| As a teacher I am all for reading programs which | | | | essential to the language learning process. |
| teach baby reading activities. There is so much | | | | These can be taught easily right from birth by a |
| evidence now to prove that learning reading skills | | | | loving involved parent who knows the techniques |
| and stimulating baby's brain right from birth is the | | | | to use to teach the skills needed for reading and |
| way to make sure that reading and learning | | | | indeed learning. There is no need for expensive |
| comes easily and early. | | | | computer based learning program which remove |
| The first five years of life are the critical time for | | | | the close parent and child bonding which can take |
| brain growth and development. Language is best | | | | place while reading and sharing a book. These are |
| learned in the early years when baby's brain is | | | | only useful with older children who can sit up and |
| primed for language learning. It is now though that | | | | respond to a computer screen. With young babies |
| some forms of dyslexia could be caused by | | | | the arms of a parent are the best place to learn |
| learning important pre-reading skills too late of not | | | | reading by hearing stories, poems, rhymes, songs |
| at all if the baby has hearing or other difficulties | | | | and being shown the environment in which they |
| which are not spotted early enough. | | | | live, posters and pictures of stimulating things. |
| The basic fundamental skills of learning to read | | | | Use these with your own children and they will be |
| involve listening, seeing and speaking skills, | | | | able to read easily and well before school. The |
| together with written skills later which are | | | | methods really do work! |