I first saw an infomercial for “Your Baby Can Read” when my daughter was three months old. I thought it was a neat idea and really wanted to try it out. We called to order the risk free trial but when we found out the total cost we had to cancel. We couldn’t afford to pay $200 for a reading program that probably didn’t work.

            For the next year we watched our daughter grow and develop. I wanted to give her everything, including a head start on her education. I plan to home school her so the earlier I can start the better. I continued to see the infomercial on TV and couldn’t get it out of my head. I finally ordered the risk free 30-day trial and decided that if I didn’t see results I would just send the program back; I wouldn’t lose any money and I could finally stop worrying that my daughter was missing out on something.

            Noelle, that’s my daughter, has never been interested in TV. We don’t watch a lot of it and I personally feel that even if the show she is watching isn’t junk then the commercials probably are. When I first popped in the Starter DVD ,however, she couldn’t take her eyes off of it. She was hooked immediately. I was very skeptical at first but quickly changed my mind.

         Noelle is now 17 months old and has been on the “Your Baby Can Read” program for two months. The complete set comes with a Parent’s Guide that answers any questions you might have and includes a schedule so you know when to continue on to the next level. Noelle is already on Volume 2 (that’s the third level, the first level is the Starter DVD) and is accelerating at a very fast pace. She learned all the words from the Starter DVD in three weeks and all the words from Volume 1 in two weeks. She can’t speak many words yet but shows me she can read the words by saying the sound of the first letter in the word and showing me some kind of gesture that has to do with the word. For example for the word “hat” she makes the “h” sound and touches her head or points to her hat somewhere in the room.
           
            She also shows me she knows the words when I put several word cards in front of her and ask her which one says…..? She picks the correct word every time. Now she is even recognizing and picking out the words and letter sounds she knows when I read her a regular storybook. She gets very excited about this. She loves to read and went from not sitting still when I would try to read her a longer book to sitting in my lap the whole time, pointing to words and trying to say them.

            I cannot express enough my satisfaction with the program. It is worth every penny! The customer service people are also very friendly and helpful and give you the option to do a three month payment plan. When you see your child benefitting from the program you will know it is all worth it. The deluxe set comes with 5 DVDs with sliding word cards, 5 Lift-a-Flap books, 50 Word Game Cards, a Parent’s Guide, Workshop DVD, Music CD, and sliding board book. You can order the risk free trial at http://www.yourbabycanread.com/default.aspx?adid=ybc1005.

            The best part about the program is that it’s fun while being educational. So many shows for kids today leave out important factors. The DVDs show the word and then a video or picture of the word. For example it shows the word elephant, says the word elephant, and then shows an elephant. Throughout the DVDs your child will see the same word in different contexts, helping them understand and comprehend the true meaning of the word and not just relating it with one picture or concept. It is a brilliant program and my only regret is not buying it sooner. 

           The DVDs are interactive and so much fun. Each one has songs and poems in similar format to a sing-along video. The words light up across the screen as the song or poem go along. The words they teach are words that babies hear everyday. Hi, reach, ball, diaper, baby, and rattle are just to name a few. When I say the DVDs are interactive I mean that they get the baby involved. Instead of just sitting and wathcing, the baby is taking part. For example, one of the songs is "Head and shoulders, knees and toes". Noelle loves to get up and do the movements and she is only 17 months old! The characters on the DVDs also ask questions for the baby to answer (i.e. can you point to the word "hi"?, which words says "waving"?, and where is the elephant's trunk?) Noelle is constantly interacting which helps me know that she is being stimulated.

          The program is also great because it uses different mediums for teaching the words. The DVDs work parallel with the books and word cards. Phonics is also taught. At the end of each DVD are Word Games that help you know if the baby is really learning. For instance, they show several words that end in "ing"all in straight line down. They also show a word like wave and then change it to waving and then use it in a sentence.

            One suggestion I will make is to not let younger babies play with the flap books or word cards too much without supervision. I made this mistake at first and ended up with ripped pages and bent up cards. Even though the cards are made of board/ cardstock they bend easily. The Flaps also become worn from a lot of opening and closing, but as long as you only use the books together and don’t let your baby play with them they should last a long time.
           
            Overall this program is not only a great way to invest in your child’s educational and social future but also a way for you to spend more quality time with him or her. Parent/child interaction is a priceless thing. The more time you spend with them while they are young, the more they will grow into healthy, well rounded adults. This program is the perfect tool for you to do just that. Plus, it’s fun to watch your child read at such a young age. I can’t stop smiling about it!

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV