By Carol Church, Writer, Family Album
Reviewed by Heidi Radunovich, PhD, Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, University of Florida
When a child “cracks the code” of written language and learns to read, it’s an amazing moment for parents. There’s really nothing quite like it, especially if you’re a book-lover.
After all, a whole new world of wonder, opportunity, and adventure has just revealed itself to your child. And let’s not forget that learning to read means that kids are more self-sufficient and have more ways to entertain themselves, too!
So maybe it’s not surprising that some companies have gone into the business of selling DVDs and “systems” that claim to be able to teach children to read at a much earlier age than usual—even when they’re just babies!
Baby Reading DVDs: Part of a Broader Trend
The “baby reading” idea is a spin-off of the broader “baby enrichment” or “baby genius” craze that’s been underway for at least a decade in the US, with companies marketing special DVDs showing images of toys, animals, colors, and so on that are supposed to be good for your infants’ brain or to teach concepts to your very young child. Parents should know, though, that there’s still little to no evidence that such products really deliver. In fact, some research has even suggested that such videos might actually harm babies’ verbal development.
“Teach your baby to read” programs are somewhat similar to these baby DVD programs, but with a twist. Instead of showing toys or other objects, these videos feature flashcards of selected words and children pointing to the object represented by the word (for instance, “ears”). This is repeated again and again. Parents also are supposed to review word and picture cards with their babies.
Do the Programs Work?
Can such programs ever succeed? A recent rigorous experimental study set out to learn more. About 100 typical babies (ages 9 to 18 months) from English-speaking homes were randomly selected either to complete a 7-month course of a “baby reading” program with their parents or to do no such program. Throughout the experiment and at its end, the babies were carefully tested using equipment that tracked eye movement to see whether they had any understanding of words or letters or any ability to read, even if they could not speak to show that they did. Parents were also asked about the babies’ vocabulary.
No Positive or Negative Effects
Despite many attempts, no proof was ever found that the “baby reading” program taught these infants and toddlers word or letter recognition or how to read. The only possible effect noted was that parents said the babies in the program understood (not read) more of the words emphasized in the videos.
However, it’s also important to note that no negative effects were found. That is, intensive use and viewing of these programs didn’t harm the children, as some might have predicted based on other studies.
Read to Your Baby Instead!
So what’s a parent to conclude? Certainly, there’s no reason to buy programs that claim to be capable of teaching babies and young toddlers how to read. Parents should be generally skeptical of video products along these lines, especially anything aimed at children under the age of two. Instead, emphasize important preliteracy skills through the time-honored method of sitting and reading with your child while talking about the book. Try to read together at least 15 minutes a day, if not more. There’s plenty of research to show that this kind of parental intervention absolutely does make a difference to your child’s future literacy and academic success.
Note: One company selling “baby reading products” has just been fined $185 million by the FTC for false advertising and deceptive and unsubstantiated claims.
(Photo credit: Reading a bedtime story by Antonio Diaz/iStock/Thinkstock. Cropped.)
Further Reading
Why Reading to Your Baby Matters
Reading Aloud with Children of All Ages
Reading, Literacy, and Your Child
References:
Neuman, S. B., Kaefer, T., Pinkham, A., & Strouse, G. (2014). Can babies learn to read? A randomized trial of baby media. Journal of Educational Psychology, 106(3), 815-830. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0035937
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