Has Anyone Else Used the program 'Your Baby Can Read'?

Kathy - posted on 03/18/2010

In my opinion (as a grandmother) a lot of these products are scams. Companies play on parents' desire to get a head, or get further than they are. At this early age, they don't need formal teaching. Talk to your child about her fingers and toes and brushing her hair; talk to the family dog or cat, or the car and the noise the truck makes etc.Get some books and read to/with your toddler. Get your child a library card.

Jill - posted on 03/13/2010

As a teacher with a degree in early childhood education, this product is nothing more than memorization! While there probably isn't any harm in using the program, please know that it is a HUGE waste of money. Buy some sentence strips and a sharpie and write the words on them, better yet label items in your home. Parents are truly their child's first and best teacher and you don't need fancy programs and videos to achieve an early start to learning for you child!!!

Joselyn - posted on 03/12/2010

Ok, first off just a note from a Reading Specialist with ad MA in Education, this doesn't exactly teach "just memorization". For anyone in school systems who have used the Wilson program to help struggling readers, this is on the same wavelength as that, and Wilson is highly accredited. "Your Baby Can Read" teaches word recognition through visual, auditory, and kinestetic learning (that means movement). Children who use this program will not have to "un-learn" anything. Most children learn to read by hearing the sounds and seeing the word, this program starts preping their brains to do that. My mother bought this for my daughter but she was too old (3 at the time) to really be interested in this. My 18 month old son as been watching this videos at least twice a day, simply because he LOVES them, since he was 9 months old or so. He is not yet verbalizing the words that are understandable but he recognizes the words and their association. We, as humans, learn just about EVERYTHING through association. I can't tell you if these videos will actually help anyone, but they really couldn't hurt either. Just about anything that provides positive brain synaptic functions for children is always a plus in my book.

Christine - posted on 03/11/2010

My mom bought it for my daughter and she is doing great with it. I also made my own flash cards and try to help her as best as i can.. when i lay the cards down i can tell her find the word dog and she finds it. She does not yet read the words aloud but she does recongnize them. Its a good program.. i think its too expensive when i could make the flash cards on my own tho.. but the DVD's are also funn she sings and dances with them.

Connie - posted on 03/11/2010

As a daycare/preschool teacher I use YBCR for vocabulary for the littlest ones with no intention of them retaining the words, however as they get older, around 2 they start picking up the words. It has been great for my 2-4 year olds to learn words by sight. I also use LeapFrog's Letter Factory to teach phonics and Meet the Sight Words. I also have the other LeapFrog reading DVDs that introduce silent e and "when two vowels walk together, the first one says it's name (and the second one is silent)." They learn the rules before they even start reading, so that when they do, it goes VERY fast. I have 2 kids who just turned 4 and 5 this last month, and both are reading at a 1st grade level. It doesn't harm anything as long as they aren't just plopped in front of a DVD and left. I sit with the kids through any DVD and TEACH them through it. YBCR is a lot of flashcard-type material for a very high price. The same results can be achieved by using simple board books and instructing your child.

Heidi - posted on 03/10/2010

Yes as an experienced teacher and mom, its a great resource. Got it to see what all the hype was about and really good.

Ann-Marie - posted on 03/10/2010

I HAVE IT FOR MY SON WHO IS 10M OLD I KNOW COUPLE OTHER PEOPLE THAY HAVE USED IT AND RESULTS VARY BUT ALMOST GARUNTEE THAT YOU CHILD WILL RAD BEFORE SCHOOL AND SPEAK BETTER. I HAVE BEEN USING IT FOR 3 MONTHS KNOW. MY SON KNOWS THE GESTURES FOR THE WORDS AS OF RIGHT NOW. SOME OTHERS I KNOW USED IT AT AGE 1 AND THEIR CHILDREN WERE READING BY AGE 3 SOME AGE 2. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS JUST ASK... ITS A GREAT PROGRAM,,, :)

Brandee - posted on 03/09/2010

I purchased YBCR for my son when he was 6 months old (19 mo. old now).. The videos kept his attention long enough for me to take a shower everyday!! We don't watch these videos as often anymore, but he loves the flip books and slide out cards.. I don't see how it could hurt them in any way.. I have watch my niece and nephews learn site words in school and it is basically memorization too.. I did not implement the program as it was outlined, so my son is not reading books or anything, but I would rather he watch these videos than something like Spongebob Square Pants, which teaches him nothing.. He can pick out the right flash card about 90% of the time with out seeing the picture that goes with it.. We spread the cards out and play a "pick up" game.. I think it is worth the money.. It gave me another tool to use for quality time with my son.

Lee - posted on 03/08/2010

Let me start out saying the I am most skeptical of any "program' that promises all things good. That being said..with the recommendation from my mother,.we started our daughter on YBCR at 19mo. She has been using it for 2mo now. She watched the video once in the morning. I mix the book and flash cards in with our other daily reading. She recently started recognizing the words from the program in other books and while out. Yes I will agree with some others that memorization does play a part in the dvds.However, Is not word association also apart of learning? .
I work with my daughter to give her every opportunity to learn. Before the program, I used flash cards on objects around the house , and still do. Is this not the same concept?
I do not believe by using this program I am hindering my daughter's education but simply adding another tool to help me in her quest for knowledge. I applaud you for being involved in your childrens early development. Keep up the good work!

Destiny - posted on 03/08/2010

I hope no one is getting the wrong idea here...I do teach and work with my children on these things myself as well...but there are also books that come with it and they love books so they pay attention really well when I read them the books

Teresa - posted on 03/07/2010

My son has known all his body parts for several months... He'll be 2 in 3 weeks. My girls started reading (some memorization, mostly sounding out words) at 3.5.... Among many other educational achievements. All done for free. I believe that a parent is a child's best and first teacher and that programs like this while they may 'work' are a scam and a complete waste of money. Good luck though!

Destiny - posted on 03/07/2010

Well I hope I am not making a terrible mistake by using it. They are just learning so much as far as their body parts and they are behind on talking but are doing so much better now since they have started using it. But my intention is not to mess things up for their future it is to help them get where they should be...

Johnny - posted on 03/06/2010

I have recently heard on the news that the makers of "Your Baby Can Read" are being investigated by consumer advocates and the government because it is a scam. You can teach your children to sight read on your own without this expensive program. And truthfully, phonics skills are what children need to learn to read and write properly, and this sort of program can interfere with the development of those skills.

Medic - posted on 03/06/2010

All it does is teach the kids to memorize the words it is not truely reading. You can teach your kids body parts and simple motions there is really no need to pay several hundred dollars for what you can teach better.

Destiny - posted on 03/06/2010

my children havent paid as much attention to the written word but in the past 6 weeks they have been using it they have learned where there head, toes, and mouth are and also do the movements such as 'arms up' and 'wave' when the word is spoken but not just the written word. They also recognize dogs.

Krista - posted on 03/06/2010

A few other people here have asked about it, and got responses from people who actually work in child education, who said that it's nothing more than rote memorization, and that often when the child does start school, they wind up having to un-learn all of that, and it actually puts them farther behind.