Tonya - Mom to Owen, U.S.A.

When did you start using Little Reader?

I began using Little Reader with Owen when he was 6 months old.

Please describe your child's progress in learning to read.

I began showing Owen Little Reader when he was 6 months old. I wasn't sure if anything was sticking because I never tested his knowledge until he was two days shy of his first birthday. I showed him several of his toy animals and asked him to give me the corresponding flashcard, which he was able to correctly identify several times. Soon after, he began to spontaneously sign words in ASL in response to reading his favorite words. I will never forget the excited look of joy and pride on his face when he read and then signed the word dog to me for the first time, before he could even speak. As he began to talk, his chosen vocabulary has most frequently come from words he learned from Little Reader. At 20 months old, he began to decode words he had never been taught, as well as read short sentences in the Little Reader story book series.

Owen actually speaks more when prompted to read written words than he regularly speaks when using spontaneous language throughout the day. In comparison to my older daughter, he is far less verbal than she was at the same age. For that reason, I am grateful that chose to introduce Little Reader early on with all of its vast vocabulary. I suspect his language would be even further delayed had I had not done so.

How big a part did Little Reader play in helping your children to read?

I had previously tried several different reading systems with my older daughter, but Little Reader was our favorite by far! When it came time to teach Owen, Little Reader was the predominant system of choice. Owen especially loves the customized files we made using pictures of our family and he regularly asks for them by name. The Little Reader storybooks have been vital with Owen as well, and they helped him easily graduate from words to stringing sentences together.

What do you like about Little Reader and why would you recommend it to others?

I love that Little Reader is so easy to use. As a busy mom of two little ones, I just don't have the luxury of time when it comes to preparing lessons and flashcards. Little Reader took the guesswork out of teaching my kids to read. I recommend Little Reader to all parents looking to give their little ones the best possible start to their education. Our family is so grateful that we stumbled on BrillKids!