Mom Talk Q&A: Reading and Fundamentals

A for toddlers generated some discussion among Patch editors behind the scenes. Aside from being editors and journalists, many of us are also moms and dads.

The article by Lisa Rossi - herself a new mom - included comments from educators who suggested that teaching pre-schoolers to read early at the expense of other socialization and life skills may not be good for children in the long term.

Without a doubt, reading to and with children is important for language development and bonding. But we've all also seen the television commercials with babies barely able to toddle reading flash cards and precociously articulating complete sentences. There's "Hooked on Phonics" and "Baby Einstein" and "Your Baby Can Read" - any one of which might turn your precious snowflake into a future Nobel laureate.

The scientific evidence supporting pre-school reading programs is non-existent or mixed at best. Other studies indicate that differences in early childhood reading even out over time.

As part of a settlement of a class-action suit, in 2009 Disney agreed to dial back claims and give a $15 refund to buyers of their "Baby Einstein" DVDs who thought they would make their babies smarter.

Is early childhood reading a parlor trick that doesn't help prepare for preschool, or as one of our Mom's Council members quipped "my-baby-can-read but can't-use-a-toilet?"