My baby can read

My baby can read...

No not this baby...Although she is recognizing some letters and can count to 10, almost.

This Baby...

Who is soooo not a baby anymore....because he is now 4 and has started preschool....

Practically a man really. A man who drinks chocolate milk and has a stuffed mouse named Moppy.

No.... I didnt use My Baby Can Read.

Look at that baby! With the hat. Guess what kid? You also have to pass college Algebra. Recognizing your toes from a tiger wont get you that far in life! Good luck with that!

I am here today to urge you not to buy into that infomercial. ....The infomercial I would buy into however is that brownie pan that makes the individual brownies so they all have that "corner piece" affect. Thats amazing! Truly. Sign me up!

But back to Your Baby Can Read....I have news for you....this product is really called "My baby can memorize flash cards." Or...it could also be called "TV babysitter." But it really shouldnt be called "your baby can read".

For all of you who are thinking about buying into this program.....I need to share something important to you.....get ready...here it is....

TV time will not make your child a genius.

There I said it. Class dismissed.

.....No wait...come back...I have more to say.

Let me explain...

This program is aimed at getting your child to read by memorization or by sight. Now dont get me wrong. There is something to be said about sight words and visual context clues. Sight words are words children should learn through time and not have to spend time sounding out. Common words found in almost every book out there. www.k12reader.com/dolch-word-list/ (Downloadable lists for those interested)

Visual context clues help a child with difficult words....for example....if you child is reading a book and comes across the sentence "The cowboy rode his horse." And your child says "The cowboy rode his HOUSE."....and there is a bicture of a cowboy...rising a horse...you can point this out..."Is that a house? No a horse." See? Helpful.

However if your child sees a picture of an elephant and the word elephant is written on the page (or flashcard, or screen) and your kids yells ELEPHANT! ...pssstt...he's not reading...he sees an elephant. Thats why he's yelling.

Kids are smart and have the capability of memorizing...however memorizing is not the same as reading and take that same word out of the flashcard or screen and without a picture...can your kid read "The ELEPHANT was too sad and lonely to perform his circus trick?" Im going to guess no.

Look Im not trying to come down on any of you "My Baby can Read is the best thing since the brownie pan infomercial!!" people. I just ask you, if this is such a phenomena...such an amazing system, why isnt it in every preschool in America? Recommended by teachers? Why isnt illiteracy a thing of the past?

Why if only these people had a TV...then they could read!!( Is it me or is there something wrong with that?)

If you are really looking to get your child reading. Start him with phonics. Letter sounds. Blends...that sort of thing. Leapfrog has asome great fridge toys that use magnet letters and the sounds they make. Most the time they make a "clatter clatter" sound when they hit the tile floor over here. Followed by Addi's "uh oh."

Read to your children. TV CANNOT replace the influence of learning you have on your child. Be skeptical of products that are built with an "easy out" (as in plop your kid in front of the TV and he'll be a genius in no time!)

This article was passed on to me by a friend, because she knows the kind of stuff that can get me blogging. www.psychologytoday.com/blog/rewire-your-brain-love/201005/your-baby-shouldnt-read While I agree with what this article has to say about the importance of parent attachment and actually tuning into your kids learning and who they are as a whole.The article questions whether or not pushing your child to read early on is a good thing or not for them developmentally.

In the article it is said, "Louise Bates Ames, PhD, as superstar in child development...stated a delay in reading instruction would be a prevenative measure in avoiding nearly all reading failure."

Really?

Hi Louise....I'd like you to meet my 3 year old....Here's a picture of him riding a house...um...I mean horse.

My son has an insatiable hunger for reading and numbers. Been that way since he was a really little guy. For those of you who know Connor, you know what Im talking about.

Some kids are into trucks. Some kids are into playing ball....my kid is into mapping out the shortest route to his grandmother's house in Georgia on Google maps.

Its just who he is. Actually I was worried for a little while because he WASNT into trucks or ball. He just wanted to play with numbers. ALL THE TIME. Over time I just began to learn this is what he liked to do. Eventually the truck time came for him (thats what we are currently crazy about. Cars!)

But still to this day, he is most happy settling down with a book or rearranging number magnets on the fridge and announcing the "number of the day!"

When did learning get into the mindframe that it comes it flashcards? Or workbooks? Or thanks to Robert Titzer....TV? Challenge your children, dont buy an easy way out. If you have already bout this system I would encourage you to use it sparingly and not as a replacement for actual one on one time with your child and a great book (not a Kindle mind you, a book....).