Disney's Baby Einstein vs Your Baby Can Read
Which Learning to Read Program is Best for Baby?
Sep 20, 2009
Anyone who has watched the infomercial for Your Baby Can Read, most likely wonders if it truly works. Going by the many reviews on Amazon.com it definitely seems to vary depending on the baby. In order for it to work, the child must watch it. There are a few slow parts where attention spans might wander, so it’s up to the parent to keep interest up.
Those parents who expect the DVD to be a babysitter shouldn’t be surprised when the lessons fail. Babies like interactive learning, so talking and singing to them along with the DVD does a world of good. Each disk is only about 20 minutes, so the parents don’t have to dedicate a lot of time helping their baby learn.
Repetition is Very Important.
No one should expect their baby to read in a month or two. The first intro disk of Your Baby Can Read must be played twice a day for at least a month before even moving on to the second of the five disks, each of which should be played for two months. It should take about nine months to get all the way through the program. There are a few catchy poems and songs to keep the baby’s interest on each DVD. The more they see the same things, the more likely those images and words will start making sense to them.
Too Much Advertisements is a Bad Thing
Disney’s Baby Einstein is similar in nature in that the program tries to teach babies basic words. Having reviewed only one of the disks for a 9-month-old infant, it was tiresome how there was no way to bypass the advertisements at the front of the show. It is a disadvantage to have it set up this way, since very few parents will want to waste the time to fast forward through it every time they want their child to view the actual program. There is a repeat play function, but this is only helpful if having just watched the program.
An advantage of the Baby Einstein series is that each disk can be purchased locally and individually. So if the parent wants to test one first, there is a smaller initial investment. Each DVD can be purchased at Walmart. Your Baby Can Be Read series can only be purchased as a set, so it’s best to try to get it used to save money. Though it too can be tested before buying by visiting the company’s site and using their 30 day trial.
Comparing the Actual Programs
Of the two, Your Baby Can Read seems to be set up better. The word is spelled first and then the item is shown while a child narrates what is going on. This is done several times throughout the DVD. In Baby Einstein the word is spelled and then several different images of the word are shown with musical accompaniment. The images are either pictures or paintings, and the music is rather boring. The only time it got interesting for a baby was when the puppets would come on between the lessons. Unfortunately, the puppets don’t teach anything. They’re just silly.
Get More for Your Money
Your Baby Can Read also comes with books and word cards to help with learning. It just seems to be a better quality program, so it makes sense it would cost more. Both programs have had success, so it mainly depends on the child and their personal pace of learning. If wanting to make an educated comparison, it might be best to get one of the Baby Einstein DVDs and the 30 day trial of Your Baby Can Read to see which works best for baby.
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