Once you know that it requires very little time to teach your baby to read the question no longer is should I teach my baby to read but how do I capitalize on this very precious period of development and introduce reading to my baby?  The answer is simple and consists of just two words - flash cards.

Flash cards are a proven and effective way to teach babies to read, literally in minutes a day.  Let me show you how this can be done.  Before providing you with a prescription to get you started you will need to determine your baby's interest in learning to read.  Since a reading session will last for 30 seconds or less, you only need to find that moment in time where you can focus your baby's attention for that short amount of time.  I personally have found that by storing my flash cards at the change table and showing a set 3 times a day I was able to remain consistent and be done introducing words before noon each day.  I would show a set at the first diaper change, the midmorning diaper change and then around noon.  Reading was not something we had to do all day.  In 3 short sessions, my babies were on their way to reading.

It is very important to show the words quickly and also to show just a little less than the baby wants to see. The key is to keep them excited about learning to read.  This is done by watching them carefully and stopping before they are ready to stop.  Only show flash cards to your baby when their spirits are good.  This is an enjoyable activity and you do not want to corrupt that spirit by insisting that your baby view flash cards when they are not in the mood.

I suggest you start with 5-10 flash cards.  Hold up the card so your baby can see it and clearly say the word. Continue on, flipping cards as quickly as you say each word.  If you notice that your baby would like to view more than 5-10 cards, you can increase your set size.  If you find that they were looking away, decrease the number of cards per set.  I show between 5 and 50 cards per viewing, depending on my baby's interest at that moment.  Be sure to shuffle your cards after each session so the order changes the next time you present the flash cards.  If you show the flash cards 3 times a day then you will need to change sets once a week or every 5 days.

Teaching babies to read is a simple and enjoyable experience for both baby and teacher.  Through flash card learning, babies pick up the phonetic patterns in words and are then able to read new words using phonics that they have figured out on their own.  For more information on flash card learning check out How to teach your baby to read with flash cards.

You can also visit www.monkisee.com to view the selection of flash cards available.