The Ecklunds think so. Their baby, Sonia, started watching the show when she was just 5 months old. They followed the program recommendations, interacting with Sonia using the flashcards and books. By 10 months, she was able to identify words on flashcards. Now, as a 2-year-old, Sonia is able to read aloud from basic books.
"Around 10 months we really got confirmation she knew what the words were. We'd say, 'find the word elephant,' and she'd crawl over and find the word elephant," said Sonia's mother, Hung Eckland.
Daryl Ragan is a certified Barton reading and spelling tutor. She says programs like " Your Baby Can Read" aren't likely to be harmful to learning, but, she says, reading early and often to your child can be just as effective.
If you are worried your child is falling behind, Ragan says trust your gut instinct. She says by age 4-5, signs will surface if your child is struggling to read. Warning signs include, "A family history. A child that's really struggling with sounds -- if they continue to mix up and b and d sounds as they get into 5 and 6 years old. If they're struggling to learn the alphabet or struggling to memorize their home address and phone number," says Ragan.