Your Baby Can Read (DVD)

     Your Baby Can Read is an early learning system made up of interactive DVDs, flashcards, sliding cards, and lift-a-flap books. The kit was invented by Dr. Robert Titzer, an infant researcher and founder of the Infant Learning Company that produces learning products for infants. Dr. Titzer states that he came to create this program when he felt his child was not receiving what he believed to be necessary stimulation during the time she was in day care. His first video was of pictures and words that he required the daycare professional to show to his daughter on a daily basis.

            The program’s advertising states that “there is a small window of opportunity to enhance a child’s learning ability” (Your Baby Can Read, 2010). This window is defined as the period from birth to age four. Advertisements also asserts that the programming is fun and entertaining; never a forced activity. Parents of children who have used this programming are also filmed to testify to the success of the learning system.

            The DVDs show pictures of actions or things along with the associated word in easy to read, bold font. Children viewing the DVD will hear the word twice and are expected to repeat the action or recognize the item shown. The DVD also includes commonly heard nursery songs, and interactive word games. Parents are to show the same DVD to the child twice a day for a period of one month, then, when the child is ready to advance, the parent can introduce the subsequent DVD. Flashcards, sliding cards, and lift-the-flap books are numbered to use concurrently with the DVDs to promote learning.

            The program became available to the public in 1997. The kit can be purchased direct from www.yourbabycanread.com for $200. To purchase the box set of four DVDs alone through Toys R Us runs approximately $100. While not an inexpensive tool, the Your Baby Can Read is an early learning system that meets all identified literacy skills.

Resources:

Wikipedia. (2010). Robert Titzer. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Titzer

Your Baby Can Read. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.yourbabycanread.com