Brainy Baby. Bilingual Baby. Baby Babble Speech Development.
Baby Bumblebee Smart Baby Series. So Smart. And let’s not forget
Baby Einstein.
Not familiar with all of these? Neither was I until curiosity
drove me to look into the vast array of educational media for
infants and toddlers. I was quite astounded by the sheer number
of these products. And they are products -- please do not
overlook that point. They are designed to prey on parents who
have, through various crafty marketing campaigns, been made to
feel that their infant will fall dangerously behind the rest of
the babies in playgroup if he or she is not subjected to a heavy
dose of videos, flashcards, CDs, and books.
What can babies learn from these products? Check web sites like
www.babyclassroom.com to find out. The Brainy Baby Left Brain
VHS series focuses on “such cognitive skills as logic, patterns,
letters & numbers, sequencing, analyzing details, and more.” The
Bee Smart Baby Vocabulary Builder claims that there are
(unnamed) studies proving that teaching an infant sign language
may raise IQ scores significantly. And if sign language isn’t
enough, you can use that series to introduce your 4-month old to
Spanish, German, French, and Japanese. Many of these products
indicate that they are useful for children who are late talkers
or have a speech delay, and for those children these media may
indeed be very helpful. But the underlying message in the vast
majority of these materials is that you should buy them to make
your child smarter; to make your child talk and read at the
earliest age possible.
We hear a lot in the media about overextended children who are
faced with pressures to be involved in sports and other
pursuits, and to do homework, and to get good marks. I see from
these products that this push to engage children in some sort of
activity, to make them excel and stand out, begins at a
startlingly young age. It is only natural for parents to want
the best for their children. There is nothing wrong with some
educational media and toys. And, in my opinion, a child can
never have enough books. But I have to wonder if we have lost
sight of the simplest method of developing language in children
– face to face interaction . Isn’t it obvious? The best way to
teach your child to communicate is to communicate with your
child. You do not need a video, CD, or flashcard as an
intermediary. Touch your child, talk to your child, let your
child see your face and your mouth moving.
Next time you think about picking up a Baby Shakespeare or Bath
Math video, think twice. Why not go home and read some nursery
rhymes to your child or play a counting game with his fingers
and toes? I guarantee a much more rewarding experience for you
both.
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