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Teaching you how to teach your baby to read
Age 1, not Grade 1
My Method
You may be wondering...
“How can babies who can’t even talk yet possibly be capable of learning to read?”
The answer lies in a question you can ask yourself:
​
“Why do I talk to my baby even though my baby can’t talk yet?”
Q:
The answer...
​​
. . . to both questions is that when you immerse your baby in language (either auditory talking or visual letters & words), your baby will absorb this information and develop the abilities to talk and read.​​
A:
Yes, babies can read if given the right environment and experiences!
​​My Method - Word Immersion
My method for teaching reading is called Baby Word Immersion Reading for Early Development (B-WIRED). Babies’ brains are “wired” for learning language, and learning to read can be viewed as a form of language acquisition. I have seen great success with this Word Immersion method.
As your Baby Reading Coach, I will meet with you virtually on a regular basis as your baby grows, to show you each step along the way in this wonderful journey. These meetings can be scheduled at times that are convenient for you, accommodating a variety of family schedules. The Word Immersion method is flexible in that it can be implemented in families with working parents, stay-home parents, single parents, blended structures, and/or alternate caregivers.
This method works similarly to how language immersion works when teaching babies a second language. When babies and toddlers learn language, they learn through language immersion (i.e., being immersed in an environment where that language is spoken). My Word Immersion method follows the same pattern: Through immersing your baby in letter- and word-rich environments and experiences, your baby will learn to read in the same natural way that babies learn language.
How It Works
My Word Immersion method works by surrounding your baby with a reading environment as your baby grows. It works best if you begin when your baby is around 6-9 months old (this is also the age range when most babies develop the ability to sit up independently). However, don’t worry if you are beginning a bit later – the method can still have a positive impact as long as it is implemented before age 3 (the earlier before age 3, the better).​​
Baby word immersion involves a variety of letter- and word-related games, activities, and environmental cues, enacted on a daily basis. These activities are fun, loving, interactive, and age-appropriate. They are short-duration, enjoyable interactions between caregiver and baby that are tailored to your baby’s interests and abilities at each phase of development. They change as your baby ages, and as your Baby Reading Coach, I offer regular virtual meetings, scheduled at times convenient for you, to show you new activities and help you find materials at each new phase.
It is amazing that doing these types of activities with your baby for just minutes per day (typically about 5-20 minutes) will teach your baby to read, and can also strengthen your bond with your baby along the way. These activities can easily be done by either working parents or stay-home parents, and the method is flexible enough to work around or within any type of child care schedule or setting.
This Method Does Not Involve Video-Watching, Guessing, or Pressure
In order for babies to learn to read, they must be guided in an appropriate way, through specific, purposeful games and activities with their caregivers, tailored to their age level, interest, and brain function. These activities do not involve having babies watch videos or passively listen to “lessons.” Instructional videos are not typically effective for babies' learning, and they are not part of my method. The method involves interactions with caregivers, and these activities must be done in the correct manner, with no pressure placed on the baby to perform skills, no formal “lessons,” and with no distracting strategies.
An example of a distracting strategy is "cueing" (i.e., having the child guess the word based on hints, such as the corresponding picture, or what letter the word starts with), which distract children from learning proper reading techniques. This is counterproductive for the elementary ages, and for the baby/toddler ages as well. Asking a child of any age to try to read via guessing is distracting and detrimental to the process.
Pressuring any age child to perform a skill when they are not ready or interested in doing so can also be harmful to the process. Babies learn in phases of intake and output, such that you may find that you play Word Immersion games with your baby for months with no apparent results. Do not despair – during these times, your baby is learning in an input phase, and when your baby reaches a new phase involving output, you will suddenly see signs that your efforts have been successful. Your baby’s progress and continued love for reading depends on the method being implemented in the right way and with the right timing.
As your Baby Reading Coach, I will guide you step-by-step through this process so that it is rewarding for all involved.
