Over 8 Million Children Can’t Read in U.S. Schools

Did you know that there is a major Illiteracy Crisis in U.S. Schools today? According to the 2004 National Assessment of Educational Progress conducted by the U.S. Federal Government over 8 million children struggle to read daily.

This problem has grown out of control and year after year it gets worse as children enter the school system unprepared to succeed, says early childhood researcher Steve Van De Walle.

How can you protect your baby from becoming one of the ever growing number of illiterate children throughout the U.S. from all walks of life?

The solution is simple and the methods are time tested and proven.

Van De Walle, explains that back in the 1960’s, Glenn Doman, and associates were teaching parents how to teach their own brain injured babies how to read. Yes, literally read at the ages of one, two, and three. After some of these babies had to have half of their brains removed, they were still able to learn how to read as toddlers.

Amazing….you may think.

Yes, amazing, just as amazing as the untapped potential that lies dormant in babies who are not exposed to print rich environments early in life.

Teaching your own baby how to read begins with investing some daily time holding your infant in your arms and reading to them. Van De Walle, who has taught three of his own children how to read, recommends starting with plenty of rhyming books. He says, “Dr. Suess has always been a favorite in our home.” He further explains that doing so will begin to develop “phonemic awareness” or simply the ability to recognize rhyming sounds or word patterns.

As your infant grows and develops their ability to see better, picture books are great to read. Exposing your baby to various pictures and identifying the names of the objects in the books is a great way to begin developing a solid foundation of “background knowledge.”

“Many kindergarten teachers would commonly share with me that their students lacked background knowledge and had little exposure to print,” shares former elementary school teacher Van De Walle. “These common characteristics almost inevitably led to difficulties in learning how to read.”

The solution to this illiteracy crisis begins in homes across America. In our own homes, we as parents can begin with daily lap reading that provides a priceless bonding experience. We can also use simple strategies with words and pictures that have actually been used to teach toddlers how to read for decades. There are also various interactive games that add plenty of fun and excitement to the experience of teaching your own baby how to read.