I was just watching an infomercial about the "your baby can read" system, sounds too good to be true so I was just wondering if anyone has done it/bought it that can give me some opinions on whether they thought it was worth the money?

I saw this too...made me feel like a complete failure of a mother unless i bought it.

To be completely honest, I think these types of things should be avoided.

If you begin to teach your child how to read and write, add and subract all before school, what do they do in the first 3 years of school????

I can tell you from experience that children who are taught these things too early become bored and disruptive. They also learn through one on one interaction instead of learning how to do things on their own through trial and error.

I'm not saying that if they show an interest in writing their name and learning to count that you shouldn't teach and encourage this learning. I'm more concerned with people teaching these children too early and not allowing the child to develop their own ways of learning that will benefit them when they do begin school.

Let babies be babies, and let children be children. They have enough time to grow up and no parent is a failure for not buying this thing.

Sorry about the rant, but I'm so sick of society pushing children to accomplish these things too early. Next thing you know if a baby doesn't come straight out of the womb walking, talking and quoting Shakesphere, they'll be deemed as illiterate before their first feed.
tongue

I don’t believe your statement above because I have 2 children who have used this product, and I must say its excellent, what you seem to forget that we have lots of children in the school system who don’t know how to read and understand what they are reading, why do you think it’s so bad to teach them a skill from an early age that they can use for the rest of their life without any struggle. Do you think it’s fun for a parent to do homework with a child who can even understand the question that been asked on the paper, most of the time you will find the parent doing the homework and the child just writing down whatever the parent said to write.

look I’m sorry but, I’d rather have a child that Thrives at school then have him struggle every day. I think instead of dummying our children down, we should give them the best experience at school as possible,
what wrong with doing their homework quickly and then finding more time to play and do other activates that they also enjoy.

why teach a child to read ? It’s as stupid as it sounds,,,,, why talk to your baby from the time its born, we wouldn’t want to force the child to understand language.

excellent product, I have recommended it to many of my friends as well and they love it to.

Where do you get it from? I am really interested in getting it for my son... is it very expensive?

i agree with kylie.

although it does look like a good program and may in fact work, it is not going to increase the literacy rate in schools, as the only parents that will buy the program will be A: the ones that would have actively tried to teach their children to read anyway, and B: the ones that can afford the $400 cost

and also, increasing their reading skills will also put them further ahead in schools, forcing terachers to group them with children 2, 3, even 4 years older than themselves which will most probably lead to social problems later on.

so personally i think i'll just let my baby read at the same age as 90% of all the other kids

I don’t believe your statement above because I have 2 children who have used this product, and I must say its excellent, what you seem to forget that we have lots of children in the school system who don’t know how to read and understand what they are reading, why do you think it’s so bad to teach them a skill from an early age that they can use for the rest of their life without any struggle. Do you think it’s fun for a parent to do homework with a child who can even understand the question that been asked on the paper, most of the time you will find the parent doing the homework and the child just writing down whatever the parent said to write.

look I’m sorry but, I’d rather have a child that Thrives at school then have him struggle every day. I think instead of dummying our children down, we should give them the best experience at school as possible,
what wrong with doing their homework quickly and then finding more time to play and do other activates that they also enjoy.

why teach a child to read ? It’s as stupid as it sounds,,,,, why talk to your baby from the time its born, we wouldn’t want to force the child to understand language.

excellent product, I have recommended it to many of my friends as well and they love it to.

teaching an infant to recognise words is different to teaching a child to read. you don't need to buy this product. you could get any flash card with a word and picture, dvd cover, takeaway logo etc Recognising a word is different to actually learning the process of reading. it is recommended that you don't do this program alone - but teach phonics alongside it.

Sure there are plenty of kids in the school system that can't read. thats what happens when you have large numbers of kids with 1 teacher. thats what happens when schools have to spend their day teaching kids what vegetables are, social skills or safety because parents no longer assume they have to do anything except babysit until the school day starts. (obviously that was a very broad generalised sweeping statement and i would hope most people aren't that extreme...although i do personally know a few relatives like this....smile) but the parents who are actively involved with their kids education should be helping teach them to read at the appropriate age anyway. If you are teaching a baby to read because you have no faith in the education system being able to do so, why would you choose to enrol your child in such a system?
By teaching them to read and I will assume properly, not just by using this product) you have just made the first couple of years of the academic side of school pointless, leaving the kid either bored stupid or having to go into other classes with older kids, in which case he is likely to cop it from both the younger and older students....so what was the benefit again?

Yeah I would have to agree with some of the other PP.

I'm sorry but what they are charging 400 dollars for I can make myself with some cardboard and Big colourful textas.

In all honestly I would prefer my child to learn in her own time and her own way. She is already learning alot of things quickly WITHOUT the program and some things I haven't even had to teach her she just studies people and does it on her own. Kids learn at their own rate and even in buying it who says it is going to work for your child?

Just let them enjoy being little ones and do things at their own pace and when the time comes they will start achieving academically.

Heres another point of view to consider:
When I was in kindergarten I could read and write at a basic level. My mother spent most evenings reading to me and teaching me to recognize words and correct pronounciation. I wasn't bored when I went to school, in fact I LOVED it. I loved books and was reading at an 10 year olds level by age 6. I also loved to express myself through writing, and even today love to read and write stories, poetry etc.
To say that teaching your child to read/write or understand words means that their first years of school are "pointless" or would be "boring", is total rubbish! There is so much more to school than just the reading and writing, but having the confidence to actually pick up a book gives a kid a real boost.

Yes, let babies be babies, and children be children, but lets not forget that children love to learn, and their little brains enjoy the stimulation and time with mum or dad while they are learning.

Quite frankly the only reason i don't have this system is because of the cost, but I have been reading to my son since he was born and he is now 6 months old and loves books and being read too. I always point out the words, and use cut out pictures to create associations. As far as i'm concerned I'm doing him a favor. I don't want my kid to struggle in a classroom which may be over full with one stressed teacher. As we all know, once a kid falls behind, they are most often left behind and often fall through the cracks. Who suffers then? The child does.

If you can give your kids a head start, in a fun and non pressured way, then go for it using any means you can.

I want to get it too but its so much money! Wouldnt it be just as good to down load or buy some flash cards and spend time with your child? If you have a school child, as I do, you know that when they begin to read its all remembering by pictures, reconising colours, shapes, letters etc, and by putting it into a song they learn it so fast.

I don’t believe your statement above because I have 2 children who have used this product, and I must say its excellent, what you seem to forget that we have lots of children in the school system who don’t know how to read and understand what they are reading, why do you think it’s so bad to teach them a skill from an early age that they can use for the rest of their life without any struggle. Do you think it’s fun for a parent to do homework with a child who can even understand the question that been asked on the paper, most of the time you will find the parent doing the homework and the child just writing down whatever the parent said to write.

look I’m sorry but, I’d rather have a child that Thrives at school then have him struggle every day. I think instead of dummying our children down, we should give them the best experience at school as possible,
what wrong with doing their homework quickly and then finding more time to play and do other activates that they also enjoy.

why teach a child to read ? It’s as stupid as it sounds,,,,, why talk to your baby from the time its born, we wouldn’t want to force the child to understand language.

excellent product, I have recommended it to many of my friends as well and they love it to.

I agree with your thoughts. There is no harm in teaching your babies to recognize words, and enjoy reading. If something isn't a struggle for a child, then they tend to love doing it. I want the best for my kids and although I cannot afford the $400 for this system, the idea behind it, is fantastic.

I agree with your thoughts. There is no harm in teaching your babies to recognize words, and enjoy reading. If something isn't a struggle for a child, then they tend to love doing it. I want the best for my kids and although I cannot afford the $400 for this system, the idea behind it, is fantastic.

Its great to be able to give your child a head start before school.
My son's both knew there abc's, reading, shapes etc and the teachers were high 5-ing him! Its wonderful if a parent cares that much to be able to put some time aside everyday to encourage something that is only going to take their child to the next step.

I agree with your thoughts. There is no harm in teaching your babies to recognize words, and enjoy reading. If something isn't a struggle for a child, then they tend to love doing it. I want the best for my kids and although I cannot afford the $400 for this system, the idea behind it, is fantastic.

Its great to be able to give your child a head start before school.
My son's both knew there abc's, reading, shapes etc and the teachers were high 5-ing him! Its wonderful if a parent cares that much to be able to put some time aside everyday to encourage something that is only going to take their child to the next step.

My daughter Emily is 5... she has just started Kindy last week. We used the "your baby can read" videos with her from the time she was 4 months old.... we didn't show her many other TV programs as she just loved these vids... the only other one she saw was playschool
She absolutely loved looking at words and reading any and all types of books from a young age. She began speaking at 5 months old (simple stuff) but then read her first couple of words before she was 1.
Emily now enjoys using a wide and varied vocabulary, can communicate her ideas clearly and has confidence in trying new and unknown words.
The latest book she is reading on her own is "Charlotte's Web"... there is a difference between reading a word (decoding it) and comprehending what is read (understanding) so this is why I always ask her about what she has read to check she knows what it going on and she was able to give me a lengthy description of what she read in the first 3 chapters of the book.
I now have my son Liam who is a very different little character (he will be 2 in March) and his attention span is a lot shorter... but still he loves the baby can read vids and will ask for them when we are in the car (although at present the dvd player is broken in the car!)
I am a teacher and in December of last year I brought home a worksheet I had used with kindergarten with the word "kick" on it... no picture clue!! and he pointed at it... just finding it on the table and said "kick" !!! I nearly fell through the floor!!!
So... I will always be an advocate for this program..
I love books so much that I have begun my masters in Teacher librarianship and also started a direct selling business selling educational books games and toys (if nothing else I can now have a home library to keep up with my kids and their needs).. They are well adjusted happy kids... (normal too... with tantrums on their bad days!!) they love playing with other kids and we go to playgroups and dance classes and church...
There isn't anything wrong with tapping into their potential and fostering a love of learning!!! It isn't pressure.... how dare we deny them the joy of this!!!

I haven't tried it. It does look good but pretty expensive. We use the 'Zip and Mac' DVD's which have been amazing! Zip and Mac is a New Zealand made animated series that teaches basic literacy skills. It's the only DVD that my daughter watches without getting distracted. She wants to watch it every day. She started getting into it around 10 months.
She is only 15 months old now and knows most letters and their sounds and tries to write them. She even points to certain words on books or signs and reads them. People can't believe how advanced she is.
We haven't done anything else other than sit her infront of the DVD for a few eps every day or so. So it doesn't feel like we're trying to school her too young. Each ep is only 8 minutes long. She'd be watching a DVD from time to time anyway and it's just great that she loves it so much and that we have peace of mind that it's good for her.
The DVD's are only about $20 each and you can download a free ep off their website www.zipandmac.co.nz
TVNZ airs it as well.

To be completely honest, I think these types of things should be avoided.

If you begin to teach your child how to read and write, add and subract all before school, what do they do in the first 3 years of school????

I can tell you from experience that children who are taught these things too early become bored and disruptive. They also learn through one on one interaction instead of learning how to do things on their own through trial and error.

I'm not saying that if they show an interest in writing their name and learning to count that you shouldn't teach and encourage this learning. I'm more concerned with people teaching these children too early and not allowing the child to develop their own ways of learning that will benefit them when they do begin school.

My experience has beent he exact opposite. With my bs now 12yo we played flash cards and other early educational stuff. He went to school knowing his alphabet, numbers, his name address, colours, shapes etc.

He went to school and was so confident his class mates voted him class representative. Now he is in gifted and talented classes at high school and a straight A student.

My belief is that he started school and was capable. He placed himself in the pecking order at the top of the class as a high achiever and has remained in that place. He learned early that learning can be fun and that he can succeed in the safe environment of home.

He did learn trial and error at home and doing activities alone. I helped him to understand it was ok to get things wrong. In the process he learned that he could also get alot right. He was nurtured in the process.

I didnt go to uni and niether did any of my family. Bs wants to go to uni and the way he is going he is literally capable of doing anything he wants.

For those looking for early learning resources you can get mobile phone apps with flash cards that are awesome!!!! A great play activity to do while waiting at the doctors or any other appointment out and about.

We are the best teachers for our children.

Heres another point of view to consider:
When I was in kindergarten I could read and write at a basic level. My mother spent most evenings reading to me and teaching me to recognize words and correct pronounciation. I wasn't bored when I went to school, in fact I LOVED it. I loved books and was reading at an 10 year olds level by age 6. I also loved to express myself through writing, and even today love to read and write stories, poetry etc.
To say that teaching your child to read/write or understand words means that their first years of school are "pointless" or would be "boring", is total rubbish! There is so much more to school than just the reading and writing, but having the confidence to actually pick up a book gives a kid a real boost.

Yes, let babies be babies, and children be children, but lets not forget that children love to learn, and their little brains enjoy the stimulation and time with mum or dad while they are learning.

Quite frankly the only reason i don't have this system is because of the cost, but I have been reading to my son since he was born and he is now 6 months old and loves books and being read too. I always point out the words, and use cut out pictures to create associations. As far as i'm concerned I'm doing him a favor. I don't want my kid to struggle in a classroom which may be over full with one stressed teacher. As we all know, once a kid falls behind, they are most often left behind and often fall through the cracks. Who suffers then? The child does.

If you can give your kids a head start, in a fun and non pressured way, then go for it using any means you can.

I'm about to become a mum, but from my growing up experience, I COMPLETELY agree with you! Learning is fun, it can be made fun, and I think it is the parents and other influential adults in a child's life that can help nurture this instinct in a child.
Children are most impressionable at this age, with the brain making all kinds of connections faster than it ever will again. Teaching a child to read and speak, in a fun way, is simply giving them the freedom of speech and the understanding of language which they would struggle a bit harder with later. If anything, it's the easy option!

I admit, I was a nerd at school, and proud of it grin My mum brought me up reading through history books with her, philosophy, art, music, and a friend who was an English teacher starter to ply me with classic English literature when I was 10. By the time I was 12 I had read many Dickens, was thriving on War and Peace and the Brontes....IT WAS FUN! Mum and I used to have massive debates about the Blitzkrieg, or Portuguese colonialism, or the environment, or philosophy, or art grin Being able to understand language in a way others at school hadn't been allowed to...gave me a whole new way of seeing people, society, the world we live in. I felt a bit sorry for the other kids in my class because they just couldn't see past their expensive Oakleys and Globe skates. Being able to read and understand such complex language and themes from a younger age made school so much more exciting and stimulating, and my academic results showed! Nothing wrong with good marks, it gives you that many more options and pathways to choose from when you finish. Freedom to choose! It doesn't mean life has to revolve around school, I did a tonne of music and dance outside...which has become my chosen path.

I think it was just a matter of being brought up with different scopes and different values. And I feel it starts from the very first moment grin

When it comes down to it, learning is FUN! So much fun! It's like peering through a window you didn't know existed, into a world you couldn't possibly have imagined! And since kids have such a gloriously rich imagination, learning to read and write would open it up all that much further!

I thank mum every day for that. As a single mum, I think she did spiffingly well grin
I only hope I can be half as wonderful as she was LOL.

I saw the advert on Good Morning, am going to discuss the possibility of the program with my husband grin I think it'll also be a fun way to bond! WOOHOO!

hi i have uesd your baby can read for my son since he was 2 months old and he is now ten months and is starting to do some of the actions like wave clap and put his hand to his nose and toes it is relly good.

This product is now under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission for misleading claims/ false advertising.
You can read a review of this here http://www.readaustralia.com/yourbabycanread-review.htm
Do not buy this product- if you have a child who is going to have poor phonological awareness it will do more harm than good. There are lots of things you can do to help your child read, write and spell as early as they are ready, but this should not be based on learning sight words- it should relate to learning to hear sounds in our spoken language and how they are represented on paper. As a baby and toddler the best thing you can do is talk to your child, sing, rad stories, rhymme and basically have fun! You can start to teach the pictures of sounds as they can say them -do NOT teach letter names as they dont need to know them when first learning to read, write and spell. I can send you a link to a youtube clip that shows why if you would like.
Look for free help and support though, rather than someone trying to sell you something. It does feed off parent's desire to help their kids- however there are lots of places you can do this, for free, that will be far more helpful to your child:-)

I wouldn't bother buying this to teach your kids to read and write..I could read at the age of 2 and that was just because my mum would always read to me and show me words and letters. I was never bored at school and was just always in the top of my school. I did end up having to skip a grade when I was about 5 or 6 as I was learning a hell of a lot faster than everyone else. I think it's a good thing to teach your kids early, as long as they are interested, I wouldn't force it on them but I will definitely try and encourage my baby to read and write. Only downside I can think of is that I started school early and skipped a grade so was always the youngest person in my grade..also one of the smartest though haha. I doubt you could get bored at school, they'll always give you extra things to learn..I always had extra work given if I already knew what we were learning of if I finished early. And I did fine learning in a classroom as well as learning one on one. In the end it's up to your kid, if they show interest then all you can do is give them all the encouragement you can. I turned out to be an excellent reader and writer, doing great in classes like english and history smile

I purchased this program second hand for my baby and I think it was one of the best things I have brought. She loves watching the DVDs especially with me and we have lots of fun quality time playing with the books and cards that came with the set.

Yes you can make the flash cards and read lots of other books and signs (which it actually encourages) but the most valuable thing I received with my kit was the Parents' Guide because it not only explained how to use the program, but how keep teaching your children.

Teaching is a hard skill to master. That's why you need a degree to be a 'teacher' but this parents guide was the next best thing for me and I believe it is worth its weight in gold.

I always struggled in school and I didn't learn to read until I was almost in high school so I was afraid my children would suffer the same fate. I had no idea how to teach and interact with babies but now I have the confidence, ability and tools to teach my children to read, NOT just memorise words like the critics say (who haven't even used the program). It isn't just a 'quick fix' where the child sits in front of the TV all day and magically learns to to read...it is a way of life. The flash cards and DVDs are about 10% of teaching your child to read...the rest is working with your child by reading and teaching them.

I agree with all the people who say to let babies be babies and children be children, but even if my baby doesn't learn a single word, we have had a ball trying and I highly recommend the product to everyone!

I say dont waste your money

All the advocates of the programe that have posted their experiences here, both my children could do prior to going to school & i didnt need a programe to make it happen.

There is a certain amount of natural learning that will be done by your children given the right exposure. Between the ages of birth & 5, children learn best by imaginative & interactive play - not beeing forced into a classroom situation. I do not agree with sitting your child in front of the TV to watch endless amounts of DVD's trying to force them to be able to count to 10 - take them shopping & ask them to get you 10 oranges - wow, numbers & colours all at once!! fancy that.

There is so much pressure on children these days to be the best & smartest that it is ridiculous. No wonder our children feel like such failures if they dont get 100% in an exam.

I just brought this. Fingers crossed it worked. I have a 16mo and a 4mo. Its pretty expensive $399.50!!! I am going to be doing the trail for 30 days. Cant wait for it to arrive in the post!!!

I know you have to sit down with your child/children for this to work and I am all for that. 20 mins a day they reckon but I think I may try for more or just doing more than once a day.

Who is the publishing agent .. Any one know?

I saw this too...made me feel like a complete failure of a mother unless i bought it.

I totally agree with the above post - I have watched the infomercial and have wondered if it is the right thing to do to buy the $300 product or not.
I do believe SOME children who are advanced when entering the school system can go on to be bored with what the rest of the class are learning, therefore learning to be disruptive & potentially developing behavioural issues. This is what happened to my older brother.
Also - my main concern is if my child can read Harry Potter at aged 3 like atleast one of the children in the ad - what school is she going to attend?
Surely mainstream school cannot handle such a wide variety of children's skills? How can an overworked teacher affectively teach those who are learning english as a second languange and my child who can read like a 10yr old, in a classroom of approx 23 students?
I know in NSW it is VERY difficult to organise a child to be 'put up a year'. I have confirmed this with 2 early childhood teachers and a public school librarian.
If I buy this $300 product will my child have to go to a special school like Motessori which is obviously going to cost a hell of a lot more in tuition & fuel?
Will it really make that much difference at the end of the day?
I can see short term benefits; in yr one when the other kids are learning to read and having homework set which they may struggle through, perhaps 'your baby can read' kids can spend that time playing sport or learning a musical instrument but what is the difference in say 18/19 yr old kids.
Are we perhaps breeding the 'clever ones' who lack social skills...? I think of Dr Spencer Reid on Criminal Minds - uber-intelligent but not much in the social stakes.
Are we educating our children but stunting them socially? For some reason they don't mention this on the infomercial - any opinions?

im not sure if i would say the program is negative or positive.
but as a kid i was reading by 2 years old, knew my abc's, shapes, numbers and by 4 i was writing.
i love to learn and always have, to this day i still like to pick a topic and learn about it, but i hated school once i hit intermediate so 11/12 years old, I was easily board not overly encouraged in class, hated other kids and generally had no interest in going to school, because we kept learning things i already knew ( i spent my pocket money on learning books that taught me about things i was interested in and also activity books, maths english science etc) so i started to shut off, my grades started to fail and by 14 i had left school and started studying food and nutrition. after realising that wasn't my dream i began working at 15/16 and now at 21 I am half way threw becoming an early childhood teacher and working full time as a nanny, but before then i would like to go back and get a refresh on english and maths because to be honest i now absolutely suck at both sad i wish i had enjoyed school enough to stay because the benefits of school are much more now then they used to be in my mothers day.
i long to teach children how i wish i had been taught. . .

I don't think this is the best way to teach a child to learn to read and comprehend words or enjoy them. From what I have seen it doesn't teach any phonics and tells you to strap them into a highchair or something with no toys or other distractions and watch it over and over. This is not the way I would want to teach my kids to read. It should be interactive. I would rather sing the alphabet or songs with rhymes and actions at this age to teach about literacy. There are much better products around if you really want something (altho not for little babies) eg jolly phonics or the ABC reading eggs.

The other issue is that the brain is more elastic in the first 5 years of life ... the basis of most peoples speech abilities is formed by 5 and the level achieved at this age reflects on performance later in life ... if we wait until our children go to school to learn some of these skills we 've missed a period where they can learn so much.

It annoys me that someone is trying to make money from putting more pressure on parents to teach their babies something that is not necessary at such an early age. Reading books to children from an early age is very important but teaching them to read using flash cards and by watching dvds is ridiculous. Learning through play is the best way for children to learn. They have enough to learn about life let alone bombarding them with flash cards etc.
When do they just get to be children? I don't think letting your child learn about the world around them through play means you're just being a baby sitter until they go to school.
There are studies that show that there is no advantage to teaching a child to read at a really early age. If they are taught properly at school they all catch up in the end anyway.
Don't waste your money, just read them books whenever you can and let them be children while they can.

I would like to say I bought mine when my baby was 3 months old he is just about 7 & half months old now. He knows when he wakes that's the first thing he does & get's very ecited when it comes on in the morning he is trying to make sounds now he really enjoys learning the songs like Old MacDonald's Farm & Twinkle Little Star & all the animals & what they are called ect. It's the best investment I've made for his future & it only cost $59.90 a month for 5 months from TV Shop + the trial payment of $19.90 so total $319.40 The way my partner & I look @ it at least this way by starting him young hopefully we won't have to spend huge amounts in the future with a private tutor! + with the school's having such large class sizes it is hard for a staggling child to get one on one attention if they are behind I know I was one of them left behind so I'm going to make damn sure my little one won't be.. I don't think it could ever be to late to start it could only be of benifet if you search on face book I found a page Your Baby Can Read or search the net they have posted video's of children of different ages doing the program. I also found a page on facebook.com.au called Disney DVDS selling it for $36 which is such a good price. I'm currently doing reserch into the follow on programs for older children & one that teaches to count, colours, shapes ect.

My child started the Your baby can read programe when he was 18mths old. He is now 2yrs 4mths. He can read every word in the program plus hundreds more. He can count, knows colours, most of the alphabet and concepts beyond his age. I put this down to this programe that has taught him to love learning. And there are also things that he doesn't understand yet but he will when he is ready too. It just takes encouragment and praise when your gets it right or tries. There was a period of 3-4 mths he was not interested in it any more so we stopped. Then he asked to watch the dvd and read the books so we do when he wants to. He also watches lots of tv and movies like cars and thomas the tank engine along with the Your baby can read dvds. In fact he watches way too much tv which the progame says not too. He plays with his toys, paints, colours, loves being outside and goes to play group with his friends. He is a normal kid.

To say this is a bad thing to do to your child is ignorance when you have not tried it your self. If my child goes to school and can read and count and other kids cant it just means he can and they can't. He is no better than them and I am no better than their parents. He will still be a kid like them.

There is nothing wrong with encouraging your child to learn as long as you listen to your child and don't make them do something they don't want to. I recommend this programe to everyone. You don't have to buy the programe you can do it your self by buying flash cards and reading to your child even pointing out objects and colors etc is teaching your child.