YBCR Bad press and law suit, what is up? what do you think??

Early Learning Teaching Your Child to Read
21

Excellent! Happy to see Dr. Gentry speaking out! :yes:

I also see that various studies are cited in the YBCR booklet, Parent’s Overview of the Your Baby Can Read! System in the text, as well as in the [i]References[i], listed on page 59.

I also found an opine on Jeff Rossen, to be very interesting:

"Secret’s out on undies expose: NBC News’ Jeff Rossen recycles story for sweeps
BY RICHARD HUFF
DAILY NEWS TV EDITOR
Friday, March 05, 2010

Some sweeps packages are so good - or, more likely, sensational - they get repeated over and over. This week, Jeff Rossen hit on an oldie for NBC’s “Today” show that was then repeated on WNBC/Ch. 4’s 11 p.m. news. The subject was what retailers do with returned undies. Some viewers, however, may have felt they had seen Rossen’s piece before. Fact is, some may have.

more:
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-03-05/entertainment/27058128_1_sweeps-panties-tags

March 6, 2011
Sheen files: A crazy week for NBC’s Jeff Rossen

(AP) NEW YORK (AP) — Here’s something for Jeff Rossen to ponder after a crazy week: Is being called a “rock star” by Charlie Sheen good or bad for his career in television journalism?

Rossen, an NBC News correspondent who works chiefly for the “Today” show, played a prominent role in the actor’s bizarre media tour to bash his bosses for suspending “Two and a Half Men,” and explain a lifestyle of drugs and “goddesses.” Andrea Canning of ABC News, CNN’s Piers Morgan and radio star Howard Stern also spent extensive time with Sheen.

more:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/06/ap/celebrities/main20039806.shtml

I wish we had a way to actually contact me Mr. Rossen, as well as those he interviewed to inquire more about his “research” and what was left out of the segments. Suggestions, anyone?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26639476/ns/nightly_news-about_us/

~ Ayesha

22

Enlightening as to how he does his job, as well as contact information at the bottom:

http://www.nbcudirect.com/news/rossen020711/

I humbly suggest that we create “talking points” (as commonly used by political action committees in written communication to American politicians for a specific issue) and politely, yet firmly, state our [collective], yet individual positions, and perhaps with some wisdom and patience on our part, we will be able to educate him with the other perspectives, that are validated by actual specialists and backed by scientific research.

And this reminds me that I want to read this excellent book by Harvard psychologist, Dr. Howard Gardner:

Changing Minds: The Art and Science of Changing Our Own and Other People’s Minds
http://www.howardgardner.com/books/covers/12052_Gardner_General.pdf

23

short on time, so I just sent a reply to this tweet:

jeffrossen Jeff Rossen
So, what do you think. Should you be forcing your kids to read before 4-yrs old? Experts say no. What do you think?
13 Apr Favorite Retweet Reply

with:

AyeshaNicoleMB Ayesha Nicole M B
@jeffrossen > wish you would have interviewed Dr. Gentry, when you researched this topic: http://tinyurl.com/3j77tvz

. . . and hope he will actually read the blog article :smiley:

24

You can comment on the CCFC blog: http://commercialfreechildhood.blogspot.com/2011/04/your-baby-cant-really-read-and-doesnt.html

Please comment in support of YBCR and teaching children to read.

25

Has anyone read the 35-page complaint here?: http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/pdf/ybcrftccomplaint.pdf

26

They are also taking the AAP screentime recommendations out of context; page 18:

http://www.aap.org/obesity/pdf/tfco_fullreport_may2010.pdf

which is related to obesity and not to what children actually learn from high quality programming. The argument is flawed in that if a child of any age watches tv, then they will never exercise and will automatically eat junk food and become obese. They are mixing apples and oranges.

27

and the AAP guidelines: http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;107/2/423

28

I just wanted to share I posted another blog on this issue http://youngmamachristine.blogspot.com/2011/04/let-babies-be-babies-your-baby-can-read.html

29

I just want to remind everyone what Dr. Titzer (and in a sense we too) is up against. As we know, learning to read early, (and by the way, my son age 3 DOES read - in TWO languages - and quite well at that thank you very much) leads to a higher intelligence and a greater thinking capacity. Excuse me, but the people at Harvard and some of these other institutions and “Think Tanks” are dreadfully afraid of more people being brilliant. I mean, God, who would there be to mindlessly comsume, to all day long watch the weapon of mind control otherwise known as the TV, to support the spending of untold millions of dollars to have bunches of men play with their balls or to go to fight wars for multinational corporations if too many people knew how to think?? From their point of view guys like Dr. Titzer must be stopped. To accomplish that they use nice sounding organisations like the one filing the complaint against him.
Remember folks that Glen Doman wrote in his books that his little organisation in Philadelphia was visited by many heads of state and other government officials. They were very impressed. BUT- no where in the world do parents recieve from the state a present at the birth of their first child consisting of a book on how to teach your child to be brilliant (read, do math etc.). This is no coincidence!!!
Good luck Dr. Titzer!!!
GV

30

Great Violinist comments brings to mind John Taylor Gatto, former NY teacher of the year, and the dumbing down of children in America:

http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/

and Neil Postman, a critic of media and education:

http://neilpostman.org/

31

Everything the complaint says, “there is no evidence of…” HAS evidence! That is what is most upsetting, as we are all witnesses of the evidence, our children!

“Your Baby Can Read pressures parents by urging them to seize a “short window of opportunity” for reading that begins in infancy despite that there is no evidence that any such “window” exists—or to support any of Your Baby Can Read’s pseudoscientific claims.”

This research university filing this complaint clearly has not done enough research. Pathetic.

Would be grateful to sign a petition for Dr. Titzer.

32

Looks like Dr. Gentry ruffled some feathers after posting his latest blog on this subject.

Susan Lin and Josh Golin, directors of the CCFC, posted a response on his blog:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/raising-readers-writers-and-spellers/201104/is-there-baby-can-read-witch-hunt/comments#comment-152141

I loved Dr. Gentry’s response! A must-read!

33

Looks like everyones taking of their gloves in this one. I’m glad Dr. Gentry called Susan Lin on her misleading comments

34

Anyone read this research study that includes Dr. Robert Titzer?:

Citation
Database: PsycARTICLES
[Journal Article]
Knowing in the context of acting: The task dynamics of the A-not-B error.
Smith, Linda B.; Thelen, Esther; Titzer, Robert; McLin, Dewey
Psychological Review, Vol 106(2), Apr 1999, 235-260. doi: 10.1037/0033-295X.106.2.235

Abstract
The A-not-B error is one of the most robust and highly studied phenomena in developmental psychology. The traditional Piagetian interpretation is that the error reflects the immaturity of infants’ understanding of objects as permanent entities. More recently, the error has been interpreted in terms of changes in representation, in memory, in spatial knowledge, and in inhibitory processes. Each account may be partially right but none offers a unified account of the many accumulated facts about this error. This article presents and tests a new unified explanation. The authors propose that the perseverative reach back to A is the product of the processes that take a hand to a location in visual space: the body-centered nature of the spatial code, memories for previous reaching activity, and the close coupling of looking and reaching. The results from 6 experiments support this explanation. The results are used to challenge the idea of knowledge independent of and distinct from behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)

http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/rev/106/2/235/

found .pdf online: > http://www.sv.uit.no/seksjon/psyk/pdf/Audrey4_2004.pdf

Citation
Database: PsycINFO
[Journal Article]
The influence of reminder trials on contextual interference effects.
Shea, John B.; Titzer, Robert C.
Journal of Motor Behavior, Vol 25(4), Dec 1993, 264-274.

Abstract
Examined the proposition of the elaboration explanation for contextual interference that more than 1 task is present in working memory when multiple tasks are practiced in a random schedule but that only 1 task is present in working memory when multiple tasks are practiced in a blocked schedule. Three motor tasks were performed as fast as possible in either a random or blocked practice schedule in 2 experiments involving a total of 88 university students. Acquisition performance was slower for the random practice conditions than for the blocked practice conditions. A blocked practice condition with a beneficial acquisition and reminder task order pairing performed faster during both acquisition and retention than a comparable random practice condition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)

http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1994-20259-001

and a reference to his other publication is mentioned here:

Publications
A search of the PsychInfo database reveals three publications which include Titzer as an author. Titzer was one of four co-authors of a paper which was published in Psychological Review; the paper was published in 1999 and was titled “The task dynamics of the A-not-B error.” The other two citations in PsychInfo include his dissertation, which concerned the infant’s understanding of the visual cliff; and a paper he co-authored in 1993 entitled “The influence of reminder trials on contextual interference effects.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Titzer

35

Somewhat off topic, but given the debate over the definition of “reading” and whether YBCR kids are really “reading” I thought it was interesting that the US Citizenship and Immigration Services considers reading sight words to be really reading.
I know someone who recently took the Naturalization Test and became a US citizen. The Naturalization Test includes an English Test with a Reading Portion. You must be able to read a sentence correctly to demonstrate an ability to read English and be eligible for naturalization. To help you prepare, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services provides a Reading Vocabulary List containing ALL the words found in the English Reading Portion of the Naturalization Test. There are about 70 words on the Reading Vocabulary List.

36

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPqJ4jb1RI8&feature=player_detailpage

Why aren’t pieces like this ever highlighted, only the negative stuff? Oh right, because controversy is what sells. This youtube video has been up for a year with only 76 views. :rolleyes:

37

"Why aren’t pieces like this ever highlighted, only the negative stuff? Oh right, because controversy is what sells. " Agree with that! Papers usually will publish anything negative and shocking, even if totally unfounded, on their front pages, and then you see rebuttals and apologies ( if any!) in small announcements on the back :nowink:

Plus anything that stands out from a norm is always criticized … Sad

38

Kauaiheidi, loved your comment! Good point!

39

I totally agree Skylark! I also find though the more something gets critisised, the more people look into something and not everyone believes the hype of the news. I hope this has boosted sales for YBCR and more people are teaching their children to read!

40

I can’t believe Your Baby Can went out of business >:(

I used YBCR (along with PP, Little Reader, Readeez, Reading Bear etc) and my daughter easily learned to read. I also like their Your Child Can Read and we listen to their Spanish CD in the car.

My daughter just turned 4 and she still loves books.

Here is a video i posted previously of her reading when she was younger

http://youtu.be/CxmS1nQVsno