There are a couple of sets of videos that we sit down to watch with Pooky somewhat regularly. One is the previously reviewed Baby Signing Time series. The other is called Your Baby Can Read! As you might guess from the title, it aims to introduce your baby to reading. On their website and in the opening to the video is footage of 9-month-old baby Aleka responding appropriately to words on flash cards. For example, when she sees the card that says “head,” she touches her head. While it’s pretty amazing to see, Pooky has yet to respond so spectacularly. Then again, we’re not willing to have her watch the videos twice daily, which is what they recommend. Still, she loves to repeat the words in the lessons, and I think it has strengthened her vocabulary to some extent. While the production quality is a bit lower, it still grabs Pooky’s attention and keeps her riveted.

I’ve been skeptical in the past of baby products that claim to boost intelligence, and not without reason. While I don’t think most babies will show the same results as baby Aleka, I don’t lump these videos in the same category as, say, Baby Einstein. I do believe that these videos can be beneficial, as long as we remember that there is no substitute for, and nothing as important as, human interaction.

The set we reviewed also comes with flash cards and a dry-erase card with marker for practice. You can buy this set or choose from many other options at the Your Baby Can Read! website.