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This baby began clapping after seeing the word "clapping." Reading before they walk
Researcher challenges when children should read
HAMMOND, Louisiana (CNN) -- By the government's own estimates, 40 percent of the nation's 8 year-olds cannot read independently. Is there a better way to teach children to read? Maybe the answer is, the earlier, the better.
Most children learn to read in the first grade, at age six. But what if they could learn to read before they learn to walk? "I would be skeptical, too, if I hadn't lived through it myself," says Dr. Robert Titzer, a researcher in infant learning. "If you add all the pieces up, babies learn language faster. Their brain is developing faster at this time." He says that babies learn all other aspects of language during infancy and learning to read "starts to make sense."
Titzer is a professor and researcher in the field of infant learning at Southeastern Louisiana University. He believes that the best time to start teaching children to read is when they are three months old.
"There's a window of opportunity for learning language and that window is thought to start closing by age four," he said. "Yet, we don't start teaching reading until age five or six, after the brain is mostly developed." Titzer believes that explains why there's such a reading problem in the United States.
He first tested his theory with flashcards and a homemade videotape for his oldest daughter, Aleka. At nine months, Aleka was barely able to sit up by herself but she already was able to recognize words and show that she knows that they mean. She readily recognized the words "teeth", "ear" and "belly."
Titzer says that it took him a while to understand that his daughter, at such a young age, could read. "I was skeptical as everyone out there ... would be ... thinking that a little baby could read."
Today, 6-year-old Aleka is reading at close to the college level. Her little sister, Keelin, 3 1/2, can zip through Dr. Seuss. This experience led Titzer to producer "Your Baby Can Read", a video for parents to use at home with their infants.
"We run the risk of that baby and toddler disengaging."
-- Matthew Melmed
But is teaching a baby to read expecting too much, too soon? The concept is so new there's simply no way to know for sure. Titzer is conducting a long- range study to follow the progress of infants -- now just three months old -- until they reach school age.
Listen to this baby say the word "eyes:"
In his university lab, Titzer observes the reactions of children who have watched the tape. In case after case, the youngsters seem to catch on quickly to the concept of word recognition.
Is there a downside? Yes, said Matthew Melmed, the executive director of Zero to Three, a National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families. "The overemphasis (of) trying to ensure that babies develop their abilities to read early on is somewhat misguided," he said.
Melmed said that giving the infant or toddler all of that information may have a certain drawback. "(The information is) not relevant to them at that point. We run the risk of that baby and toddler disengaging, or that baby not wanting to learn," he said.
But some parents who use Titzer's tape disagree. "I think the earlier they get a head start, the better the life quality will be," Shana Puma says. "I don't think I'm pushing him."
Titzer said parents and educators need to re-think when and how they teach children to read. "It could have a huge influence in our society." The result? "Someday, illiteracy won't be completely eliminated, but we'll reduce it dramatically."
Related stories:
- U.K. researchers say dyslexia is hereditary - Feb. 22, 1998
- Spanning the generation gap with books - Feb. 4, 1998
- Some workers go back to basics - Oct. 23, 1995
- Clinton calls for college students to combat illiteracy - Dec. 21, 1996
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