Some of you may remember my early review of BrillBaby Little Reader way back in August. The end of my 6-month trial is almost here, and so I'm posting my final review.
BrillBaby offered me a 6-month membership to Little Reader in exchange for my honest views on the program. Initially I reported that Natali was very attentive during the program, and quickly figured out how to advance slides on her own.
The biggest downside for me was remembering to do it consistently. Natali enjoyed the program, and does recognize some words, but probably not as many as she would have if we did it consistently. Because it's easier for us to do non-computer reading things (like reading books and talking about letters) she is still picking up concepts of reading, but not all of the ones in the program.
If you have the time and desire to dedicate a regular block of time to the Little Reader program, then it very well can help provide early literacy skills. It does look at sounds of letters and not just sight words, so it can lay an early foundation for reading. However, it's important to do this type of activity only if your child enjoys it - if he or she is bored by it or not interested, then a) it won't be successful and b) it could negatively impact future literacy if he or she associates reading with being unpleasant. If you have a bright child and are looking for a way to stimulate learning, then this can be an effective tool.
I think it's a little unrealistic to believe that all babies can learn to truly read by the age of 1 - so I do think the website makes a somewhat exaggerated claim there. However, it can be effective to promote early literacy, when used appropriately for your child.
BrillKids offers several products: reading, math, and music (still in development). There is an online support forum for people using the programs. I'd like to see the idea expand to more languages - I think the method of learning could be very effective for young children being exposed to a second language.
Cost ranges from $18-27/month depending on length of access for Little Reader and $15-21/month for math (which I unfortunately didn't get to try out). You can also opt for single-payment plans which are cheaper overall.
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