Your baby can read review? - Page 3

[tnmom66]

Originally Posted by hippiemommaof4

many I see no reason why a baby needs to read, it's more of the parents thing...they want the baby to read. I'm thinking most of them want to do it because it gives them bragging rights, to one up another mom on the play ground playing field or something equally bizarre imo. I am not trying to insult anyone here but most of the people I know irl would use it for one uping another parent because there is no logical reason why a baby needs to read at that age honestly.

To be VERY honest, I think it is a bit of a self-esteem issue for ME. I think I would feel like an utter failure as a mother if my children struggled in school. I keep telling them that if a "C" was the grade they got when they did their best, I'd be proud of them for doing their best work. But I really feel better knowing that my children produce "A"s when they do their best. I expect they do, too. I have other issues and areas where I feel like I have let my family down. It does make me feel good to send my kids to school having a "head start", and I wish the schools were set up differently. I love homeschooling because the child can go at his or her own pace and don't have the same sense of "failure" that they get if they "fall behind" in public school. I just don't want my children to struggle any more than they have to, and God knows that even in the very best of situations, our children will struggle ....

I know that having good grades isn't everything. I also try to teach my children to be kind to others and helpful and honest and all those nice things. I think character development is more important than academics. Some of the most wonderful people I know weren't straight A students. It's not a reflection on their value as a human being.

Having straight As in school is no guarantee of success or even happiness later down the road. But I don't think it hurts.

I have no conscious desire to "one up" other moms, but rather I encourage them, if they are interested, to teach their babies to read. I think it is great that we are all individuals and have the freedom to raise our babies how we want. I am very happy for the children who do well in school, whether they learned to "read" at one year, or six years old. But I'm sad for the ones in 4th, 5th or 6th grade and beyond who are basically illiterate. And there are many such children.

If my children are happy, healthy, and well-adjusted and make good marks in school, it makes me feel like I'm doing something "RIGHT" and hopefully makes up for my faults as a mother (while I'm working to eliminate those faults that I'm so painfully aware of).

I don't think mothers should be "shamed" into teaching or not teaching their babies as they see fit any more than they should be "shamed" into breastfeeding or not, co-sleeping or not, etc. I feel like we should all follow our hearts and observe the effects in our children.

Lydia

[tnmom66]

Originally Posted by Lillian J

I remember telling an acquaintance about the delightful time I was having with my son with the Little House books, and she thought for a moment and said, "I think Suzanne read those when she was five." She wasn't even sure - she had little if any personal experience of the books. I actually felt a little sad for her daughter missing out on the incredible fun of sharing those places and people and times with her mom. Our time spent together in books were some of the more wonderful times my son and I spent together. - Lillian

You mean she didn't sit and read aloud with her kids? I can't imagine!! The Little House books are fantastic to read together. My son (now 11) always did and still does like being read to for pleasure, more than reading himself. My daughter was always too impatient and if I was reading out loud, she'd be reading (faster) silently over my shoulder, but she'd still have to wait for me to finish and turn the page. She always has her nose in a book and she's soon to be 13.

We always had a "family altar" experience before bedtime when I was growing up, and in addition to Bible reading and prayers, my Dad would read aloud some secular material. I remember him reading aloud the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia when I was in high school. Good times.

I guess one of the tremendous advantages to being able to read fluently is so you can read aloud to your kids!!! Wonder if your friend has trouble reading herself?

Lydia

[eclipse]

One thing I really missed out on with my older son was reading some of the classic books to him. He was my three year old reader, and once he learned, he never looked back and NEVER wanted me to read to him. I've decided that we need to start having a book club (with only 2 members - son and I!) and read books at the same time and discuss them. My daughter was also an early reader (4ish) but at almost 7, she still loves to be read to every day. She could have read Little House and her own, but I'm so glad she let me read it to her.

[tnmom66]

Originally Posted by eclipse

One thing I really missed out on with my older son was reading some of the classic books to him. He was my three year old reader, and once he learned, he never looked back and NEVER wanted me to read to him. I've decided that we need to start having a book club (with only 2 members - son and I!) and read books at the same time and discuss them. My daughter was also an early reader (4ish) but at almost 7, she still loves to be read to every day. She could have read Little House and her own, but I'm so glad she let me read it to her.

Thanks for sharing this! If I have this same "problem" with my little one, I'll be glad to have the "book club" idea.

Lydia

[Lillian J]

Originally Posted by tnmom66

You mean she didn't sit and read aloud with her kids? I can't imagine!!

That's unfortunately actually quite common. I used to give beautiful books to children for birthdays sometimes, knowing that the parents, although not enthused at first, would have to start reading to them - and I'll confess to taking an impish pleasure in knowing it was going to force that scenario and that the children and parents would all enjoy it (which they reported later that the did). Lillian

[eclipse]

Lillian is an evil genius

[Lillian J]

Originally Posted by eclipse

Lillian is an evil genius

Well, that's sorta' the way even I looked at it the time. Lillian

[bri276]

The commercial for this product just makes me every time when I hear the mother describe her five year old as "incredibly well-rounded". He's 5! F-I-V-E!

[tnmom66]

It does make me wonder sometimes how I can get cheap "used" books at goodwill or the used bookstore and they are inscribed to a child from "grandma" or whoever, but they look like they've never been cracked open! I just hope that the child gets lots of books read aloud at day care or elsewhere!

Lyda

[moominmamma]

Originally Posted by Lillian J

I actually felt a little sad for her daughter missing out on the incredible fun of sharing those places and people and times with her mom. Our time spent together in books were some of the more wonderful times my son and I spent together. - Lillian

As the mom to a bunch of early spontaneous readers, I just wanted to point out that independent reading shouldn't mean that you don't read aloud to your children. I still read aloud to all my kids even though they've been reading on their own for ages. My eldest has been reading independently for 12 years and I still read aloud to her, though admittedly not so much these days. But at ages 5-10, we always had at least two books that I was reading aloud to her every day.

Miranda

[munchkin77]

I used Your Baby Can Read and thought it was alright. I was not in love with the program, and neither was my baby. It did not capture my baby's attention and make him excited to learn. I did find a different program that we are currently using and I am very happy with it. It has more of an entertaining spin on it that Your Baby Can Read. My baby has really enjoyed using this program and so far we are noticing some great results. My baby is recognizing his body barts and basic shapes and colors. I would definitely  reccomend this program to other parents. If perhapes you already own Your Baby Can Read, together the two program can really complement each other. I hope this helps. 

[Mama2mc]

Edited.

Edited by Mama2mc - 5/31/11 at 11:01am

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by munchkin77 

I used Your Baby Can Read and thought it was alright. I was not in love with the program, and neither was my baby. It did not capture my baby's attention and make him excited to learn. I did find a different program that we are currently using and I am very happy with it. It has more of an entertaining spin on it that Your Baby Can Read. My baby has really enjoyed using this program and so far we are noticing some great results. My baby is recognizing his body barts and basic shapes and colors. I would definitely  reccomend this program to other parents. If perhapes you already own Your Baby Can Read, together the two program can really complement each other. I hope this helps. 

I did something similar in helping my baby learn shapes, colors, and body parts. I called it "talking to her about things in her life".  Body parts she got from playing "where is baby's X? here's baby's X? where's Mommy's X? here's Mommy's X?", colors from the 10-pack crayola set of paints and cars in parking lots, and shapes from a shape sorter, because those were times when her attention and interest were on those particular concepts.

She's also learned a lot from YouTube videos because she can point to ask for the ones on topics that interest her.

[leighi123]

We used it, SOOOOOO boring!   And ds didnt learn a thing from it.   

He is learning to read from 100 easy lessons, and lots and lots of reading books to him!   We aren't going as fast as one lesson a day (sense he is only 3), but he is sounding out words already and can read actual books if he is in the right mood to sit there.