Your Baby Can Read....Research?

Donna Jackson djackson at uaq.mx
Tue Mar 2 00:10:42 UTC 2010


thank-you...this was the best comment ever!
Donna Jackson-Maldonado

Jean Berko Gleason escribió:
> Hi  this is a very interesting discussion and thanks to all who have 
> contributed.  I'd just like to add a couple of simple things.
>
> 1. You can teach your baby to read in the same sense that you can 
> teach your dog to read.  There are some very popular dog training 
> books out that also use association between words and printed cards.  
> See, for instance:
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Your-Bonnie-Bergin-Ed-D/dp/076792245X
>
> Very useful if you want to leave a sign on the couch for your pup that 
> says "Keep off" when you're not home.  Not clear what kind of notes 
> you might want to leave for Muffy (the kid).
>
> 2. Assuming you do teach your baby a bunch of sight words, is there 
> something out there she wants to read?  If the baby has no use for the 
> 'reading', then it is mostly a trick you're teaching that will 
> certainly impress others, but may not be of intrinsic use to the baby. 
> It's probably not harmful if the baby is having a reasonably good time 
> and gets to engage in the usual baby activities like having dates with 
> other babies, hearing lots of appropriate-level baby directed 
> language, etc.   But it won't make the baby a genius, any more than 
> teaching your Yorkie to read will make her into a research scientist.
>
> Cheers from SnowLess Boston,
>
> Jean
> Jean Berko Gleason, Professor Emerita
> Department of Psychology
> Boston University
>
> http://www.bu.edu/psych/faculty/gleason/
>   
>
>
> Kathy Hirsh-Pasek wrote:
>> Linda Smith asked me to post her e-mail on the listserve for her. 
>>  The following is from her. 
>>
>> kathy
>>
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> I would like you to share these comments *with all *who are part of 
>>>> this discussion.  Bob Titzer got his phD in kinesiology at IU and 
>>>> worked under Esther Thelen.  He contributed and is co-author of the 
>>>> Psych Review paper on a not b.  He did a wonderful dissertation on 
>>>> learning about transparency through actions in infants (never 
>>>> published because he became interested --as you are aware --in 
>>>> other things).  These are facts, he has every right to state them 
>>>> and legally there is nothing I can do about it.
>>>>
>>>> I in no way condone, support, or believe in his teaching infants to 
>>>> read. THERE IS NO RESEARCH BEHIND ANY OF IT THAT I KNOW OF 
>>>> certainly none done at IU or with IRB approval or published.  He 
>>>> began by subjecting his own children to this. He believes in it, 
>>>> that I know but I certainly do not.  I think there are serious 
>>>> issues here and I resent my name being associated with it.  I have 
>>>> talked to lawyers once, maybe I need to talk to them again.  Their 
>>>> recommendation was to let it go (basically ignore), that unless he 
>>>> actually stated a falsehood concerning me, I had no grounds for 
>>>> legal action.  
>>>>
>>>> I am not at all happy (very unhappy) that my name, that esther's 
>>>> name, that   Indiana University is associated with this.  As an 
>>>> aside he was a tenure track assit professor at LSU (I think need to 
>>>> check ) and they asked him to leave over this.  
>>>>
>>>> Anyway, I would love to spread wide and far, that yes I know, but I 
>>>> think his whole endeavor is wrong, wrong headed, not supported by 
>>>> research, and most certainly not supported by me.
>>
>> Linda
>>
>>
>> On Mar 1, 2010, at 10:22 AM, bpearson at research.umass.edu 
>> <mailto:bpearson at research.umass.edu> wrote:
>>
>>> Right on, Kathy!
>>> (I thought right away of your "Einstein/ flashcards" book.)
>>> Thanks for the references.
>>>
>>> Best,
>>> Barbara
>>>
>>> And thanks for including Susan Linn on your message.  I just read 
>>> her book, Consuming Kids, and it was chilling (although the 
>>> advertising about baby cognition was not the worst of it).
>>>
>>>
>>> Quoting Kathy Hirsh-Pasek <khirshpa at temple.edu 
>>> <mailto:khirshpa at temple.edu>>:
>>>
>>>> Liz and others:
>>>>
>>>> I could not agree more with Joan and have been troubled by the 
>>>> claims Dr. Robert Titzer makes for some time. HIs blog self 
>>>> identifies Titzer as a "Recognized expert and infant researcher." 
>>>>   He goes on to say, " His research on reading during infant and 
>>>> toddler years captured the interest of educators, researchers, 
>>>> parents, government agencies, and the media worldwide. Dr. Titzer 
>>>> has been published in scientific journals, including the 
>>>> prestigious Psychological Review." ( 
>>>> http://www.infantlearning.com/DrTitzer/).  As a researcher in the 
>>>> field of language and literacy, I have yet to come across any 
>>>> research that he has done. In fact, the prestigious Psychology 
>>>> Review paper that Titzer mentions was by Linda Smith, Esther 
>>>> Thelen, Robert Titzer and Dewey McLin entitled, "Knowing in the 
>>>> context of acting: The Task dynamics of the A-not-B error" 
>>>> published in 1999 with no reference at all to reading. Titzer's PhD 
>>>> according to his own report is from the Department of Human 
>>>> Performance at the University of Indiana, which on their lab site 
>>>> is a school of "health, physical education and recreation."  It 
>>>> would be interesting to see what he studied for his dissertation.
>>>>
>>>> Early reading and language development are areas where we really do 
>>>> have a lot of data.  In fact the recent review of early reading 
>>>> research by the National Early Literacy Panel (September 2009) 
>>>> along with responses to that report ( see Dickinson, D., Golinkoff, 
>>>> R. M., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Neuman, S., & Burchinal, P. (2009). The 
>>>> language of emergent literacy: A response to the National Institute 
>>>> for Literacy Report on Early Literacy. National Institute for Early 
>>>> Education Research website: 
>>>> http://nieer.org/docs/index.php?DocID=252)) can give you a real 
>>>> sense of where the literature is right now.   We have for many 
>>>> years known that children can memorize written symbols and 
>>>> associate them with meaning (very young children know the double 
>>>> arches are associated with McDonalds).  But becoming a real reader 
>>>> requires much more.  And for young children, building a strong base 
>>>> in language and a love for books is probably a better use of time 
>>>> than investing in unproven programs that are more commercially than 
>>>> data-driven.
>>>>
>>>> Kathy
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Mar 1, 2010, at 8:24 AM, Luckhurst, Joan wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Dear Liz & others,
>>>>> Chris is exactly on target with her advice. In relation to the 
>>>>> evidence base for these kinds of programs, I have yet to find any 
>>>>> that is supportive. The only "evidence" appears to be from the 
>>>>> anecdotal information provided by the author/publisher.  I have 
>>>>> yet to see any independent, unbiased evidence. As Chris so aptly 
>>>>> pointed out, early development, including linguistic development 
>>>>> involves hands-on, functional and concrete experiences.  The 
>>>>> foundation for later literacy, whether it occur early or a bit 
>>>>> later is dependent upon these early learning experiences. 
>>>>> Unfortunately, there are many opportunists out there who take 
>>>>> advantage of parents' eagerness and concern over their children's 
>>>>> welfare.
>>>>> Joan
>>>>> Joan A. Luckhurst, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
>>>>> Assistant Professor
>>>>> La Salle University
>>>>> Benilde 2216
>>>>> 1900 W. Olney Ave.
>>>>> Philadelphia, Pa  19141
>>>>> (215) 951-1609
>>>>>
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>>>>> intended purpose is prohibited.  If you have received this 
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>>>>> ________________________________________
>>>>> From: info-childes at googlegroups.com 
>>>>> <mailto:info-childes at googlegroups.com> 
>>>>> [info-childes at googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of wing0050 at umn.edu 
>>>>> <mailto:wing0050 at umn.edu> [wing0050 at umn.edu]
>>>>> Sent: Sunday, February 28, 2010 6:21 PM
>>>>> To: info-childes at googlegroups.com 
>>>>> <mailto:info-childes at googlegroups.com>
>>>>> Subject: Re: Your Baby Can Read....Research?
>>>>>
>>>>> Hi, Liz:
>>>>>
>>>>> I am guessing that you are the wonderful type of parent who will 
>>>>> provide a
>>>>> stimulating environment for your child in a myriad of ways, and so 
>>>>> my sense
>>>>> is that whether you include early reading in this stimulating 
>>>>> environment
>>>>> or not, your child will do well. I have been asked this and similar
>>>>> questions (re electronic programs, Baby Einstein, signing, early 
>>>>> reading,
>>>>> etc.) by a significant number of parents, and my response is 
>>>>> generally that
>>>>> given the gestalt of supportive and stimulating parenting that 
>>>>> will occur
>>>>> under your tutelage, you child will do well with or without early 
>>>>> reading.
>>>>> However, having said that, my own bias is that there is not much to be
>>>>> gained by this pursuit. Generally, research on preschool readers 
>>>>> indicates
>>>>> that they tend to join a well-educated cohort at the same reading 
>>>>> level by
>>>>> grade 3. My own bias, having reviewed the sensorimotor literature and
>>>>> worked with a good number of sensorimotor therapists over the 
>>>>> course of my
>>>>> career as an SLP, is to prioritize for young children hands-on and
>>>>> multi-sensory experiences, accompanied by the appropriate oral 
>>>>> language, as
>>>>> the best foundation for future learning. (I also read that one of the
>>>>> causative factors in our immune deficiency-prone society is our 
>>>>> lack of
>>>>> exposure to good old dirt and other nasty substances at an early age.)
>>>>> While I emphasize pre-literacy and literacy skills to my low SES (and
>>>>> wonderful) cohort of prschool children and parents, my advice to
>>>>> well-educated and middle income and beyond cohorts is to sit back, 
>>>>> talk to
>>>>> your child, and get dirty.
>>>>> Chris Wing,
>>>>> Doctoral Candidate
>>>>> Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences
>>>>> University of Minnesota
>>>>> United States of America
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Feb 28 2010, Aliyah MORGENSTERN wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Dear Liz,
>>>>>> I don't know the program, so I can't judge but I'm a bit amazed. We
>>>>>> want babies to baby-sign at 9 months (which isn't acquiring sign
>>>>>> language in a signing environment) and now to read at 16 months...
>>>>>> Maybe it is important that children be kept in a non literate world
>>>>>> for a few years and use their ears (when they can) before entering
>>>>>> language through reading skills. Reading is extremely important, but
>>>>>> literacy does change our perspective on language and I'm personally
>>>>>> glad we all spend a few years developing our oral language, our
>>>>>> gestures, ou prosody, and all that comes with the vocal modality. 
>>>>>> I do
>>>>>> think that literacy changes our whole perspective onclangauge. We 
>>>>>> gain
>>>>>> a new world, we lose what cultures without a writing system did
>>>>>> maintain. But I'm not a specialist in that field. It seems to me that
>>>>>> reading too soon could get them focussed on different skills and they
>>>>>> might not use their natural capacities and the specific cognitive and
>>>>>> mostly interactional or social skills as much. But I might be wrong,
>>>>>> we all code-switch between two languages, some of us from birth, 
>>>>>> maybe
>>>>>> that is just the same. It might just bring more to them and be an
>>>>>> enrichment. I was glad my kids learned to play music at four where
>>>>>> some of my friends found that it was totally crazy...
>>>>>> If you decide to go ahead, let me know what you think of it.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Best,
>>>>>> Aliyah MORGENSTERN
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Professeur de linguistique
>>>>>> Université Sorbonne Nouvelle - Paris 3
>>>>>> Institut du Monde Anglophone
>>>>>> 5 rue de l'Ecole de Médecine
>>>>>> 75006 Paris
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Le 28 févr. 10 à 22:53, Liz P. a écrit :
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hello Everybody,
>>>>>>> I have a 16 month old baby girl, and i just recently acquired 
>>>>>>> the Your
>>>>>>> Baby Can Read Program, but when i started watching it, it seems too
>>>>>>> good to be true, and i was asking my Language Acquisition professor
>>>>>>> and she suggested that i inquire within to see if anyone knows the
>>>>>>> research behind this program and if there are any down falls or
>>>>>>> reasons why i shouldnt continue with the program with my daughter. I
>>>>>>> can see the Pros (shell learn to read and expand her vocabulary) but
>>>>>>> what would the Cons be. Thank you so much for your time. Any 
>>>>>>> comments
>>>>>>> will be appreciated
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Liz Pattison
>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
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>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ****************************************
>>> Barbara Zurer Pearson, Ph.D
>>> Research Associate
>>> Depts. of Linguistics and Communication
>>>    Disorders
>>>
>>> University of Massachusetts Amherst
>>> Amherst MA 01003
>>> 413-545-5023
>>> bpearson at research.umass.edu <mailto:bpearson at research.umass.edu>
>>> http://www.umass.edu/aae/bp_indexold.htm
>>>
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-- 
Dr. Donna Jackson-Maldonado
Facultad de Lenguas y Letras
Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro
Querétaro, México
tel & fax: (52) 442 2180264
office: (52) 442 1921200 x. 6120/6114
web: www.donnajackson.weebly.com
e-mail: djackson at uaq.mx or djacksonmal at hotmail.com

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