Welcome!

Thank you for using Little Reader! Whether you have purchased Little Reader or you are just trying it out, please spend a brief moment to run through this Beginner's Tutorial so that you and your child may get the most out of Little Reader.

New to early reading?

If you've never seen a baby reading before, you can see dozens of reading babies on the Baby Reading Videos page at brillbaby.com, including my own daughter Felicity reading at 12 months. You can also see many babies reading using Little Reader at our Little Reader Video Testimonials page.

We also recommend that you familiarize yourself with knowledge on teaching babies to read by going through our Teaching Your Baby To Read booklet, which you may find in your purchased boxset or download here. This booklet will answer questions such as, "Why teach reading early?", "How do you teach babies to read?", and "What about phonics?".

If you're ready to begin using the software, just click on the NEXT button below to continue with this Beginner's Tutorial!

Happy teaching!


KL Wong
Founder, BrillKids

Setting Up Little Reader

You have already successfully installed the Little Reader software. If you are a Trial User For Trial users, there is nothing more you need to do to start using the software. Your trial comes with the first 9 days of the curriculum, and you can use this at anytime during your 14-day trial period.

If you have a Little Reader License

If you have a Little Reader license, you should do the following if you have not already done so, in the following order:

Step 1: Create a BrillKids member account

If you purchased online, an account will have been created for you already. You can create a BrillKids Account here.

(Click here to learn how to create a BrillKids Account)

Step 2: Install your license key

If you purchased a box set, the license key is included in your Software CD box.

(Click here to learn how to import your license key from your CD box)

If you purchased your product online, you may obtain your license key from your Account Management page.

(Click here to learn how to import your license key from your Account Management page)

Step 3: Install your curriculum content

If you purchased a box set, please insert the CD-rom discs contained in your Curriculum Content CD box.

(Click here to learn how to import your curriculum content from your CD-Rom)

If you purchased your product online, you may download your curriculum content from your Account Management page.

(Click here to learn how to import your curriculum content from your Account Management page)

For support regarding setting up your Little Reader, please see our Help Desk.

Starting Your Lessons

Introduction to the Little Reader Curriculum The Little Reader curriculum is a 1-year curriculum (made of two 6-month Semesters) which gradually leads your child from learning single words, to couplets, phrases, sentences, and finally, full stories. Curriculum in other languages such as Chinese are also available separately.

How to Play the Curriculum Lessons

The easiest way to start playing your lessons is from the PLAY COURSES screen..

First, make sure the right Course is selected (such as "English (US) Semester 1"), pressing on the "Courses" button if necessary.

To start the lesson, simply select Day 001, and press the big PLAY button down below.

What Do Lessons Contain?

To see what is contained in a day's lessons, double-click on the Day's folder. You will see that each day is made up of 2 sessions:

> Session 1
> Session 2

Each Session is made up of different types of lessons. During the 12 month curriculum, you will come across these types of lessons:

> Word Flash

> Multisensory

> Picture Flash

> Pattern Phonics

> Stories

For more about the different types of lessons, see the next section (4. More About Each Lesson Type).

When to Play?

The curriculum is designed to be played 5 days a week, once or twice a day. Each session only needs to be played once. You may find it convenient to play Session 1 in the morning, and Session 2 in the evening. Many working parents like playing Session 1 before leaving for work, and Session 2 after returning from work, from Monday to Friday, and either taking a break during the weekends, or using that time to catch up on any missed days.

More About Each Lesson Type

Before you start the lessons with your child, it is useful to know a bit more about each lesson type, how they work and how they are supposed to be played.

Word Flash

This lesson uses the flash method, which involves rapid flashing of words (or pictures) to your child, and takes advantage of your child's right-brain ability to absorb large quantities of information rapidly.

These lessons simulate physical flash cards being flashed rapidly to your child. The lessons here are set to be auto-forwarded so you only need to let your child watch them. Typically, only nine words in total (three words from three Categories) are shown each time, although a different nine words are shown in Session 2.

Multisensory

This method works by involving as many of your child's senses as possible. The most important thing to remember here is to interact with your child as much as possible. Let your child not only see the word and hear the word, but also feel the word whenever appropriate. For example, help her clap her hands for the word 'clap', rub her ear for the word 'ear', and let her feel yellow objects for the word 'yellow'. If you can engage the sense of smell and taste too, then even better!

The lessons are set to be manually forwarded (either by clicking on the mouse or pressing the spacebar), so take as much time as you need. Where appropriate, run your finger under the words as the words are read, so that you indicate the direction of reading.

Typically, six words from three Categories (eighteen words in total) are shown.

Picture Flash

This lesson simulates the flashing of pictures to your child, and is useful for consolidating her understanding of the meaning of the words. Like with Word Flash, the slides are auto-forwarded. The pictures of all words shown in the Multisensory lesson are flashed here.

Pattern Phonics™

Pattern Phonics™ lessons are used to give your child an intuitive understanding of the sounds of letters and how words can be broken up into different parts. This is done by showing a series of words grouped together in a coherent way (for example, words beginning with 'b') and color-coding the words to make the patterns obvious.

Lessons are delivered like Word Flash lessons - fast, and auto-forwarded. Pattern Phonics™ lessons begin on the fifth week on Day 21.

Stories

Towards the latter half of Semester 2, your child will be shown complete stories. Prior to this, your child will have already been shown many words which make up the stories.

These lessons require you to advance the slides manually, so like the Multisensory lessons, take your time to engage your child in the story and interact with her.

Customizing And Adding Content

One of the best ways to engage your child's attention is by customizing the content that you show her.

Creating and Editing Content

One of the first things you are encouraged to do is to edit the "Family" Category. For example, you could do the following:

> Add multiple pictures and videos to the words "Mom" and "Dad";
> Add your child's name, and attach pictures and videos of her too;
> Add other family members, even your house pet(s);
> Use the in-built Easy Voice Recorder software to record your own voice.

You could even go further and edit the Curriculum Content. For example, instead of using the five pictures we give you for 'nose', you could delete those and pictures of Mommy's nose, Daddy's nose, and your child's own nose! Doing this is optional but highly recommended as it would make your child's lessons much more meaningful.

Once you get the hang of creating content, you can even create entirely new Categories, such as local fruits, or other topics of particular interest to your child.

Further information on how to create and edit words.

Adding More Content

Apart from creating new content, you could also download literally thousands more content files from our Little Reader Library!

Simply proceed to the Little Reader Library and browse around for Categories that may interest your child, whether in English or in other languages. You can click on "PREVIEW" to preview the content before downloading, or click on "DOWNLOAD" to have the content automatically imported into Little Reader!

Downloaded content can be accessed under "Categories".

Your Frame Of Mind

One of the most important thing you must remember when teaching your child to read is this: Always keep the lessons FUN and JOYFUL!

In doing so, this also means:

> Do not focus on achieving results
> Do not force your child if she is not keen to view the lessons.

Focusing on results tends to bring about negative emotions such as anxiety and disappointment, which will be picked up by your child. Similarly, forcing your child is counter-productive and would lead her to associate reading with something negative.

Instead, treat lesson time as a time for bonding with your child. The aim is to expose your child to reading and to have fun while doing so, thereby giving her a joyful and loving experience. Keeping a bonding-focused mindset will make you a much more effective teacher, and you are also likely to find that your child learning to read is a very pleasant side-effect.

Remember, this is not a race! Any exposure to reading that you give to your child during the early years will already be very beneficial.

So, just RELAX, and HAVE FUN!

Other Important Advice

Apart from keeping the lessons fun and joyful, there are no rules that are set in stone! For example, we suggest that the curriculum lessons should be played 5 days a week, once or twice a day. Like many of our other suggestions, this is only a guideline. It is there to help you if you choose to use it, not to enslave you.

We always stress that YOU are your child's first and best teacher, because you know your child best. Every child is different, and even the same child may behave differently at different times! What's most important is that you play it by ear and go according to your child's moods as well as your own circumstances, which may change from time to time.

So if are tired and you want to skip a day, no problem! If your child doesn't seem to want to have lessons that day or even that week, that's absolutely fine! If you feel that your child already knows the words and you want to skip some lessons, do it!

For Deluxe Kit Users

Wondering how to use the teaching materials from the Little Reader DELUXE Kit?

Watch this short video clip to learn more about how to use the Presentation Binder Set, the Flap and Flash Cards, as well as the Content Printouts!