My "How and Why" essay after five days

[DadDude]

As you know, I launched "How and Why I Taught My Toddler to Read" last Monday. I thought I'd give a report now.

The reception has been pretty tepid.  I appreciate all the support you folks have given me at the new blog, but beyond you, hardly anybody has been much interested.  Don't get me wrong--there have been quite a few people (from among BrillKids.com folks, and from other places) who have had nice things to say about it, but mostly in private.  A few people have said they've read parts of it, and commented on those parts, and all that is very gratifying.  But there hasn't been any blog posts about it (from anybody!), much less any reporting.  I did get one interview about it from Education News, though, which should appear soon; maybe that will lead to some more, but I'm not holding my breath.

As I said here, I think the best explanation for the essay's (so far) lack of impact is the fact that most people can't begin to take seriously the very idea that babies can really be taught to read.  If they can't even entertain the idea in the first place, what's the point of opening up a book about the subject?

This is why, as much as I might find infomercials distastefully generally, whoever it was who decided to start the YBCR infomercials had a stroke of genius.  It was a way to get the basic idea of baby reading out to a very large audience who, otherwise, wouldn't have had any chance of hearing about it.

P.S. I forgot to tell you about this update about my boys.

[kizudo]

Thanks DadDude, for the update - on your article and you boys!

I just had a "yeah right your kid can sound out cvcs!" moment today at the doctor's office.  And, that pretty much shut down the conversation. 

It takes a really open mind to welcome discussion on something they find uncomfortable.  I do wonder what would have happened to my viewpoint had I heard about this when my son was an older age.  In truth, I think my pride would prevent me from listening and supporting it.  Like many have suggested, if I thought I had "done my child wrong" by not exposing him to early learning, I think I'd reject it, too.  I'd like to think of myself as more open-minded, but deep, deep down, I'd probably end up saying it was hogwash and not spend anytime researching it.  Why would I, just to reinforce that I didn't give my child the best chance?, that I'm a horrible parent? 

This news needs to be spread to knowledgable PRE-PARENT adults who are curious enough to research it in the hopes of one day applying their learning.  And then, it needs to find its way into pre-natal classes or mommy groups - before the parental guilt has a chance to grow roots.  How to do that, though?  I know the mommy/parent support group I went to when my son was born was VERY, VERY anti-flashcards and after a while I became quite uncomfortable being there.  So, maybe the key is for more of us to step out of the closet and start spreading this news with new moms/dads.  Even typing out the site information for BrillKids and/or your article on little business cards and handing them out to new parents may be simple enough.  It may get them interested enough to ask questions and stop blindly following the rut.  And one of us may hand a card to a brilliant and wealthy scientist who is/has a fabulous publicist!

[TmS]

Don't be downhearted DadDude.

Look at how much Doman and Titzer have achieved and yet they are still ridiculed and thought of as tricksters and accused of being con men etc.

The only thing I have found that people don't object to children learning is swimming. Go figure that one out, I'm surprised they don't think it encourages drowning or something. Actually - hang on Kindergym is okay too, because that's climbing and social. But the Doman Physical program isn't because it's too structured and un-childlike for people to accept.

I sometimes think that the problem with introducing early education is actually the terms we're using.

Education, lessons, reading, flash cards. All of these things have negative connotations for more than half of the population. More than half of the kids at school are not enjoying reading, they don't enjoy school (and therefore in their minds education) and flash cards are just another extension of all this hard work. And the generations that are now becoming parents had it worse.

We are fighting peoples' memories of learning themselves. How many people have truly wonderful learning to read experiences when they learn at six? I mean I can't tell you as I was taught to read early but I know my friends hated school, hated homework, hated the readers etc etc etc

What we need to find is an approach and terminology system that is radically different from the way we label school education. So that people don't have those negative associations.

I think also the benefits need to be tweaked as well. People tend to focus on the outcome instead of the journey. Being able to do something that you would have learned any way in a far more acceptable environment with everybody else like the sheep they try to make us is not enticing.

It's not just the reading or the maths - people are scared of what their kids will turn out like and trying something radically different could mean your child turns out radically different and who wants to be radically different? How will they fit in etc.

There is nothing wrong with with your how and why. Just the world.

The early educator who manages to find the system that breaks away from these stereotypes will do well.

Any way I ramble. You have done a good thing, give it time people will notice and keep trying to work on ways to give people a way of imagining early learning that is nothing like the tedious learning they remember.

[Kimba15]

Hi Daddude,

I have thouroughly enjoyed your essay. Maybe the rest of the world is just not ready for children to read early?  It will change one day! and i totally agree with what TmS has said. Most people carry a horrible experience with them about learning to read and I believe that because of that learning experience most people would have a hard time wanting their under 5 to learn how to read if they think reading is all level readers and homework and anything but fun.

Take heart Daddude the world is changing and people are changing their attitudes toward early learning education. It will be slow but having a great essay like yours will help others to understand that early learning is fun and learning to read is fun.

I know that one day your essay will change the world!!!

Kimba

[DadDude]

Thanks very much TmS and Kimba!  I hope you're right.  Anyway, this week I am turning back to designing WatchKnow Reader.  Don't know when it will be ready (many months, I guess), but it'll be cool, you'll see.  And...I'm pretty sure it will be a popular educational app, which will give me (and us!) a platform to explain this stuff.

[DadDude]

Anyone want the essay available as a print book made available through Amazon? Please let me know. If nobody asks for such a version, I won’t make one.  There is now a Kindle version, if you absolutely must have one: http://larrysanger.org/2010/12/kindle-version-of-essay/

[Tanikit]

Last week my sister's child was visiting us. She is 4 years old, my daughter 3 years old and both of them are reading. They sat on the couch together and read us the story of The Enormous Turnip taking turns - one page each until the story was finished. They asked to do that and they wanted to and it was so so precious to see them - not so much the wow factor that they were little children reading, but more that they enjoyed it so much, that they sat next to each other and were comfortable and happy and there was no squabbling and that they were enjoying the story and we were enjoying it too.

I would have loved to have filmed it simply because of the connection between the two of them -sadly however my sister does not want to film her daughter reading simply because she knows what will happen if anyone sees that video - it will become about how two such little children are doing what the rest of the world's preschoolers and toddlers do not do and people will not realise that almost all children can do it at that age. They will miss the bonding and sweetness and only see the education and they may even make it negative as in we must have forced them to teach them that. Yes, they played phonics games, yes we showed them written words but not once did either of them ever complain and not only that but they laughed and smiled and desperately wanted to learn.

It will take a long time for the world to understand and accept this. It is very hard for people to change their expectations and their views. Thanks for the update DadDude and well done on the article - give it a bit of time and yes, it probably does need some advertising. My own mother taught my sister to read at age 2 years and when my father approached educators (he was a teacher and in education and specifically gifted education at the time) he was amazed at the negative response he got - that was 30+ years ago. Not much has changed and it may take a long time to change.

[Krista G]

What a great post, Tanikit.  Thanks for sharing your story.

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