DR. GENTRY :

In a nutshell, yes, and you can see many examples of babies and toddlers who have learned to read words. What you need is: 1) parent involvement, 2) quality instruction, and 3) enhanced learning through modern technology.

DR. GENTRY :

Actually many parents who have searched for information on baby and toddler reading do know about it. Parents like author Winifred Stoner have been teaching babies to read since almost a hundred years ago. Lots of parents had success following her methods. Since then the best-selling book on baby reading has sold 5 million copies. So, a lot of parents are already successfully teaching their babies and toddlers to read, and today it can be done more easily than ever before.

DR. GENTRY :

There's an academic blind spot. Experts hypothesize that babies can't read. What we do know is that babies lack the 6-year-old brain capacity which is needed for formal reading instruction. But what these experts don't realize is that babies and toddlers learn to read very differently. Lana, I made the same mistake too, even though I have over thirty years of experience in the field of early literacy. I only realized my blind spot after having researched this topic, when writing "Raising Confident Readers".

DR. GENTRY :

Well, six-year olds have to work hard to understand the complex reading system with their left brain. Babies, however, likely use their right brain capacities for pattern and word recognition. They learn informally, and to them, it's more like playing a game.

DR. GENTRY :

Yes, Parents do worry about forcing their child to learn and I agree with them. The great news is, with baby and toddler reading, no force is necessary. In fact, it's the complete opposite because babies and toddlers love to learn! It's more like playing word games, and these activities are fun interactions with parents in short durations. Best of all, reading together leads to joyful bonding between parent and child that will last for a lifetime, and it all happens over books, word games, and reading.

DR. GENTRY :

The one crucial component that has never changed is that parents are the key to any success. Just good old one-on-one parent and child interaction. All the progress in the world can't change that! But an extremely important element is having a complete toolkit that makes it easy for parents.

DR. GENTRY :

I've examined other programs, but Little Reader stands out for me. It takes advantage of modern day technology to deliver lessons that are more engaging for little children and easier for parents. Because it's software-driven, it's able to deliver lessons in ways that's never before been possible with flash cards or DVDs alone.

I love Little Reader, because it leads the child gradually from learning single words, to couplets, to phrases, to sentences, and then to full stories. It also has a strong phonics component that helps children learn the rules of phonics intuitively. And lastly, each lesson only takes 5 minutes per day!

DR. GENTRY :

Research has shown that parental interaction with the child makes all the difference in how well a child learns. Little Reader encourages interaction and it gives parents a wonderful time to bond with their child. Parents will find themselves turning into their child's first and best teacher!

DR. GENTRY :

Well, experts define reading in different ways. We know that babies don't start out reading words phonetically. They seem to start out reading the whole word and demonstrating that they know its meaning. However, incredibly, many parents are reporting that over time, their toddlers seem to be picking up on word patterns intuitively.

DR. GENTRY :

As adults, we see is a clear distinction between forced learning and play. For the six year old nonreader in school, learning to read is work. For babies and toddlers, learning to read can be play. We always stress to parents that the main focus is having a loving and enjoyable time bonding with your child. There's never any force. Instead, many babies and toddlers seem to enjoy cuddling with the parent in front of a computer while playing word games. Many kids jump with excitement when their parents tell them it's time for Little Reader. For them it's a game!

DR. GENTRY :

Lana, four out of ten 8-year-olds in America cannot read with proficiency. That worries me. The best thing about learning to read early is that it opens the door for children to learn about what they are interested in. Imagine how much happier children would be if they could read and learn all about their favorite dinosaurs at the age of 5, when most children their age can only admire the pictures in the books. I believe early reading empowers children to be life-long learners.

DR. GENTRY :

Forty-three per cent of children enter kindergarten not ready for success with reading. The teacher's role is very important. But whether you like it or not, you are your child's first and best teacher.

DR. GENTRY :

And that's why it's so important to find a complete toolkit. I've already talked about how Little Reader makes it so easy for parents by giving them a readymade program to follow, and requiring only 5 minutes per day. However, another wonderful aspect of Little Reader is the amount of support you get from the community of parents who gather online to help one another. The Little Reader community has tens of thousands of members and hosts the largest early learning, online forum worldwide.

DR. GENTRY :

That's exactly right. Also, because so many parents have used Little Reader and continue to provide feedback, it is constantly changing and getting better. More importantly, it also means it's a product you know you can trust!

DR. GENTRY :

One other thing I haven't mentioned is that Little Reader is something that grows with your child. You see, even though it already comes with over 180 categories of words and stories, parents can go online and download thousands more content files, covering all sorts of subject matter, and in all sorts of different languages. And that's another big benefit to having such a huge community of parents worldwide, because many parents share their content with one another. This is one of the ways Little Reader takes advantage of modern technology.

DR. GENTRY :

Actually, what the American Academy of Pediatrics was concerned about, and rightly so, was parents exposing young children to unsupervised TV programming. The concern is over inappropriate content and the lack of parental interaction if the TV is used as a baby-sitter. Today, organizations like the National Association for the Education of Young Children are recognizing the importance of technology, and are moving to encourage parents to use technology in responsible ways.

DR. GENTRY :

In America, for example, where four out of ten eight-year-olds can't read proficiently. We all need to take responsibility for our future prosperity.

Teaching babies and toddlers to read will build a better America, and that starts at home, with the parents.

I believe we are on the verge of a baby reading revolution as more and more people become aware that not only can babies and toddlers learn to read, but that they love learning to read with the parent as the first reading teacher. Why not seize the opportunity?

My advice to parents is start today - don't miss the opportunity to help your babies and toddlers learn to read!

You, the parent or caregiver, are the first reading teacher. And Little Reader is the best toolkit available to get you started.