Any Mom Use "My Baby Can Read" Program?

Hi,
I'm not a big fan of it. I think he wont be ahead, other kids will catch up in K and 1st grade so it doesn't put them ahead. So the up side is your child reads earlier. I just don't see the push to have kids read so young.

Don't bother.
As a reading teacher the BEST thing you can do is just simply read to your little guy every day. Talk about the pictures. As he gets older use a "reading finger" in other words put your fingers under the words and read exactly what is there. Talk about what you read - don't quiz. Things like, I wonder what will happen next. How do you think the character feels? What was your favorite part? Mine was... No need to buy tons of books, get a library card. He'll ask for favorites, "read" along with you and when you try to skip he'll let you know. Those are the books to invest in. Read the signs in the car, in grocery store. Talk about colors and count together (math) the cheerios on the tray. Ask questions like "I wonder..." No need to spend money and please don't plop him in front of a video., in fact turn the TV OFF. You'll cherish the time spent and he'll reap the rewards in school ten-fold. And remember you are his first and best teacher, he will learn the most important things from you.

Hi Selena!
Good question!

Take this with a grain of salt:
I have a background in child development and am adamantly against these programs. They can stress a baby and actually be detrimental by creating neural pathways (similar to ODing on tv) that aren't supposed to be in place yet. Yes, it sounds enticing and who wouldn't want their baby to achieve? Thing is, that's not the best way to learn for proper brain development. Babies learn and thrive through relationships and loving contact, and exploring their environment. Songs, reading books (the same ones over and over..they love that!), cuddling, not drilling lessons.

If you want to try something really neat with baby, teach him sign language!! Check out www.signingtimes.com and reserve them at your local library. It is amazing to be able to communicate with your baby and have them tell you their needs way before they can talk. They have done studies that show it actually helps them develop their speech earlier (by about one month) and the benefits are plentiful.

Good luck, sweetie, and you are doing a GREAT job!! :)

The special education teacher in me rolls my eyes every time I see the commercial for that product. But I DO see the appeal to parents...who just want the best for their kids.
Developmentally, a baby doesn't need to know how to read...and their brain isn't 'ready' to learn how to read anyway. I hate to see you waste money on a program that *might* set him up to be successful initially...and be ahead of his peers-only to have everyone else catch up when it's developmentally appropriate anyway. If it was something where he would 'get ahead AND stay ahead', I would take it more seriously...but all that's happening is that he *might* develop those skills early...and then be bored in school...eventually everyone else will catch up and that will be that.
I teach learning disabled kids and I also have a Masters in Reading...the best thing you can do for your son is just read to him...look at books with him. Keep books handy and at his level...we have two shelves of board books (and books I don't care if they end up ripped) at my kids' level...they can reach for them on their own and look anytime they want. The nicer books, they are out of reach and those are ones that I make time to sit down and read with them.
I just returned from our local library where they do a Summer Reading Program...at our library, ANY child from birth on up can be signed up. My youngest just turned 1 and I signed her up along with my 4 year old. We go to the library at least 2 times a week all summer, and once a week during the school year. I am not sure where you live but if you are in the Lackawanna County library system, you can sign up for the program online from home...or at your local library. It's a great program and getting your son around books is a huge deal. Kids who have access to books in their world do better when it comes to learn to read in school.
"Bookwalks" before and as you read to him are key...before you actually read the story, go on a picture walk and discuss the pictures, point out things, ask him questions about facial expressions of characters, what colors he sees, etc. Then read the story to him...and he may want you to read it over and over again...this is GOOD...THIS is what helps him learn to read-repeated exposure.
I admire you for seeing the importance in starting early with your son...you can do it without a packaged program and save yourself the money...
And just enjoy him...he's little and he's going to grow up FAST! :)

Absolutely I recommend this product! My son was born 9 weeks early and was behind in everything and barely talkin a few months ago and is almost 2 now. I saw Your Baby can Read on an infomercial and immediately called!! Now all he wants to do is watch "babies" and read the books he talks up a storm now and he understands everything. It has helped him sooooo much!
H.

There was a similar posting last week....look at those responses as well.
Although I have not used this program my thoughts (and response) was:

I tend to agree with the other posters....I'm sure there's nothing "magical" about it. I think your time and energy would be better spent on reading to your son everyday. Use the $$$ you would spend on the program to buy some super books every week this summer. When my son was that age, every night he enjoyed picking 3 books to read and he always added a "bonus book" to the list. They do like to read the same books over and over. Reading to him will teach him LOTS: vocabulary, word order, voice tones, etc. The best thing you can do at this age, IMO, is to instill a love of books and reading in him. Read every day and join your local library, if you haven't already. Point out things to him like street signs, store signs, etc. when you are out and about. They pick it up very quickly. Enjoy!

HI... I bought this program when my son was 10 months olds. i got the main piece to the program (the dvds & the first set of flash cards) from amazon for $60(used - but they looked brand new). My son is now 18 months and he does not read yet, BUT, i also don't do the program exactly how instructed either. he does know all of his body parts, he LOVES animals, and can do the sounds and/or motions for elephant, cat, dog, tiger... and a bunch of other animals and i give a lot of credit to this program. Also, anytime he sees letters (like a word on your shirt for example) he starts to say random letter names and i don't work with him on that more that singing the alphabet. so there is an interest in the written word, and that was my main goal so i'm satisfied with the system.

The tapes are entertaining to him and i like the way they are laid out... they go through a bunch of words, and right when he starts to get distracted, it flips to a song that brings his attention right back to the tv. it looks like they did a lot of research when putting them together (as far as attention span anyway)

i really do think if done correctly, these tapes would give you the results they claim, but i also recommend you buy them at a cheaper price because if you don't use them correctly, it may see like a waste of money. I recieved 5 dvd's and the first pack of flash cards for $60 - so it's $10 a dvd, that's how i justified it. :) (someone on mamasource gave me the same advice and i'm glad i followed that part)

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw_0_12?url=search-alia...

i figured if i liked the first part, i can piece the program together as he progresses since the pieces are sold separtely on amazon.
let me know if you have any other questions about them...
Good luck,
S.
it's incredible to me how many people (specifically the educated reading teachers and pschologist) that put the program down with out even trying it. if nothing else it's great for building vocabulary... good luck with your decision!

I am also a huge fan of the Baby Signing Times DVDs. They so help bridge that gap between wanting to communicate and having the ability to talk, and I think can also stimulate different parts of the brain. I also agree that Your Baby Can Read is not really teaching babies to read, and is based entirely on Whole Language learning, which means the babies are only learning how to recognize those words in the videos-- doesn't help them to sound out new words. That having been said, if you are going to use some TV (like no more than 30 minutes a day) to give you a break (and we all do!), then I think the Your Baby Can Read would be a better choice than, say, cartoons on commercial TV. But please, please don't fall into this trap of "your baby needs to read before he is 4 (or 3),,, Do you really want him getting to kindergarten knowing how to read? Won't he be bored while everyone else catches up?!?

Read with him, and instill a love of books. That's the best thing for you both!

Your baby doesn't need to read.

I am a child therapist and find this kind of stuff appalling, It will not make your baby smarter, only more advanced at kindergarten and then everyone will be equal or up to their level when the time is right. Don't waste your time. Read to your baby and show them that learning is a joy so that school will be fun.

I never used an programs like this. I just read to my kids from the time they were tiny, and by the time they headed for kindergarten, they were pretty advanced...just because of who they are and what they were able to take away from being read to every day. The kindergarten teacher said that it's very clear to her which kids have been read to, which haven't.... So, I would agree with so manyof these responses, most from people with education degrees: just read. My daughter started reading street signs on her own when she was about 3. She was not reading books when she entered kindergarten, but she could read a lot of words on her own. My son had 3 friends who taught themselves to read (and very well) while in preschool, which was amazing. just expose your son to books, and he will move along on his own.