking in general, probably a side-effect of having had chronic severe tonsillitis for over 15 years) and read to my kids the bare minimum I could get away with. However, I am a voracious reader, and all three of my children learned to read between five and six, read constantly (keeping them in books can be challenging), and the older two are both in the 99th percentile for reading.

lumberjim · 03-16-2009, 05:38 PM

I read aloud to spencer every night until he was 4....until I fell asleep. At 3.5ish he decided he wanted to learn read because he wanted to play video games. From the time he decided he wanted to, it only took him .....maybe 5-6 months to be reading for real. Ripley turned the corner real quick when she wanted to, too. it's about them wanting to, totally.

ZenGum · 03-16-2009, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flint

ha ha, thanks. it's a long-running science experiment

So, who is the control group? One you have locked in the cupboard under the stairs, hmmm?

monster · 03-16-2009, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brett's Honey

Has anyone watched these infomercials or tried the program? I keep seeing middle of the night infomercials showing how babies learn at an astonishing rate between the ages of birth to 5 yrs. After watching fun videos with the words, sounds, & flashcards, babies even around 5 months old are reading flash cards that are not super easy, and they have not just memorized the order of them. I HAVE to get this for my 9 mo old grandson and try it. I'll submit feedback, but would love to hear from anyone who's tried it. Thanks!!

Why would you want to do this? it's equally possible you could turn him totally against reading and into a viedo-watching vegetable. Also remember he's not your baby. Maybe his parents have other ideas.

jinx · 03-16-2009, 08:09 PM

Impress your friends!

Beestie · 03-16-2009, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brett's Honey

Has anyone watched these infomercials or tried the program? I keep seeing middle of the night infomercials...

I don't want to knock the idea but middle-of-the-night infomercial products don't exactly have a prime-time reputation for forthrightness, accuracy and quality. If it was as good as the pitchman says it is, then you probably would have heard about it somewhere else.

Ask some kindergarten teachers at the local school what they think about it.

And, monster's point is well-taken: don't give a gift that creates an obligation or guilt.

And not that this has a whole lot to do with it - I'm not even entirely sure why I'm asking - but you wouldn't be your grandson's grandmother on his father's side would you?

classicman · 03-16-2009, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beestie

I'm not even entirely sure why I'm asking - but you wouldn't be your grandson's grandmother on his father's side would you?

lol - spit worthy!

lumberjim · 03-16-2009, 11:33 PM

spit worthy? is that like sponge worthy?

03-16-2009, 02:47 PM	#1
Brett's Honey whatever Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 308	Your Baby Can Read! Has anyone watched these infomercials or tried the program? I keep seeing middle of the night infomercials showing how babies learn at an astonishing rate between the ages of birth to 5 yrs. After watching fun videos with the words, sounds, & flashcards, babies even around 5 months old are reading flash cards that are not super easy, and they have not just memorized the order of them. I HAVE to get this for my 9 mo old grandson and try it. I'll submit feedback, but would love to hear from anyone who's tried it. Thanks!!

03-16-2009, 02:49 PM	#2
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	Haven't see it, but with flashcards wouldn't they just be memorizing which symbols represent which sounds and/or meanings? That being said, I'm a huge proponent of teaching sign language to babies. And...I'm not sure at the moment what's different about that... Nevermind...I guess I'm just thinking out loud... __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

03-16-2009, 02:57 PM	#3
dar512 dar512 is now Pete Zicato Join Date: May 2003 Location: Chicago suburb Posts: 4,968	The best way to teach your child to read is to read to them - a lot. I can highly recommend The Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease. It has some excellent suggestions. We read to our kids until seventh or eighth grade (a kid's aural vocabulary is always more advanced than their reading vocabulary). I'm firmly convinced that reading to our kids regularly was one of the two best decisions we made as parents. (The other was no tv on school nights) __________________ "Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain." -- Friedrich Schiller

03-16-2009, 03:07 PM	#5
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	Yes, there are other important things to guide them through, like how to make jokes. The basic proto-joke is to take something which is not a hat and put it on your head. This actually encapsulates the concept of humor as a juxtaposition of unlike elements. . . . Both of my kids kill with this one. __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

03-16-2009, 03:24 PM	#6
dar512 dar512 is now Pete Zicato Join Date: May 2003 Location: Chicago suburb Posts: 4,968	Flint - From this and other posts, I'd guess you are a great dad. __________________ "Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain." -- Friedrich Schiller

03-16-2009, 03:25 PM	#7
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	ha ha, thanks. it's a long-running science experiment __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

03-16-2009, 03:37 PM	#8
Tiki Guest Posts: n/a	I think that kids want to do what they see their parents doing... I hate reading aloud (not fond of talking in general, probably a side-effect of having had chronic severe tonsillitis for over 15 years) and read to my kids the bare minimum I could get away with. However, I am a voracious reader, and all three of my children learned to read between five and six, read constantly (keeping them in books can be challenging), and the older two are both in the 99th percentile for reading.

03-16-2009, 05:38 PM	#9
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	I read aloud to spencer every night until he was 4....until I fell asleep. At 3.5ish he decided he wanted to learn read because he wanted to play video games. From the time he decided he wanted to, it only took him .....maybe 5-6 months to be reading for real. Ripley turned the corner real quick when she wanted to, too. it's about them wanting to, totally. __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

03-16-2009, 08:09 PM	#12
jinx Come on, cat. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: general vicinity of Philadelphia area Posts: 7,013	Impress your friends! __________________ Crying won't help you, praying won't do you no good.

03-16-2009, 11:33 PM	#15
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	spit worthy? is that like sponge worthy? __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

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