Teaching Babies to Read

07/06/2009

I personally find inspiration in life’s 10,000 joys and 10,000 sorrows….Part of the artist’s temperament is that inspiration is possible in all things.
Marc Bamuthi Joseph, poet, dancer, playwright and educator

In her article, "Can Babies Read and Write?" in the July 2009 issue of Exchange, Deb Curtis discusses all the buzz about products aimed at getting babies to read and write. You can read her entire article at www.ChildCareExchange.com, but here is her conclusion...

"Adults have all the power in children’s lives. We are their window and access to safety, comfort, and engaging experiences. Children are smart enough to know this from the time they are babies. They have laser-like attention to what we care about and they want to imitate, please, and be a part of what we say and do. If you look at cultures around the world, children learn to do what adults value and believe children can accomplish because this is what they focus on and take time to teach children to do. But with this power comes responsibility. Young children can learn about literacy if that is what we care about and focus on with eager attention in a playful, loving relationship. But we should ask ourselves: What are we and they missing when we spend so much of our time focused on literacy skills? What about the scientific discoveries and magic in a puddle of water, the complex, creative work of pretend play, the deep, spiritual connections from time together in the natural world or the adventure and sense of accomplishment in toddling up a hill? Babies can read and write, but should they?"

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Brain Research and Its Implications for Early Childhood Programs
Brain Research: Bright Beginnings for Babies
Caring for Little Ones: Using Sign Language as a Tool to Communicate
Infants Don't Pretend Do They? And the Seeds of Dramatic Play - Enhanced by Adults
The Power of Observation

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