Teaching your baby to read -@ P & C Show

Did anyone go to the seminar from Dr Robert Titzer regarding teaching your baby to read.

I thought it was VERY interesting as a first time mother to be... especially when the child behind me starting reacting and reading along to the DVD being shown.

The programme was expensive and I wondered if you could make some aspects of it yourself?

Has anyone used this system?

My impression of the show... holy heck you could spend a billion dollars if you had them Oh and how many emails, phone calls, brochures am I going to be sent or receive after entering all those competitions

Well said Music Mummy - Infact I couldn't agree more. Lucas LOVES his nursery rhymes/songs and storybook time ...but I think kids learn best when they're left to explore and find things out for themselves.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love a little Einstein but I'm sure he will do just fine at school and I'm giving him the best possible start just by reading to him everyday - no need for expensive programs IYKWIM

I saw the seminar too and I also had the opportunity to interview Dr Titzer afterwards. I must admit I went into it very sceptical, I honestly don't see the point, or the neccessity of teaching an infant to read.

I'm still not convinced that it needs to start that early (from birth) but I was most impressed with the seminar and the system. In fact, reading aside, I suspect it might also be quite useful for language development as it also encourages spoken language. OHbaby! now has a review copy so watch this space to see what the OHbaby! team think of it in practise. I'm planning to try it with my Sienna who has speech delays.

As for teaching kids to read before they start school, I don't think I agree that it disadvantages them, this is something I discussed with Dr Titzer, but also something I experienced with Maya when she started school. Her Montessori had a reading programme for the 4-year olds, she started it at 3 as she demanded to have reading books like the bigger kids. She started school in February reading at level 8/20, she is now on level 19/20 and goes to the Year Two class for reading as her reading is so advanced.

I don't think we should be forcing our kids to spend every waking hour learning to read before they start school, but for those kids who take an interest in it and are keen I think it's incredibly important to nurture that. Maya would have raced thru Dr Titzers programme at a rate of knots, but she would have enjoyed it for sure.

I think too that the onus is on the parents to ensure that their children's schools don't allow them to be disadvantaged by having to wait around for the other kids to catch up. I pop into Maya's classroom regularly and talk to her teacher about where she's at, what I can do to help, what I think she needs extra help with and what areas she needs to be extended in.

[QUOTE=BuzzyBee]

Don't get me wrong, I'd love a little EinsteinQUOTE]

Really ? have you seen those obnoxious little children in their green rocket ?

And isn't their rocket red? Does pregnancy make you colourblind these days? bahahaha

I LOVE Little Einsteins.

Wouldn't want one myself though, I worked extensively for gifted kids and for the majority it is NOT an easy thing to be.

Given that Lily's vocab extends to mumma, dadda, up, oh dear, dancing and yay, i don't think she will be needing an early reaading system

I enjoyed reading your post and comments Emma. I will look forward to seeing your review. As a primary school teacher (who has taught new entrants and junior children mostly) I also don't agree that children are disadvantaged if they can read when they come in to school. A good teacher runs a reading programme with groups at a range of levels - some children will be working right at the beginning and others can work up to whatever their level. We would usually have about half a dozen children come to school a year who could read at a level much higher than their age. It was no problem whatsoever. They would work in a group together and do activities suitable to where they were at. They weren't bored but in fact stimulated and bright interested wee children who loved to learn and picked things up quickly.
I don;t think children need to be able to read before school but I know that if my child was interested in learning letters and letter sounds before beginning school I would be all for encouraging it. I personally think it is harder for the ones who come in with no letter/sound knowledge. It isn't something you can force though as all children learn at their own rate and the last thing you want to do is force them or put them off.
I saw a really great interview with Robert Tizer and was also really interested. I brought the first DVD and book . Oliver has loved looking at the pictues in the book and chatting about them but wasn;t interested in the DVD. I also thought it was pretty boring compared to some of the other educational videos out there. He has learnt more from other books, magnets, general toys etc I think. We haven't really done much with the DVD after that as he just wasn't interested.

The July mums have heard my rant so I'll get off my high horse ...

One issue that I have with it is that parents who would buy the DVD are likely to be fairly middle class families who are likely to be doing all the pro-literacy stuff that you have all mentioned - reading together, looking at letters and shapes, talking together, singing together ....

Another issue is that I would hate to see it used with putting the child in front of the DVD and then mum/dad doing other things while it's on (probably cos they desperately need time and space to get household tasks done ) - it's so important to have human face-to-face interaction in the context of developing language.   Research has also demonstrated that oral language skills are the fundamental building block for developing written language skills (including reading) so it's incredibly important that these have the same attention/input as reading, if not more while at the preschool age.

Is Little Einsteins on TV or is it a DVD? Have never seen it.

Yay debate... just what my posting was looking for.

First of all I don't want anyone to think that I am trying to create the first child nobel peace prize winner. This is my first child after all and I am happy for this expectation to go onto my second child. No I am kidding.

I do not have a teaching background however I loved school and my husband hated school and this does have a huge impact on how each of us experienced school.

I am interested in the variety of ways that people think you can help your children to develop and learn and thought this was a really interesting seminar. Yes obviously part of it was "buy my programme" however there was also a lot of information about how you could assist your child's language and reading development that cost time only and not a penny.

Maya I will be interested to read your review and hear any others opinions.   

PS: No phone calls from exhibitors yet however I have a couple of emails I note... strike while the iron is hot ..good sales technique :-)