(thanks to www.toothpastefordinner.com for the picture)
I opened a Parents magazine the other day, and was completely disappointed that they had a 2 page add about the 'your baby can read' junk. There is no reason to teach your baby to 'read'. They have years before they will really be developmentally ready for that.
Sure, it might work for some people, but what are those kids losing out on? The ability to color, hold scissors, and to just talk and have a childhood is much more important than impressing your friends with your child's ability to read. I've found, in my 10+ years of teaching preschool and being in a daycare setting that children who are very strong academically suffer with the social/emotional side of things. I have not found that the opposite is true.
Kids go to school for a reason, and are taught by professionals, not from a video or flashcards. There is no substitute for just talking and reading to your child. At ages two to five, children are sponges. They absorb everything, and while you might not see it right away, those connections are being made, and will one day fit together.
