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Has anyone heard of this or uses it. My MIL got it for us for Kaylee for christmas. She wants Kaylee to read by the time she is 3. Is this pushing it. It comes with video books and flash cards. It talks about starting your baby as young as 6 months. Kaylee doesn't mind the books or flash cards but the videos she crys through if I make her watch them.

I don't want to push her to do something that she does not want to do but, I feel bad not using them because I know it was expensive.

Kaylee is smart, she figures things out quickly and is ahead of her age range in vocabulary skills.

I kinda like just the natural progression of Learning. The creator of this oldest daughter is a junior in college at age 16.

I haven't looked into them. Max is only 4 1/2 months old right now but it's frustrating sometimes that he will not allow me to read to him. Dh and I love to read, I'm hoping as he gets older he'll like to read as well. I know it's too soon to tell though. Right now he's mostly interested in his feet!

Anyway, let me know what you think of it as time goes on.

I just heard about that stuff and would like to try it on my daughter. I think its best not to push it cause it might turn her away from wanting to learn. where can I get this item at??

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Originally posted by dragonflyfaith:
I haven't looked into them. Max is only 4 1/2 months old right now but it's frustrating sometimes that he will not allow me to read to him. Dh and I love to read, I'm hoping as he gets older he'll like to read as well. I know it's too soon to tell though. Right now he's mostly interested in his feet!

Anyway, let me know what you think of it as time goes on.

Amy don't worry...Max is taking in more than you think when you and hubby read to him. 4 and a half months is still young and his attention span needs to mature a lot more before he can sit and interact with you and a book but don't let that discourage you from reading to him! He will all of a sudden WOW you with his love for and interest in books as long as you continue to nourish it by reading to him....Good Luck!!

We just got the baby can read stuff.

Amy,
Kaylee has loved books since she was little, little now that she can talk and get around she brings us a book and tells us to sit down so we can read it to her. As long as reading is something you do with them they seem to like.

Kathy,

Here is the website where you can check it out.

Link

O.k this stuff bothers me. Babies are limited in what they can intake at a given time- they do get overwhelmed and you can push it. As long as you talk with or to your baby and toddlers and read often to them they will pick it up. Unless your child has a limitation or disorder or is learning "different" then they will certainly learn to read on time. I'm not saying don't use the stuff but don't over do it. Make the experience pleasant or it will go the wrong direction.
I've taken psych. classes in child development and Education classes in reading and every professor has told me the same.
And babies just want to hear the sound of your voice, they don't understand what a book is. My son used to use them as teethers, but I've always taken time to read to him throughout the day, even if he was looking at something else he was hearing me and learning how language works. Just make it a pleasant experience and don't rush it, it will all come naturally.
Amanda

This is why I am very conflicted about doing this with my daughter. But I feel almost obligated to try this program somewhat since my MIL spent two hundred dollars on it.

I just don't want to push something on her. She is developing well and she cries through the videos. I watched it with her and it is so boring. It just show the word repeats the word and then shows what the word is. They want you to not allow your child to watch any TV but these videos. Which is another thing I have issue with. Kaylee doesn't watch much TV but she loves to watch Einsteins when they play the music she dances away.

My mom was just telling me the other day that she was watching a documentary or something about this. She said that studies have shown that from about the ages of 2 until 6 kids are like learning sponges. They use something like 80% of their brain. much more than the 10% most adults use. Here's a real life example of why you don't have to do this....when I was 3 I could spell small commonly used words, and write my name. By the time I entered Kindergarten, I could write my name in cursive and read most anything. And my mom never used flash cards or videos, but she did read to me. I think that's the key. Reading to your kids is paramount.

Also, sorry I've been thinking about this- they have to learn language before they can read it. I read all the time to my son and like I said before it is amazing to watch his progression in literacy - first a book was just a thing or another toy, now it is time spent together, he memorizes his favorite stories because it is the repetition that aides his development in learning language and how words sound, and now at 3 1/2 he is just beginning to understand that the words on the page mean something and soon he will be putting them together and then reading.
I just feel that if we push things too fast and unnaturally we will miss out on the journey. Some are faster than others when it comes to learning in a different area. Also we all learn differently- so what works with one child may not work for another. In the end the majority of children learn to read at the appropriate level.
Also, if your baby is crying when she watches it maybe you should try it again in a couple of weeks, she might like it then but I wouldn't make her miserable to do something she might not be ready for. Just tell your MIL she loves it, or tell her she hates it and maybe she can get her money back, haha.
Good luck! Amanda.

I would be afraid that pushing a child to read earlier than they are ready would only frustrate him/her and you. Just being read to and looking at books will instill a love for reading. There are plenty of other things that a child can be learning about their world around them. I homeschool my kids and have seen the different paces at which they learn and try not to compare them with eachother. Sure there are children who learn to read at 2 or 3, but there is nothing wrong with learning at 6. I think learning a rich vocabulary and love for books before learning to read is vital to a child's development. Okay, sorry to go on so long : )

I don't think I would use a program like this. Every child learns in a unique way and at their own pace, especially when they are young. I had a cousin who was reading middle school aged books when he was 4. Not because his parents pushed him to read early, but because he started reading on his own very early. Of course they read to him, but no more than a normal parent. He never could remember what he read, but what does that matter right?

I just think I would much rather have a happy, healthy child who enjoys learning and growing at their own pace. They really will learn to hate reading if forced to do so by a parent when they aren't ready. I say if your daughter doesn't like the tapes, don't show them to her. If she likes the flash cards and books, continue with those. You have no obligation to your MIL, especially if she didn't request your opinion prior to purchasing the program.

After hearing everyone's opinions, my husband and I also talked and we decided to send it back to his mom to have her return it.

We both decided that if we wanted to do something like that we should be the ones to decide that. Kaylee is learning just fine, but it is not right for us. we would have to restrict what little time we have with our daughter to the Baby Can Read program. Which we have both decided we are unwilling to do.

Thank you so much for your input in this matter. I just wanted to hear from other parents what I felt myself. Just didn't want to seem to crazy not digging this program.

I'm sure your mother-in-law had good intentions in purchasing the program for Kaylee, but you're right. You and your hubby are the people who have to decide what's best for your daughter. Only you two can determine that.

Kaylee is such a smart and happy little girl. She has awesome parents. I really think she will do just fine developing the skills she needs to be successful. I know it can be hard sometimes because as parents, we want our children to have the best opportunities. But my biggest goal, like the other moms have said, is just to keep learning fun. I take advantae of every chance I get to "teach" my daughter something, but to her, we are just playing.

Oh, and my daughter loves Little Einsteins, too! We don't let her watch much TV, but I do like the shows on Playhouse Disney because I know she picks up things and learns from them.