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ANSWERS
FROM THE AUTHOR ABOUT TEACHING BABIES TO READ
-
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE WORD IMAGIC?
Imagic is a combination
of the word imagination, because I believe that reading
brings imagination, and the word magic, because I believe
that all babies are born with an unlimited and magical
learning potential.
- WHY DID YOU WRITE READING BABIES?
I wrote this book to
heighten the awareness of parents about the learning potential
of their babies and to advise them to take advantage of
the wonderful learning abilities of their babies. Parents
need to take this window of opportunity to teach them reading
and languages because everything is fun and easy for babies.
- WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND?
I received a degree in Psychology
from the university of South Florida in Tampa. When we
learned in college that chimps could be taught to recognize
words, I was convinced that babies could do as well,
if not more! I have tutored French for many years and
have found that the younger the student, the easier it
is for the brain to assimilate those skills. My best
students are babies!
- WHAT IS "READING BABIES" ABOUT?
The subject of my book is
about learning and timing and when is the best time to
teach a child to read and learn to speak a second language.
My research and personal experience have lead me to conclude
that if babies can learn to speak by age three, then babies
can learn to read by that age.
- ON
WHAT BASIS DO YOU MAKE YOUR CLAIMS?
Learning
to speak involves having to recall what a word sounds like
and having to match it verbally which requires a lot of physical
effort, while learning to read involves simply word recognition,
thus it is a passive activity. People have now accepted the
fact that babies can be taught sign language as early as
6-month old. In sign language, communication is taking place
without physical effort except for hand and body language.
- WHAT SHOULD PARENTS DO?
Teach their babies to read now!
Parents are wonderful teachers and since parents are good
with reinforcing their babies' efforts to learn their native
language, they can also teach their babies to read and
speak a second language.
- WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT BABIES CAN LEARN TO READ
I have
taught our daughter to read while she was a baby, as well
as teaching her French. By the time she was one year old
she could read (recognize) well over 100 words and by three
years old she was an avid reader and could read fluently
first and second grade books with the right voice inflection.
Her
case is not unusual. Many babies can achieve the same
results given the same opportunity we gave our daughter.
The idea of teaching babies to read does not seem so far-fetched
when one considers that ALL babies learn to talk within the
first few years of life and this is far more difficult than
having to recognize some words that spring out of books in
enchanting stories.
- YOU SAY THAT BABIES CAN DEVELOP A LOVE OF READING - HOW
DO YOU DO THAT?
The ultimate goal of teaching babies to read is not to teach
the mechanics of reading but to develop a love for reading.
By exposing babies to enchanting stories, babies will develop
a love for books, because stories transport the reader to
incredible places and adventures.
- SOME PEOPLE MIGHT SAY THAT YOUR DAUGHTER WAS GIFTED,
HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT?
I strongly believe that nurturing
has a greater effect in making children gifted than genetics.
If parents are interested in helping their baby reach
their full learning potential, I do consultation in the
home and teach one-on-one how to stimulate your baby
and provide a learning environment.
I believe that all babies are born with the capacity
for brilliance
and as such I consider all babies gifted.
All babies are born with the insatiable desire to learn
and for babies all learning is fun and easy!
If anyone thinks that only "gifted babies" can
learn to read, then I will speak for 99.9% of all babies
who achieve the incredible task of speaking by age three.
By achieving this incredible tour-de-force, which many
people take for granted, I say that all babies are born
gifted!
Learning to read early offers many benefits:
Early readers perform better in school!
Early readers develop higher IQs!
Early readers develop better confidence and self-esteeem!
Facts about gifted children:
Gifted children receive early stimulation which makes the
brain grow!
Gifted children's verbal skills are due to exposure to
reading early in life!
Gifted children's superior cognitive abiliy is due to early
reading!
- TEACHING BABIES TO READ IS A REVOLUTIONARY IDEA, ISN'T
IT?
Teaching babies to read may be a revolutionary idea
in the sense that reading in the adult's mind is an "academic" activity,
but this is actually fun for babies and it the best time
because at that age everything is easy. We all have been
brought up with the notion that reading and writing are
two tasks that we learn in school. I maintain that these
two tasks should be disassociated so that reading (the
written language) is taught at the time of language development
(the verbal language) and the process of writing taught
later when the fine motor skills are better developed.
- WHERE CAN PARENTS LEARN MORE ABOUT TEACHING THEIR BABIES
TO READ, AND SPEAK A SECOND LANGUAGE?
I recommend they
first read my book "Reading
Babies". I offer telephone consultations as well
as consultations in the home to show parents exactly
how to teach their babies to read and acquire a second
language.
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