Teaching Your Baby to Read

Why can’t we all be gifted? Your baby has spoken his or her first word. Was it “mama” or “papa?” Was it the name of the family pet? Do you wish to give your baby a jump-start with reading? Have you ever thought about teaching your baby to read? It is possible.

Based upon the Whole Language Philosophy (Weaver, Constance, Understanding Whole Language: From Principle to Practice, 1990) the article is a Reading activity geared for ages 2-4, non-exclusive. It discusses aspects of this approach to teaching and how it has proven to be effective. In addition, it would mention my personal experience of having applied the above reading activity with preschool learners.

After reading this article, I believe you would be convinced and thrilled to learn your child as early as they begin to speak could learn to read.

As an educator, writer and parent, I am fascinated by the young mind’s ability to grasp the written word. I love sharing my knowledge with other educators and parents.

The principle of teaching your baby to read through the concept of the Whole Language Approach to Reading can be used with any of your baby’s favorite books. You do not have to be a teacher with a formal objective and procedures as I have created. As a parent, you can be creative with your child. Make home made flash cards. Write the familiar words your baby is speaking onto cards. Don’t forget to use his or her favorite words from his or her favorite book.

It is preferred that you use the words from your child’s favorite Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme, or any other Lullaby’s that was sung to him or her from the time of their birth.

Children are expected to read and write as they learn to talk. This is a concept of the Whole Language Philosophy to learning. Reading, Writing and Oral language are not in essence taught in isolation. For what is read, was written and what is written was spoken. Children learn to speak gradually with great effort from direct instruction.

Direct instruction refers to the teacher directing 90 per cent of the instruction/learning time with minimum interaction amongst the learners. The learning environment is very rigid. The focus of attention is primarily on the teacher as opposed to on the learners.

With the Whole Language approach the learners are to be taught by means of indirect instruction. There are frequent interaction between the teacher and learner. The classroom is functional where the learners are engaged in active learning. Ninety percent of the attention is therefore on the learners and a mere 10 percent is on the teacher. The teacher encourages oral discussion with questions as he/she guides the learners to achieve the lesson’s objective.