Your Baby Can Read(thoughts?)

 I haven't read the link yet but being one of those "advanced" readers in school, I figure I'll add my inputs.

My grandma read to me from the day she met me. When I was either a year and a half or 2, I started basic reading on my own. As I got older, she would ask me WHY the author said what they did, what the words mean't, ect. I also loved to help in the kitchen and I read out the recipes or at night, I'd read the bedtime story to whomever was there that night. My mom would buy my books that I'd love. I wasn't pressured to read, I read because I loved to read. I loved to hear the story. 

By the time I was in grade 2, I was reading at a grade 8 level. By the time I graduated, I had surpassed an average college student.  My teachers gave me reading tests every couple years just to see how I was doing.  Someone (can't remember who) linked my reading level to my spelling level.  I was (note WAS) a fantastic speller. I could spell words from a grade 12 spelling test at the of 7. Again I wasn't forced to learn this stuff, I learned to spell by learning to read the books. I honed my spelling by asking my parents to give me spelling tests 3 times a week. Yes I was(and still am ) a massive English geek. Lol. I used to be able to finish a book the size of an oxford dictionary in a day and yes I did read the dictionary for kicks one day..

When I was grade 9, it was shown that I'm dyslexic. Caught late in my life but explained my problems with math. I suck at math. Lol. My numbers move around the page, switch places and even vanish for moments until I blink and try and refocus.

Sadly now adays reading for any length of times gives me a mirgraine, and now my dyslexiay (sp?) has progressed to the point where my words move and full paragraphs jump around the page. 

If and when I ever have kids, Yes I'll read to them but I won't force them to read when they don't want to and if they are advanced for their age, I won't make them do "parlor tricks" 

Based on the current status of knowledge gained about the brain and learning, if you want to do such activities with your child it is unlikely to hurt.  If you get such a program and there is no progress, consider it a sign that you might want to start some investigation.  Many of the neural circuits that will lead to successful reading in the future are developing after birth.  The more sensory input (auditory and visual) that is provided the greater the likelihood the circuits will come on line strong and a bit early.  Many early readers are hardwired to be that way.  The reality is the better the environment, the language models (which include read alouds, nursery rhymes (great for phoneme segmentation) and structure/routine the more likely development will chug along like an efficient train that sometime becomes a bullet train.

As to schools doing a poor job,  I am truly sorry for that.  However, there are resources available at no cost that you can access.  If there are individuals on the board who would like such information, please contact me for the agencies.

As to dyslexia, it can be identified through a test battery.  That is necessary because there are multiple subtypes based on specific neuropsychological processes that did not get efficient circuitry developed.  The good news is there are early warning signs. AND there is lots of evidence that APPROPRIATE intervention tailored to the specific deficits identified, can improve significantly and in some cases CORRECT the problem.  If unfortunately an individual has one of the resistant "forms" (from a brain wiring standpoint), there are powerful options for accommodation.  If you wish to have a better understanding of the disorder, you would be interested in Sally Shaywitz's book.

http://www.childrenofthecode.org/interviews/shaywitz.htm  a web sight with the neuropsych info on reading

http://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Dyslexia-Sally-Shaywitz-M-D/dp/0786188812/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233835709&sr=1-1

the book (happens to be the cd version but the print versions are there as well)

Understand there are lots of school districts who will try.  Granted some don't, but a great many of us school pysch approach this as a vocation, not a job.

As a first time mom with a MIL who is absolutely freaking nuts about education, I personally am sick and tired of people jamming education down my 20 month old's throat.  I am sick and tired of people asking me if my daughter is "slow" because she doesn't say "hi" on command.  Riley gets read to a couple times a week - she could care less.  She will not sit on my lap and let me read to her.  I have to sit on the bed and she has to be on the floor away from the book  - she is usually on the floor playing or "reading" her own book while I read to her.  If she can reach the book I am reading, she will try to close it and take it away.  She just isn't big on it and would much rather be doing other things.

Yes, I have spoken to her doc about and it is normal.  No she is not slow, yes she understands what I am saying, and yes she does talk.  She just says phrases such as;  "Good God", "Thank you', "You're Welcome", "I've Got It", "Back off" (that's my personal favorite), etc. She counts to 4 and knows how to take off her clothes and eat with a fork.  That's good for now. 

I personally think so many parents freak out their kids with all this education stuff.  I don't remember doing any of that.  I remember playing Barbies, tag, Hide and Go Seek, and legos.  I have a friend at work who said with their first child they were crazy with the flashcard thing, every night at dinner doing different words, the alphabet, etc. that dinner became stressful.  She is now in 4th grade and isn't doing any better than anyone else.  They are on their 4th child now and have stopped all that stuff and they can tell the difference between how much more relaxed this child is vs. their others. 

There is plently of time for stressing out in life and when you are little, that shouldn't be one of them.  Now is the time to let them run, play, explore, eat crayons, etc.  For goodness sake - they have the rest of their life to be educated.

Sorry for the rant, this is a very sore spot with me.  My MIL repeatedly tells me I am doing something wrong with Riley because she doesn't talk yet.  She goes on and on and on over the phone, via email, through other relatives.  She wants me/DH to read to her at least 2 hours a day and if we don't we are hurting her educational future.  Give me a freaking break!   She does not need to be tested, she does not need to be put on pills.  She is a fun, loving, play hard/sleep hard little girl and doesn't need to be drugged up so she will sit on my lap while I read Peter Rabbit to her. 

Great post, Lisa.  Todays young moms really get bombarded about education.  When my boys were babies it was nursing/bottles and toilet training. I was really glad when we moved from San Diego to Davis because it meant my mom wasn't going to be constantly asking "OMG, isn't he weaned yet?" "OMG, why is he still in diapers?" Umm, he was 17 months old. I just figured since I hadn't heard about anyone who was denied admission to the college of their choice because they were still nursing/taking a bottle/in diapers, I wouldn't worry about it.

Joyce

I wonder what Lisa's MIL would have said when my daughter didn't walk until she was 16 months old!  My pediatrician use to tell me when my oldest son was so difficult to potty train, don't worry he won't walk down the isle in diapers!  LOL

 Well personally I always thought it seemed like common sense to kill two birds with one stone and teach your kid to read as they are learning to speak.  I caught one of those, My Baby Can Read Ads a few weeks back and was pleased to see I wasn't alone in my thought process, and there were programs out there that can help a parent do so.  At the same time, I wouldn't view it as something that is going to take strict structure and hours of studying.  To me learning to read should be a lot like teaching your child to speak.  You don't need to obsesse over it you simply surround them with the sounds through daily conversation and pointing things out to them.  This is just adding a chance for visual stimulation in addition to the spoken word.  IMO if your doing it correctly it should be fun for the child to learn.

 I think what I like about this program is that it is supposed to be fun.  There are DVD's to throw in while I'm busy doing other things.  The TV is usually on for background noise anyway, why not have something on that will teach them a thing or two?  Kali has picked up lots of stuff from TV. 

The flash cards?  Well, I have always used flashcards as a game.  Even when I was in school, flash cards were used in game form.  I have hundreds of flash cards around, words, numbers, letters, addition...  We play Memory to work on matching and memory skills, but the kids think its a game.  We play Hi Ho Cherry-Oh and Trouble to work on numbers and later Monopoly for addition, but the kids don't care about that, its just fun.  Battleship and MasterMind work on logic, but again, its just fun. 

I don't really care if Kali or Kelci is ahead, or even behind in some areas, as long is nothing is really wrong.  But I was just thinking that if reading early could foster a more relaxed relationship with learning, it would be worth it.   I'm also not opposed to the idea that a new way of learning may be real.  It wasn't too long ago that people trained dogs with punishment instead of reward.  Heck some people still do.  I don't want to be one of those people.

luvmyswissy

I wonder what Lisa's MIL would have said when my daughter didn't walk until she was 16 months old!  My pediatrician use to tell me when my oldest son was so difficult to potty train, don't worry he won't walk down the isle in diapers!  LOL

Don't even get me started on my MIL!!!  She raised three dysfunctional boys who all needed to go to therapy to undo what she messed up!  And she wants to give me advice...no thanks.

Regarding the potty training.  Under pressure (from her of course) I bought a potty from Ikea. 

It is very basic - it was $4.  I asked the Ped. about it and he said go ahead and buy it but don't expect much - which I didn't  Well, after a couple of weeks MIL emailed me asking me if Riley was using her potty.  I proudly said yes, she uses it everyday.  I didn't mention that she wears it at a hat and eats goldfish out of it (don't panic it's never been "used";).  She has no interest and from everything I have ever read, the more you push the more they resist. 

huskymom

The flash cards?  Well, I have always used flashcards as a game.  Even when I was in school, flash cards were used in game form.  I have hundreds of flash cards around, words, numbers, letters, addition...  We play Memory to work on matching and memory skills, but the kids think its a game.  We play Hi Ho Cherry-Oh and Trouble to work on numbers and later Monopoly for addition, but the kids don't care about that, its just fun.  Battleship and MasterMind work on logic, but again, its just fun. 

I definitely think the flashcards thing is a good idea.  That's how I always learned things in school, etc.  But the problem is, some parents focus so much on their child has to know these things before the age of two, it ends up hurting the child in the long run from the pressure.  My BIL was like that with my nieces.  When they were in grade school they had teacher homework and daddy homework - to the tune of 3 hours a night.  My niece starting hating school.  They are smart and get all A's but that wasn't good enough he wanted them above their grade level.  After a few years my sister had a heart to heart and explained that he was putting too much pressure on them to young.  He finally laid off and they are still getting all A's but now have time for more fun things and like school better.

huskymom

 I think what I like about this program is that it is supposed to be fun.  There are DVD's to throw in while I'm busy doing other things.  The TV is usually on for background noise anyway, why not have something on that will teach them a thing or two?  Kali has picked up lots of stuff from TV. 

The flash cards?  Well, I have always used flashcards as a game.  Even when I was in school, flash cards were used in game form.  I have hundreds of flash cards around, words, numbers, letters, addition...  We play Memory to work on matching and memory skills, but the kids think its a game.  We play Hi Ho Cherry-Oh and Trouble to work on numbers and later Monopoly for addition, but the kids don't care about that, its just fun.  Battleship and MasterMind work on logic, but again, its just fun. 

I don't really care if Kali or Kelci is ahead, or even behind in some areas, as long is nothing is really wrong.  But I was just thinking that if reading early could foster a more relaxed relationship with learning, it would be worth it.   I'm also not opposed to the idea that a new way of learning may be real.  It wasn't too long ago that people trained dogs with punishment instead of reward.  Heck some people still do.  I don't want to be one of those people.

I don't know how old your children are but Hooked on Phonics is a wonderful program, its expensive.  I have the K-1 addition if your interested let me know thru PM and I will be happy to give it to you.  First I have to check and see if all the pieces are there. LOL

Phonics - I think that is way more important that rote reading.  When I was in school (back in the Stone Ages), we were taught phonics and I think that is why I personally was very successful in spelling and reading.  Even in college when I took medical terminology, that old phonics stuff was a huge help. 

Lisa, you must get a pic of Riley with her "hat" on and post it...LOL

For parents interested in the H-O-P- programs... 

If you have a Half Priced Books in your area...we used to ALWAYS get in used HOP programs and they were a STEAL....they were the older versions but come on...do Phonics really change that much? LOL.

We always puttem out at a fraction of the original cost.

Ohhh, thanks for the suggestion Gina!  We just got the baby one the other day but I will keep this in mind as we move up...I should see if they have any of the Signing Times stuff or Baby Einstein too!

we used to get those in. Mind you a lot was on *gasp* VHS...lol. But nowadays I expect we still get them on DVD. Always had plenty of interesting educational materials there. Teachers/Homeschoolers were always coming in selling their materials...they needed the money!

mrstjohnson

I am sick and tired of people asking me if my daughter is "slow" because she doesn't say "hi" on command.

If anyone says to her "Say HI Riley!!!!", feel free to butt in with a smile, put on your baby voice and say: "No way Grandma, I'm not a performing monkey you know! ha ha!" 

That usually shuts people up. 

Kids know when they are being patronised and some of them don't buy it.  Doesn't mean they're stupid.... nothing could be further from the truth!

mrstjohnson

Yes, I have spoken to her doc about and it is normal.  No she is not slow, yes she understands what I am saying, and yes she does talk.  She just says phrases such as;  "Good God", "Thank you', "You're Welcome", "I've Got It", "Back off" (that's my personal favorite), etc. She counts to 4 and knows how to take off her clothes and eat with a fork.  That's good for now. 

Whereas William will say almost ANYTHING, knows some signs, loves being read to, knows his colours and can follow simple instructions but can't really count, still eats with his fingers half the time and has no interest in removing his clothes.  He's not slow either... they all pick up different stuff at different rates, don't they?

We'll give something a go and keep at it if he shows an interest and back off if he doesn't.  He loves the flash cards but we don't follow the "rules" on the box.  He likes tipping them out and putting them back in the box.  He has favourite ones and he likes naming the ones he knows, or talking about the picture.... He also likes stacking them or shuffling them round on the floor.  He likes decks of playing cards for that too.