Have you ever used or do you have experience with the "Your Baby Can Read" program?

How to Teach Your Baby to Read

Do babies really need to read? I mean, for goodness sakes they’re babies!

I do recommend reading, all the time to your children and in front of them for pleasure.

I agree with you, augustlan. I think touching, tasting, being snuggled, being talked to and being sung to are much more important things for babies to be doing than reading or learning to sign. Reading to them and in front of them is fine, but primary experiential learning and loviing is the most important first learning.

My little boy is actually three years old, but he is showing a lot of interest in reading. He retains everything and I want take advantage of this time when he is so curious.

@cheebdragon have you personally used that method?

As an avid reader i would really like my son to be a good reader and excited about books but I don’t think it’s a great idea to try and get them to read so young (“babies”)... Learn slowly through play. I read to him every day, he loves books and sits there looking at them on his own… I love it when i catch him sat on the sofa reading (looking at) books alone. I tend to think the only reason to educate your child so early is so you can say “guess what my child can do now!!!” at nursery or play group…and personally i don’t have much respect for those kind of mums that revel in their childrens achievements just to bump up their own ego.

As he is 3 though… i suppose that’s about the right time for education… but definitely not before the little blighters are at least 2 years old x I haven’t had any experience with the aforementioned program and would be interested also to fins out as my son is 2 and 3 months

I don’t know why a baby needs to read, they’re busy learning to talk. But my daughter could read by the time she was four. This was 30 years ago by the way, we didn’t have “your baby can read, or hooked on phonics stuff. I simply spent with her teaching her to read. Of course, she already knew her ABC’s (thanks to Seasme Street) I made some letter flash cards to teach the sound of each letter then made some word cards – she learned in no time. We started on math after that. Kids at that age love to read, they love the kudos you offer them and it makes ‘em feel like a big kid. You don’t need to spend money on that crap, you can do it yourself – better.

My girls could all read before they started school, too. I didn’t really teach them, it just happened. While reading to them, I’d run my finger along under the words I was reading. That’s pretty much it! If your son is naturally curious and absorbs new material easily, he’ll be reading before you know it :)