Method
The Your Baby Can Read series employs multisensory techniques to teach babies and children to read. The term “multisensory” refers to the practice of teaching through multiple sensory channels. For more on this, go to Multisensory Method.
Multisensory teaching can be highly effective, as Titzer explains: “It is a scientific fact that babies learn more about many aspects of their world, when they learn through multiple sensory systems. Every parent knows that when babies are given toys, they will look at them, shake them, and often put them in their mouths. This is how they acquire knowledge about toys and other objects in their environment. They learn through several sensory systems - looking, touching, listening, moving, and tasting.”
Not only is multisensory teaching effective, but multisensory learning is more fun for babies too. Titzer also believes it is better for brain development: “Infants have tens of thousands of new brain connections forming every second, many going from the different sensory areas of the brain. The more elaborate the connections made in their brains, the deeper their learning will be.”
The Your Baby Can Read DVDs are designed to be played once or twice per day, with each volume shown for one or two months (“retired” DVDs are shown intermittently). Each program lasts around half an hour and has an accompanying book with around a dozen selected words. Parents are encouraged to say the word and run their finger under the word on the page, or say the word as it is shown on the screen. Parents can also sing and act out songs, and perform the actions (or help their baby perform the actions) represented by words - all of which helps to facilitate a child's learning.