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This is SO wrong it's not even funny. They do not teach it after it has closed. In fact, reading scores tend to go DOWN later in life with kids who learned before age 5 and they are highest for kids who learned at 6-7 (which, btw, was the age reading was taught before parents got caught up in believing their kids were the brightest and best if they could read earlier than their neighbor's kid).
Kids who are taught to read early do not comprehend what they read, and they struggle to learn to read. This is not enjoyable and does not benefit the child long-term. If you teach a child to read when they are fully ready (varies by child but usually about age 6, although we force kids these days to learn well before that), they will catch on quickly and love it.
Do the research. Anyone who thinks they are giving their child an advantage by doing this is NUTS. There are developmental stages infants and toddlers and young children should be going through and reading is not one of the ones a 2 year old needs to be successful in life.
UGH!!! Thank God the research is now starting to lead kindergartens AWAY from garbage like this and toward understanding that social skills, succeeding at projects they begin on their own IN NATURE are the things which benefit children long-term.
Americans are so extreme and crazy this way.
I'm a crazy American, but I do agree with all of this! We homeschool and follow the "better late than early" approach... so far it's worked marvelously. Babies and toddlers need to be getting information from their senses, not from reading. There is no "window" in learning to read.
I had a friend whose two year old memorized all of the Presidents, in order. It was because she had a placemat with all of them, and my friend sang a little song about the Presidents to her. Obviously there was no need for her to know the Presidents, and once mama stopped singing the song and they bought new placemats, the knowledge was gone. She is now an eight year old who does not know her Presidents, but is none the worse for it.
"baby" gets used to the words and eventually over time starts to understand the phonics...
I can see where some would think this program offers false hope for teaching our children something you don't think they need to know.
I don't think it's that people believe the program is offering any sort of false hope, or that anyone is saying that children don't need to learn to read.
I think perhaps people are a little mystified by why you would use this program to teach your baby something she will learn anyway at a later stage of her life. Getting her "used to" words at such an early stage seems sort of redundant. Rather like sitting an eight week old on a potty training chair so that they will be "used to" it by the time they are old enough to actually potty train, it doesn't seem to serve any real purpose. Children will learn to read when they are ready for it, with or without this type of program.
These kinds of programs have been around forever. I remember my parents buying something similar back in the early sixties, because I had a brother who struggled with reading. I don't see a lot of harm in them if they are just used to supplement a childs natural interest in reading and learning, but for the most part I believe they are simply a great marketing ploy, tapping into a parents hopes and fears for their children. I don't see any distinct advantage in using a program like this. The advantage comes from having a parent who is involved and concerned, which you seem to be.
That may be less extreme that you think. We read all the books and magazine and went to classes and determined that we would be the best parents ever and our kids would be the best kids ever. It took a while to learn that this is not only silly, it can be detrimental to your children.
With our first children we were convinced that if we played loud classical music with the speakers close to them while in the womb, they would be smarter, better at math etc. We were also convinced that daddy should talk to them through the womb so that they would come out already familiar with and bonded to Daddy. We bought a bunch of videos and special toys or cards or other programs that were guaranteed to make your baby the best that they can possibly be. We chose the "appropriate colors", decorated, selected clothing and toys, and did all of the things that perfect parents are supposed to do (according to books and "experts").
We eventually figured out that all of this stuff is silly and proved it by not doing it with our subsequent children. None of those things turned out to be true. However the twins (first birth) are both going into music related subjects in college while the others have only limited interest in musical performance, so maybe all the loud mozart and Beetovan did something. It did nto make them better in math. In fact they chose music in part to avoid math (they can do it, they just hate it). Our math wiz child had no womb mozart. He is not a classical music kind of guy. He likes hard rock and heavy metal. Our best reader had no womb mozart either and no baby reader program. As I mentioned, she did not become a good reader until very late.
Now after raising (most of the way) 5 really great children and watching frinds and family members raise another 100 plus children with varying techniques and varying results, I have to laugh at all the baby/child/parenting books and so called "experts". There is no such thing as a perfect parent and every kid is different and needs different things. For some kids a certain person applying a certain technique will be perfect, but the same person/technique may be terrible for another child. For some kids, spanking is the only way to get through until a certain age. For others, it is a terrible and humiliating thing to do at any age. Some kids respond to mozart, other respond better to Led Zepplin, or INXS.
We also discovered that chilren's abilities and personalities are initially and primarily a product of genetics or something out of our control, not environment. Environment has an impact, and in extreme cases it can have an overwhelming imact at least for the negative, but it is not the determining factor of what a child will be like. I do not think that you could convince anyone with identical twins otherwise. They are not blank slates, they come with pre-programmed personalities and abilites that can be developed or not to various degrees, but the initial make up is critical.
Someone suggest that I write a book becasue I seem to have a lot to say about parenting. Here is my baby/child/parenting book:
1. As a new parent you know nothing about parenting. Get over it.
2. Others who have raised children can tell you what worked for them and their children, but not what will work for you and your children.
3. Books are not a substitute for good observation skills, effort, and common sense. Books, programs, toys, devices, or mystic pyramids cannot make you a good parent. Trial and error combined with common sense can. You need to mix in a great deal of love and patience too. Books can give you ideas, but the ideas may or may not work with your particular child.
4. You are not a better parent than other typical parents and if you attempt to demonstrate that you are, you will end up looking foolish.
5. Your baby is not any smarter, better or more special than all the other babies - get over it. They are only brilliant wonderful and perfect to you. To others they are just another kid. Later, your child may turn out to be smarter than average, but maybe not. That does not make them better than others, nor does it make you a better parent or a better person.
6. You WILL make mistakes. You cannot be the perfect parent. Your child will most definitely recover from your mistakes (barring physical mistreatment or phschological torment), kids are very adaptable and resilient.
7. If you want to compete with everyone else in the world try buying a really fancy car and see if that makes you feel better, or maybe go beat someone in a game of raquetball. Please do not bring your child into the "I am better than you" game. It will only hurt your child.
8. Doctors, teachers, clergy, child psychologists, therapists, and other experts do not know everything about raising children, nor even about their health. Many of them (most?) do not really know anything about raising children. It is all hit and miss because every child is different. Nothing works consistently with every child. Many doctors are just guessing, even on health issues.
9. Trust your instincts. If you know instinctively that some advice or diagnosis given to you is wrong - it probably is.
10. Babies/children are the most fun that you will ever have in your life. Do not ruin that by turning them into a science fair project. Just enjoy them, love them, use common sense and everything will work out.
That is all that I have really learned by raising a handful and watching others raise another hundred or so. Can I publish a one page book?
I don't think it's that people believe the program is offering any sort of false hope, or that anyone is saying that children don't need to learn to read.
I think perhaps people are a little mystified by why you would use this program to teach your baby something she will learn anyway at a later stage of her life. Getting her "used to" words at such an early stage seems sort of redundant. Rather like sitting an eight week old on a potty training chair so that they will be "used to" it by the time they are old enough to actually potty train, it doesn't seem to serve any real purpose. Children will learn to read when they are ready for it, with or without this type of program.
These kinds of programs have been around forever. I remember my parents buying something similar back in the early sixties, because I had a brother who struggled with reading. I don't see a lot of harm in them if they are just used to supplement a childs natural interest in reading and learning, but for the most part I believe they are simply a great marketing ploy, tapping into a parents hopes and fears for their children. I don't see any distinct advantage in using a program like this. The advantage comes from having a parent who is involved and concerned, which you seem to be.
Wow. You are both smart and eloquent. Did your parents use $600 "teach your baby to analyze and communicate well" programs on you?
I don't think it's that people believe the program is offering any sort of false hope, or that anyone is saying that children don't need to learn to read.
I think perhaps people are a little mystified by why you would use this program to teach your baby something she will learn anyway at a later stage of her life. Getting her "used to" words at such an early stage seems sort of redundant. Rather like sitting an eight week old on a potty training chair so that they will be "used to" it by the time they are old enough to actually potty train, it doesn't seem to serve any real purpose. Children will learn to read when they are ready for it, with or without this type of program.
These kinds of programs have been around forever. I remember my parents buying something similar back in the early sixties, because I had a brother who struggled with reading. I don't see a lot of harm in them if they are just used to supplement a childs natural interest in reading and learning, but for the most part I believe they are simply a great marketing ploy, tapping into a parents hopes and fears for their children. I don't see any distinct advantage in using a program like this. The advantage comes from having a parent who is involved and concerned, which you seem to be.
Thank you I have no hopes in this program to be a magic tool to make my kid a genius.
That was never my intention. It IS a supplment. She LOVES the program. If it wasn't given to me I might still have gotten the 30 day trial and probably would have kept it!
I also would like to add that I DO like the program because it WILL help her to learn to read before school. She loooooooooooves to read. She loves her books. We read at least 20 a day everyday. I choose to believe the OTHER experts who believe this is a GREAT thing.
I am gung ho about alot of things and this is not one of them. This is something that is fun for some.
I see nothing wrong with someone not wanting to do the program. But I think many on here are judging me for doing the program. Big difference.
Again, I don't think many (if any) people here are opposed to kids reading; it's the idea of teaching an INFANT to "read" that is so disturbing. And while not everyone who is buying the program is trying to teach their 9 month old to do so, that is what the infomercials depict. The company does indeed seem to be marketing this to people who believe that they will be giving their children an educational leg up by teaching them to read at an extremely young age. That doesn't mean everyone who buys it is doing it for that reason, but that's certainly one of ways it is being marketed. It's one thing to buy it as a supplement or because it sparks conversations and bonding with your child; it's another thing to buy it because you think if you don't that your child will fall behind. And while perhaps none of the posters on this thread fall into that category, there are certainly people like that out there, and this program (and so many other items on the market) are taking advantage of those parents' fears as a way to make money.
Really, I still don't understand it: what's the point of trying to teach a baby to read? There's so much else that they're learning at that point; why not just read TO them instead? Even if you want your child to read before school there's still a big difference between those who get this for their one year old (or younger) and those who use it for their kids at ages three or four.
That may be less extreme that you think. We read all the books and magazine and went to classes and determined that we would be the best parents ever and our kids would be the best kids ever. It took a while to learn that this is not only silly, it can be detrimental to your children.
With our first children we were convinced that if we played loud classical music with the speakers close to them while in the womb, they would be smarter, better at math etc. We were also convinced that daddy should talk to them through the womb so that they would come out already familiar with and bonded to Daddy. We bought a bunch of videos and special toys or cards or other programs that were guaranteed to make your baby the best that they can possibly be. We chose the "appropriate colors", decorated, selected clothing and toys, and did all of the things that perfect parents are supposed to do (according to books and "experts").
We eventually figured out that all of this stuff is silly and proved it by not doing it with our subsequent children. None of those things turned out to be true. However the twins (first birth) are both going into music related subjects in college while the others have only limited interest in musical performance, so maybe all the loud mozart and Beetovan did something. It did nto make them better in math. In fact they chose music in part to avoid math (they can do it, they just hate it). Our math wiz child had no womb mozart. He is not a classical music kind of guy. He likes hard rock and heavy metal. Our best reader had no womb mozart either and no baby reader program. As I mentioned, she did not become a good reader until very late.
Now after raising (most of the way) 5 really great children and watching frinds and family members raise another 100 plus children with varying techniques and varying results, I have to laugh at all the baby/child/parenting books and so called "experts". There is no such thing as a perfect parent and every kid is different and needs different things. For some kids a certain person applying a certain technique will be perfect, but the same person/technique may be terrible for another child. For some kids, spanking is the only way to get through until a certain age. For others, it is a terrible and humiliating thing to do at any age. Some kids respond to mozart, other respond better to Led Zepplin, or INXS.
We also discovered that chilren's abilities and personalities are initially and primarily a product of genetics or something out of our control, not environment. Environment has an impact, and in extreme cases it can have an overwhelming imact at least for the negative, but it is not the determining factor of what a child will be like. I do not think that you could convince anyone with identical twins otherwise. They are not blank slates, they come with pre-programmed personalities and abilites that can be developed or not to various degrees, but the initial make up is critical.
Someone suggest that I write a book becasue I seem to have a lot to say about parenting. Here is my baby/child/parenting book:
1. As a new parent you know nothing about parenting. Get over it.
2. Others who have raised children can tell you what worked for them and their children, but not what will work for you and your children.
3. Books are not a substitute for good observation skills, effort, and common sense. Books, programs, toys, devices, or mystic pyramids cannot make you a good parent. Trial and error combined with common sense can. You need to mix in a great deal of love and patience too. Books can give you ideas, but the ideas may or may not work with your particular child.
4. You are not a better parent than other typical parents and if you attempt to demonstrate that you are, you will end up looking foolish.
5. Your baby is not any smarter, better or more special than all the other babies - get over it. They are only brilliant wonderful and perfect to you. To others they are just another kid. Later, your child may turn out to be smarter than average, but maybe not. That does not make them better than others, nor does it make you a better parent or a better person.
6. You WILL make mistakes. You cannot be the perfect parent. Your child will most definitely recover from your mistakes (barring physical mistreatment or phschological torment), kids are very adaptable and resilient.
7. If you want to compete with everyone else in the world try buying a really fancy car and see if that makes you feel better, or maybe go beat someone in a game of raquetball. Please do not bring your child into the "I am better than you" game. It will only hurt your child.
8. Doctors, teachers, clergy, child psychologists, therapists, and other experts do not know everything about raising children, nor even about their health. Many of them (most?) do not really know anything about raising children. It is all hit and miss because every child is different. Nothing works consistently with every child. Many doctors are just guessing, even on health issues.
9. Trust your instincts. If you know instinctively that some advice or diagnosis given to you is wrong - it probably is.
10. Babies/children are the most fun that you will ever have in your life. Do not ruin that by turning them into a science fair project. Just enjoy them, love them, use common sense and everything will work out.
That is all that I have really learned by raising a handful and watching others raise another hundred or so. Can I publish a one page book?
So we should solve this illiteracy program by not teaching our children to read?
"Book smart" IS smart. In my experience, most of the people who use that expression are somewhat stupid and feel threatened by those who are more educated.
No - you solve it by teaching children to read when their minds are developed enough and they've explored and played, examined their world.
There is no need to plop a baby down and try to force education on it. A baby and young children are eagerly learning all they can, their waking hours are spent exploring, studying.
Book smart is when people have been "educated" enough and learned what is written in books but often have no imagination of their own. You see it all the time with many college graduates today who cannot find their way out of paper bag but they can repeat what they've had repeated to them over and over.
A child develops creativity, an imagination and an inventive mind during free play and independent exploration, hands on the physical world itself. Books are fine (great even) but a storybook about a farm doesn't replace an actual farm yard experience - riding horses, collecting eggs, milking cows and planting seeds. A book about tractors doesn't replace riding one, a book about dogs doesn't replace petting one, caring for one, playing with one.
That may be less extreme that you think. We read all the books and magazine and went to classes and determined that we would be the best parents ever and our kids would be the best kids ever. It took a while to learn that this is not only silly, it can be detrimental to your children.
With our first children we were convinced that if we played loud classical music with the speakers close to them while in the womb, they would be smarter, better at math etc. We were also convinced that daddy should talk to them through the womb so that they would come out already familiar with and bonded to Daddy. We bought a bunch of videos and special toys or cards or other programs that were guaranteed to make your baby the best that they can possibly be. We chose the "appropriate colors", decorated, selected clothing and toys, and did all of the things that perfect parents are supposed to do (according to books and "experts").
We eventually figured out that all of this stuff is silly and proved it by not doing it with our subsequent children. None of those things turned out to be true. However the twins (first birth) are both going into music related subjects in college while the others have only limited interest in musical performance, so maybe all the loud mozart and Beetovan did something. It did nto make them better in math. In fact they chose music in part to avoid math (they can do it, they just hate it). Our math wiz child had no womb mozart. He is not a classical music kind of guy. He likes hard rock and heavy metal. Our best reader had no womb mozart either and no baby reader program. As I mentioned, she did not become a good reader until very late.
Now after raising (most of the way) 5 really great children and watching frinds and family members raise another 100 plus children with varying techniques and varying results, I have to laugh at all the baby/child/parenting books and so called "experts". There is no such thing as a perfect parent and every kid is different and needs different things. For some kids a certain person applying a certain technique will be perfect, but the same person/technique may be terrible for another child. For some kids, spanking is the only way to get through until a certain age. For others, it is a terrible and humiliating thing to do at any age. Some kids respond to mozart, other respond better to Led Zepplin, or INXS.
We also discovered that chilren's abilities and personalities are initially and primarily a product of genetics or something out of our control, not environment. Environment has an impact, and in extreme cases it can have an overwhelming imact at least for the negative, but it is not the determining factor of what a child will be like. I do not think that you could convince anyone with identical twins otherwise. They are not blank slates, they come with pre-programmed personalities and abilites that can be developed or not to various degrees, but the initial make up is critical.
Someone suggest that I write a book becasue I seem to have a lot to say about parenting. Here is my baby/child/parenting book:
1. As a new parent you know nothing about parenting. Get over it.
2. Others who have raised children can tell you what worked for them and their children, but not what will work for you and your children.
3. Books are not a substitute for good observation skills, effort, and common sense. Books, programs, toys, devices, or mystic pyramids cannot make you a good parent. Trial and error combined with common sense can. You need to mix in a great deal of love and patience too. Books can give you ideas, but the ideas may or may not work with your particular child.
4. You are not a better parent than other typical parents and if you attempt to demonstrate that you are, you will end up looking foolish.
5. Your baby is not any smarter, better or more special than all the other babies - get over it. They are only brilliant wonderful and perfect to you. To others they are just another kid. Later, your child may turn out to be smarter than average, but maybe not. That does not make them better than others, nor does it make you a better parent or a better person.
6. You WILL make mistakes. You cannot be the perfect parent. Your child will most definitely recover from your mistakes (barring physical mistreatment or phschological torment), kids are very adaptable and resilient.
7. If you want to compete with everyone else in the world try buying a really fancy car and see if that makes you feel better, or maybe go beat someone in a game of raquetball. Please do not bring your child into the "I am better than you" game. It will only hurt your child.
8. Doctors, teachers, clergy, child psychologists, therapists, and other experts do not know everything about raising children, nor even about their health. Many of them (most?) do not really know anything about raising children. It is all hit and miss because every child is different. Nothing works consistently with every child. Many doctors are just guessing, even on health issues.
9. Trust your instincts. If you know instinctively that some advice or diagnosis given to you is wrong - it probably is.
10. Babies/children are the most fun that you will ever have in your life. Do not ruin that by turning them into a science fair project. Just enjoy them, love them, use common sense and everything will work out.
That is all that I have really learned by raising a handful and watching others raise another hundred or so. Can I publish a one page book?
This post is so wonderful in so many ways. So many parents could benefit from this sage advice. Number #10 bears repeating, over and over and over.
Miasmommy, I can't tell if it's everyone else here you are trying to convince, or just yourself. You've argued your position throughout the thread and called everyone in disagreement with you "judgemental". Why does it matter so much when other parents disagree with you? If you are seeing results from this program then great ... continue to use it! Don't take it so personally when other parents don't see eye-to-eye with you. You may mean well, but name-calling people who disagree with you is not the optimal way to earn the respect of other parents.
Last edited by ATX Wahine; 10-07-2009 at 09:42 AM..
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Babies and toddlers need to be getting information from their senses, not from reading. There is no "window" in learning to read. 
Totally agree!!
