I'm just wondering if anyone has used the 'Your baby can read' video/dvd's? If you have any feedback on them, i'd appreciate the information. :D
TIA.
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I'm just wondering if anyone has used the 'Your baby can read' video/dvd's? If you have any feedback on them, i'd appreciate the information. :D
TIA.
Beware of early reading systems as they often teach children to say words by sight with no real understanding of true sense or how they hang together in the sentence. The danger is that when they get to school they hit a speed bump and have to re-learn how to read from scratch (this is from an early-childhood teacher).
If you're interested in how to promote early reading, grad a copy of "The reading bug" by Paul Jennings and "Reading Magic" by Mem Fox. My DD1 was reading by the time she got to pre-school without any real 'teaching' other than enjoying lots of books together. It's as easy as that.
Thanks MD - I'll have a look at those suggested.
I'm still interested in hearing from those whom may have used these video's. :)
I haven't used them, but i've read the study on the Genius Institute which has been operating for over 40 years on children from 2months to 18 years to assist with accelerating their learning and encouraging genius.
In 40 years they have not produced a single genius.
Word-recognition isn't reading, and nothing on a dvd can improve your child's mind. Human interaction uncovers genuis, but genius itself seems to be inherent.
Bx
I'm not particularly trying to produce a genius as I believe that has more to do with genes. My partner and I aren't genius' as such either. I'm more interested in giving my son a head start. I was led to believe in the first 3 years of a childs life it was all about helping them make as many connections as possible. The more connections made, the more use they had of their brain. I see alot of parents use word recognition with their toddlers. We read to our son, sing to our son, count etc. even though he is only 11 months, but i'm interested in learning more to stimulate him.
Hence I was after people who had actually used 'Your baby can read' for feedback whether their children responded to it or not. I have a friend who heard from another friend that when they went through the songs head, shoulders, knees and toes - their baby would respond and they would touch the body part that corresponded with the word which appeared on the screen. Word recognition or whatever, i'm my mind it seems like they are making 'connections' and using their brain. I doubt people who have used this product would reply now because they may feel intimidated by pp answers.
Thanks anyway.
Kate ive not seen or heard of these DVD's but i will say that Chelsea has watched The Wiggles from an early age and responds to actions she seems now...i think any show kids make aconnection with, help in the long run. I ahve the Baby Einstein ones and both girls watch them alot
Perhaps give them a go...If Lachlan responds thens thats great!
I'm not trying to intimidate, there have been several studies which indicate NOTHING positive happens to a child's brain when exposed to screen time before the age of 3. In one study conducted on baby einstein dvd's for every hour/week a child watched the vocabulary-expanding DVD they had 20 LESS words than their non-dvd-watching peers. Screen-time is detrimental to a child's social and emotional development and in most cases seems to also hinder intellectual growth. The human brain has evolved over more than 100million years of human interaction, it isn't designed to learn from a flat unresponsive screen. A screen DOESN'T help form useful connections - there is no interaction with a TV, because a TV is a dead device. YOU can teach Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes WAY better than a DVD, and while you are doing so he will be learning 50 other things about human expression, voice pitch, social interaction and deepening his appreciation and trust and enjoyment and love of you. YOU are better than any educational tool, aid or facility your son will encounter in his entire life. In terms of volume of information a baby learns more from the early games with it's parents than even a PhD grad will have learned at Uni.
You asked about it, i am not sharing my opinion for the sake of annoying you or anyone else, i'm sharing my findings because the current research indicates that a schedule of DVD-learning will give your child the very opposite of a head-start. Every parent must make their decisions based on their own findings, and i had assumed that you asked because you wanted to know. You might conduct the same searches, find the same studies and decide to go ahead and get the DVD's anyway - that's your decision, and it doesn't affect me in the least. I figured you'd like to at least KNOW about those findings though, and their condensed message is that there's nothing a screen can teach your child that you couldn't do a far superior job of teaching him.
Bx
Maybe they might find the above information more valuable? Flash cards were waaaay big in the 70's and I don't think they did much for a head start either.
My daughter read early, it looks like my son is picking up many words already just because I read to them all the time.
I dunno why you would get so narky about some really useful information. They don't work, end of story. Save yourself the $$$ and give your baby the 'live' version of head shoulders, knees and toes. There's your head start!
I have never used them and dont think i will but i understand you are only thinking of Lachies well being. I think the girls are just telling you this so you dont waste any money, they are just trying to help!
By doing what your doing now , reading singing etc will give Lachie a better start than plonking him in front of the tv! Social interaction is far better than tv! Your doing a great job just being with him!
I really beleive these type of things were created to make money off parents, as we all want our child to succeed!
I know you are probably asking as you want give Lachie the best start, but in all honesty you really dont need them! Maybe someone who has used them will pop in and tell you there experience! x
That's what I was more hoping for Amber. :):
We sing songs like heads, shoulders etc. and if your happy and you know it etc. with all the actions and he does the clapping ones - but I was more interested in him associating the word with the action... Nevermind, dead topic - I was just curious and asking if people had used them as I was interested in what they had to say. I'm not referring to einstein vidoes or wiggles or playschool etc. I was purely interested in the 'your baby can read' series.
Hoobley thanks for your concern and wealth of knowledge, I have heard of that study before because you have mentioned it in another thread some time ago. But like I said above, I just wanted to hear experinces from famillies that have actually used this set.
Lulu - you think I was narky?? LMFAO! It could certainly get that way, so I won't bother with this thread anymore. But why post if your going to be rude - other parents searching this topic don't want to read your useless rude post.:
They don't work, end of story.
Sounds a little narky to me... :confused::
Calling someone else post "rude and useless" is extremly rude in itself.
People came in and gave you HONEST opinions, and even factual studies. Being so rude and nasty because you didn't like the answers isn't very nice...
I was going to post on my experience with this as a Child Care Worker, but I dont see the point if your only after what you WANT to hear, not the truth.
What a shame.
Yes, its obvious that reiterating facts and pointing out you are doing plenty of things to get your child a head start could be seen as rude.....yawn :rolleyes:
misskate, maybe you could read "The Science of Parenting", its basically all about making those connections to enable children grow into emotionally successful adults. :)
Evidently some misunderstandings in this thread thus far. Can we please keep it civil and on topic, ladies? I am sure you all appreciate where I am coming from. Thanks..........
Misskate, my first DS is 3 1/2 and is reading quite a lot of words. He could read every letter of the alphabet and a few words by the time DS2 was born (DS1 was 19 months). We never watched TV or videos (he had zero interest and would never sit still in front of TV) and we didn't try to teach him to read. He just loved books from day one. So we spent lots of time reading to him, and after a while he had asked "what's that" for all the pictures and started on the letters. He did the same with signs when we were out, or on food packets etc. From there he learnt them all.
I think the best way to give a child a good head start is one on one time with them. Read with them every day. Take them for a walk and show them all the things nature has. Spend time playing cars and trucks with them. No DVD or TV show can even come close to matching that. That's my opinion and my experience.
You don't have to answer this hun, but I was also wondering why you think reading early would give your little one a head start? I have to say that I am very concerned by the fact that my DS is already reading. By the time he gets to grade 1 (when they first start to learn reading) in two years, he is going to be so bored having to start from the beginning again. I actually see his early reading as a problem, not an advantage. So I am always interested in other people's views on it.
MR - I wouldn't necessarily see it as a disadvantage. You've obviously spent some really valuable & lovely time with your DS and helped him to develop one of life's most useful skills. Sure, when he's in grade 1 he's going to be ahead of other kids, although not necessarily all of them, chances are that others will be reading too. So what you've maybe created is a kid that will be able to help other kids with their reading, and one who will have a great deal of confidence in at least one area of schooling, which I think can only be an asset. Also, given all the fabulous time you've spent with him so far I can't imagine that you're going to just stop doing this when he goes to school - you'll still be providing him with stimulation & learning opportunities in your family environment, just as you've done so far, which will go a long way to keeping him from getting bored.
Depends what sort of school he goes to hon...:
At my kids school, reading is done on ability, not grade. Each child is assessed, and the readers are given out accordingly. As they finish a level, the next level is sent home. It isn't uncommon to find kids in one class ranging from 5-15 in readers...
Homework is also done the same way.
But I'm not sure how common that is. My kids are at a smallish (20 per class) catholic school...
Ok I know this isnt what you wanted but thought that if you really wanted to give your child a head start why dont you teach a 2nd languge this will benifit him in the future...
misskate I also had another idea, as you're talking about making connections, have you tried sign language? Shel and I are going to use sign language with Jazz, there is a thing called Tiny Talk. A friend of mine uses it.
I haven't used the "your baby can read" DVDs... IMO they are a waste of money... if that is the kind of path you wanted to take you could do exactly the same things as the DVD does, only in real life, and your DS will get the added bonus of interaction.
That said, I think that TV and computers etc can be a great tool but I think it should be incidental learning rather than instructional if that makes sense, especially at such a young age. Like watching sesame street. They're watching it cos its fun to watch and funny too, but some kids learn numbers and letters etc.
hi
i haven't had time to read responses, but just wanted to say, i got a set of BABY BUMBLEBEE DVD's for my dd, and she was talking at 14 months... and i mean talking... now at 18 months she's really more like a two and a half year old... sings the words to all sorts of songs, can say probably 200 words or more... it is unbelievable and she is miles ahead of the other kids her age it isn't funny..... this isn't meant to be a brag session, but i think the dvd's definitely helped with her vocabulary and she just loves to watch them (particularly if she is unwell, it takes her mind off things), and often says the name of the animal/object before it is said on the dvd. of course we started teaching her the name of objects around the house at around 6 months, and she has tonnes of one on one interaction and lots of reading and singing, obviously fundamental, but the dvd definitely taught her words that i didn't...
i cannot speak highly enough of teaching your baby to communicate at an early age as it has helped enormously with her happpiness and improved her frustration at not being able to express herself.
sorry, not so much about teaching to read, but on the same track perhaps??
Emma i have another one the same and she has no screen time. Gifted children don't NEED to be taught, you cannot STOP gifted children learning!
MR i think you're right to be concerned - i could read at 3, by the time i was 9 i was reading Lord of the Rings, at 11 it was Shakespeare and Orwell. My parents had to read ahead of me because all the books i enjoyed contained too-adult themes for my emotional age. My DD is beginning to read too (she'll be 3 in April) and i'm not making anything of it yet. BUT i will be insisting she's given ability-appropriate books at school OR is allowed to read her OWN choice while the rest of the class work on their learning. I went to a school which streamed for ability until i was 10 and i did fantastically. I went to a school that streamed by age at 10 and i was actually depressed, i even tried to commit suicide! If i can't find a school willing to meet DD's needs i will homeschool.
Giftedness doesn't NEED to be a problem, but it can become one if it's handled badly by educators. The most important thing is to allow him to continue his love affair with learning as unselfconsciously as possible (which is why i lie about DD's age) and try to dance ahead of him and keep his path through the system as clear as possible. For some reason a child who cannot read at age 10 is seen as a crime of the eduication system, but a child of 5 forced to read books of reading age 5 when he is capable of reading at age 10 and going nuts with boredom is just something gifted kids have to suck up and deal with.
Bx
Oh, I remembered a quote last night that one of my lecturers at uni said (studying early childhood education lol), I wanted to post on here because I think its relevant....
"its important that we, as parents and educators, stop trying to teach children, and just let them learn"
Brilliant quote Leash, i think there are too many parents out there pushing their children and killing their inate joy of learning.
by the same token i think there are lots of parents who don't realise they need to talk to their babies and sing and teach them, instead of just going thru the motions of the day... my dd is like a sponge and so incredibly thirsty for knowledge, as soon as she could walk she would run to different objects in the house and point to them to find out their name....
i hear a lot of people questioning why their kids aren't talking yet in the 18month-2year bracket and i think to myself, well what have you done to encourage it....?? i don't believe it 'just happens', i think it has ALOT to do with their environment and how much they have been talked to. of course it will EVENTUALLY 'just happen' and kids will begin talking, but just alot slower unless parents put in some effort to teach... (not saying this is the case for all, but definitely some)
I'm not saying babies don't need that interaction, of course they do its how they learn, all I meant was rather than trying to structure teaching and push learning, just interact and play and let them learn at their own pace from everyday situations.
Great quote Leesha! We are our kids best teachers! xx
Emma1979, I'm only a tiny bit concerned about the idea that its the parents fault the child isn't talking. I read to both my daughters every night. I read 1 book and DH reads another. We read throughout the day, we sit down and talk at dinner, we sing songs together with the guitar, and we tell each other stories and jokes. Both are spot on the developmental milestones that they are supposed to be. Although at one point, Matilda stopped developing her speech, it stalled for 9 months. Nothing helped it improve, and she's only now just starting to get better at things. It turns out there may be other things causing this than parenting.
Hi all,
Posting this to hopefully help. Someone gave DS the set of DVD's for a present, and he LOVES them. I don't really know what benefit they are having, but he has learnt some songs that I had forgotten about. He has learnt some words by sight. It does have some American terms ie Diaper, but otherwise, I don't see it doing any more harm than watching any other DVD.
Christy you're so right, EVERY child is an individual. My good friend's son is barely talking, he's only a month younger than DD. She talks and interacts ALL. THE. TIME. Some kids are just not talkers early on. Another friend's kid said barely a word until nearly 3 and then within 3 weeks was ahead of her peers - she wasn't going to speak until she could speak RIGHT, she was just that type - a perfectionist, still is. Her mum also read and talked to her, she had no tv, a fully organic diet from conception - you name it!
My efforts to give DD a good start mainly involve my time and my effort. So i didn't go out to teach her about surface tension or the nature of liquids yesterday, but i DID put her in an all-in-one splash suit, and then take her out to the puddle behind our house and stand for 40 minutes in the pouring rain while she played with a rubber sticker off a Johnsons baby box and a foil loveheart she found at the bottom of the puddle (both of which floated if the surface tension gripped them, but sank if their edges broke it). We ran and splashed some of the time, she squatted and experimented some of the time. Some of the time i talked to her about the effect, some of the time i let her experiment alone. We also looked for (and found!) sharks in the puddle! Most days i take her out for a wander around the park and we feed the ducks and geese, dig for worms, play in the mud. Today she pulled one leaf from a bunch we collected back in June and brought it to me and said "is from a oak tree mama?" and it WAS. Just living creates opportunity to learn. I would far rather DD knew an oak leaf because i helped her reach up and pluck one than because some DVD showed her a picture and drilled her on the words in my (relative) absence.
Bx
Emma, I have to say that I am also concerned by the idea that kids don't talk earlier due to parenting. Some children are just capable of talking earlier than others. Both my DS's have been read to from day 1, have had lots of talking and interaction, singing etc. In some ways DS2 has had more, because he's had his brother talking to him from day 1 too. Yet DS2 at 2 is not talking nearly as well as DS1 was. He's not behind, he's perfectly normal, it's just that DS1 was (is) way ahead for his age. This is because they are different children. Not because of any parenting (or lack of parenting) issues. And I know a lot of parents who have also spent lots of quality time with their kids and have not had early talkers. I think many people will be upset by your implication that parenting is the reason kids don't talk earlier. And I sure don't think you are right.
Well said Bx. I couldn't agree more.:
I would far rather DD knew an oak leaf because i helped her reach up and pluck one than because some DVD showed her a picture and drilled her on the words in my (relative) absence.
I agree with you both Hoobley and Mantray.
I have always read and talked to my kids, and have great readers and talkers, except my DD. She still struggles at 10, and it certainly IS NOT due to parenting. She is even being privatly taught at school after hours, and it is still a long slow process. I love reading, have a huge library of books, and lead by example, but it is just how she is, poor chook.
But I have a cousin who, without being too rude, is a "little slack" in that department, and her child reads really well for her age!!! Go figure!!!
Emma- every child speaks when they are ready. As a teacher I have never seen a direct correlation between good at reading and speaking early. I have however seen burnt out children who have been pushed by their parents from an early age who have never been allowed to just play and have fun.
:
Originally Posted by MantaRay - By the time he gets to grade 1 (when they first start to learn reading) in two years, he is going to be so bored having to start from the beginning again. I actually see his early reading as a problem, not an advantage. So I am always interested in other people's views on it.
Most schools (well certainly in NSW - can't vouch for other states) will teach reading based on ability, not grade. I taught kindergarten in 2006/2007 & had a huge range of ability in my class - from kids who couldn't identify their own name, to kids who were reading at a grade 2 level. A good teacher can manage a wide range of abilities in a classroom, and will probably teach reading in small groups, not to a whole class.:
My nephew didn't utter a word (except to my father) till he was three, but when he did talk it was at a three year old level. I think he was one of those perfectionists too!
Although sometimes we don't get the chance, or don't make the time to really talk and LISTEN to our kids. With my short lived full time hours at work I found most of the conversation was 'hurry get your shoes on, thats a nice truck dear, quick into the car, love you sweetie, kiss mummy goodbye, don't hit your sister - how was your day, thats nice, wash up for dinner jarmies on goodnight".
I started letting DS stay up a little later just so we could sit on the couch together and talk about the day.
Even though DD was speaking early and far more than the kids at childcare, her vocabulary has jumped ahead leaps and bounds since she started.
Dinnertime together really is important - sometimes its the only chance some families have to really talk to each other.
just wanted to re-iterate what i wrote earlier....
i'm not saying this is the case for all, but i do attribute parenting etc to SOME children who are slower to develop speech...
i personally do think kids learn best by playing and having fun, and usually in the evenings at our house you will hear us all screaming through the house like crazy people with our daughter in hysterics..
i also think with every day mundane daily chores etc opportunity presents itself for kids to learn through talking, games or whatever... ie
Where's the broom? points to where it is
Can you get the broom for mummy? goes and gets it
What do we do with the broom? shouts SWEEP!
etc etc etc just boring every day stuff but exciting for little ones who think they are helping... hardly pushing her academically, just making the most of opportunities to talk and learn.
I know some parents who just don?t talk that much to their kids and that?s what I meant by me thinking to myself ?well what do you do to encourage it? ? it wasn?t meant as an attack on any parent with a non talker, it was in reference to personal experience/people I know.
Emma, I know what you are saying and I used to think the same as you. However, I now have a DS who is a little slow on the speech side and those kind of comments are like a red rag to a bull. I have had so many people say to me "oh well, I talk and read and sing all the time to my child and that's why they are such a chatterbox."
I do ALL this. I have Reading Magic. I was reading to DS every day before he was a month old. Singing nursery rhymes every day. Lots of chit chat, no nonsensical baby talk. I have been in tears over people implying that my parenting is not up to scratch and I am not stimulating DS enough. His speech is coming along now and he hasn't needed speech pathology in the end but I still question myself every single day.
DS qualified for a RCH Melbourne study into late speech and they were at pains to say that nobody actually knows WHY some children talk later than others and if parenting was to blame, it would be from parents who are borderline neglecting their children.
I do take comfort from the fact that I was late to talk and was considered gifted at school...and there is often a genetic factor involved in late talking.
Re the OP - the RCH speech pathologists told us the best way to stimulate children is to follow their lead. You might want to use DVDs or flash cards or whatever, but if your child wants to play trucks or sniff the flowers, they will actually learn more if you follow what they are interested in. Deliberate teaching (asking direct questions to "test" what they know, for example) tends to inhibit their language skills and it is much better to let them go with their own flow - they learn more language-wise and it encourages their imagination. You may feel like you are not doing anything productive by pretending to crash cars into each other etc but your child is having a whale of a time!
There is so much pressure on parents as well as kids these days to provide/receive the "right" kind of educational stimulation. I hate it. I'm a worrier anyway...and I hate it when I find that instead of enjoying my child I am worried that I my parenting is rubbish and DS will be a dunce at school because of me.
Poor Emma. Remember the above quote!:
The fact that there are many children unable to read or write as they progress through school and also Universities are putting on extra courses to help with SPELLING and GRAMMAR at that level, it seems apparent that there are alot of parents that don't do the simple things, or even go out of their way to help their children learn. Can we stop bashing poor Emma now? :lol:
I'm sorry Emma - I wasn't flaming you. I was just trying to demonstrate, using my experience, why some people were reacting to your initial comments. It is very difficult not to take general comments about parenting personally when you are in the situation that is being described. I know you weren't setting out to upset anyone.
Lulu - re spelling and grammar - another red rag for me! I am incredibly intolerant of bad spelling and grammar (and incorrect apostrophe usage) and any kid of mine that dares to write in textspeak will feel my wrath! LOL.
Don't want to go too off topic - but I agree that we all want the best for our kids and would love for them not to struggle at school, not to struggle socially etc and any kind of "head start" or advantage will always be investigated by caring parents. I still think that the best thing we can do is play with and stimulate our kids ourselves.
You're looking at a generation of children who have been brought up by a generation of parents who were not taught grammar at school... and now we're having our own children. What hope do they have? Obviously the geek parents, like myself, but what about the normal people out there?
DS is a fantastic talker, his cousin not so much so (OK, not at all) until her mother put her in a nursery so she could have a couple of days off - no work, no child, just chilling. (Lucky rich thing!) BUT I talk to DS, I read to him... SiL (and PiL) think that the TV is great and invented for children. Niece was also not spoken directly to, whereas I chat to DS all the time. He now puts his finger to his mouth and says "ssssh" to me! DS interacts with the TV, but then I do too and we interact with it together. (Good thing Thomas is only 10 minutes long, I couldn't cope with much more "chuff chuff chuff chuff DOO DOO chuff chuff...")
Sure DS has some TV; if DH isn't around I need it so I can cook dinner. Most of the time we watch together, I ask DS what the character is doing, what the dog says, what the cat says... and make the noises too. We do all the dances and songs to the night garden together. DS loves it when we do the tombliboo dance and loves joining in with the circle on his hand to start with and the weird bandstand dance at the end.
I read DS his books, my books, magazines, make stories out of pictures, tell him a story about TV characters and DS meeting them (btw, never again is DS having a Night Garden adventure, too much excitement!).
DS is receiving the right start. He is stimulated and encouraged to learn. He gets to touch things and talk and be understood and explore, he dances, he plays... he's happy. Happiness shouldn't be underrated. Yes, he has bumps. Yes, he now needs more stimulating toys as the ones for his age are too easy. But he can use imagination and play with just a box for hours. He is considerate - he likes jumping in puddles so let's help the soft toy jump in puddles too! He is great at sharing toys and cuddling people who need cuddles. TBH, the fact he can recognise the first letter of his name is immaterial. That he isn't composing music on my piano... no biggie, he has fun with it. He says "quack" instead of "this is really exciting!" (ie "dractor... quack dractor!" or similar - whilst still knowing it's the noise a duck makes) but he makes sure he is understood.
Anyway, about TV/DVDs. They are not inherently educational. Passive learning is not learning. Some adults can do it, but children cannot. IF you talk about the DVD with them, sit with them, talk to them about what's happening, join in with the songs and dances... then yes, there is some value. But you can do that without the TV. Sometimes when I'm ill I can't - DS dances with the TV and sits on my knee while I explain what he's seeing or turn the TV off and tell a story. But plonking a child in front of an "educational" TV is NOT educational. They won't learn. You have to re-enforce what they're learning. I can teach DS to recycle by doing it myself FAR better than Tommy Zoom ever will. DS picks up litter and puts it in the bin when we're out and about... not because the TV sang a song about it, because he sees Mummy do it at the park and the carers at Nursery do it every Monday morning after the weekend mess.
Anyway, just my slant on it. TV can be OK, but only if you're there with it. Children's TV used to be called "watch WITH mother" for a good reason; now it's the "electronic babysitter" and used like this all the time it is detrimental. I've seen this with my Niece and with my own cousins; those children whose parents spend time with them seem to not only develop faster but have a love of learning later in life.
About early reading. I was reading early. I was frustrated when a teacher who didn't like me (she was marrying my dad's cousin and didn't like me before she started teaching me; the only teacher who didn't!) wouldn't let me read above where I was supposed to read. I HATED that year at school! But it didn't stop me reading books above my level at home. Because I was encouraged to do what I enjoyed and was bought not only stories but educational books and games so I could learn as I read and played.