“There is no happiness in parents than when
their children perform exemplary in math related subjects”
Chapter 14 -
EARLY LEARNING - READING PROGRAM
Showing Only Words - Procedure.
1. To start the first week, select only 25 cards (words)
including the words "dad" and "mom".
2. On the first
day (Monday) choose 5 of those words to show your little one.
Start with the first one, for example, showing your baby the
word "mom" and say with enthusiasm,
"This one reads
mom!" The word is only shown for 1 second, and make
sure that he is seeing the word. Remember that you need to say
it loudly with enthusiasm.
3. Shortly after, and in
a similar way, show the remaining 4 words. Remember the rule:
1 second per word. The session with these five words should
be repeated 3 times during the day, remembering to leave at
least 15 minutes between each session.
4. The next day
(Tuesday), you choose a new set of 5 words and carry out the
process as before, but include the words from yesterday. You
will do three sessions with each set of 5 words. Your baby will
have 6 sessions today.
5. The next day, you do the same
with a new set of 5 words, but include the 5 words from yesterday
and the 5 words from the first day. You will, again, do 3 sessions
with each set of 5 words so that your baby has 9 sessions today.
Remember to leave at least 15 minutes between each session.
6. For the fourth day, you now choose a new set of 5
words, include all the sets from previous day and have 3 sessions
per set so that your baby now has 12 sessions on this day.
7. You do the same with the fifth day, a new set of
words plus the words from before and baby will now have 15 sessions.
8. When you start the sixth day, you choose a new set
of 5 cards and include the sets from the previous days EXEPT
for the set from the first day. This set of words from the first
day is eliminated so that you still have 25 cards with a new
set of 5. You will, again, do 3 sessions per set and your baby
will have 15 sessions in total.
9. This process then
continues with a new set of 5 cards every day and dropping the
5 words from the oldest group. You will always have 25 cards
and there will always be 5 new ones.
10. You continue
having 3 sessions per set of cards so that your baby has 15
sessions per day.
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NOTE
2: • Do not show 2 words starting with
the same letter in a row. • The words should appear
in a different order each day. • The session must
be finished before the baby gets tired. If you notice
any signs that your baby’s attention is diminishing,
the session must be finished immediately. |
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Showing Words & Images. Procedure
Having cards with letters and images related is an intelligent way to
teach specific topics, and improve not only the reading bases,
but also the general knowledge of the child. If you have a set
of images and words related, for example the cards with the
words for colors and images of the colors, you can do the practices
following the next procedure:
1. To start the first
day, select only 9 cards: 1 with the word “colors” to use as
introduction, 4 words of colors and the 4 images of these colors
(“blue,” “red,” “yellow” and “black”).
2.
ONLY
IMAGES. On the first day, start showing your baby 5
cards: the word "colors" and the 4 images-cards of colors. Each
card is only shown for 1 second and make sure that he is seeing
the card with the color. Remember that you need to say each
word loudly with enthusiasm.
3. Shortly after, and in
a similar way, show the remaining 4 words: “blue,” “red,” “yellow”
and “black”.
Remember the
rule: 1 second per word - color. The session
with these five cards should be repeated 3 times during the
day, remember to leave at least 15 minutes between each session.
The sessions should be repeated for 3 days.
4.
ONLY WORDS. For the fourth day, start showing
your baby the word "colors" and the 4 cards with words of colors:
“blue,” “red,” “yellow” and “black”. Again, each card is only
shown for 1 second. The session with these five cards should
be repeated 3 times during the day, remember to leave at least
15 minutes between each session. The sessions should be repeated
for 3 days.
5.
IMAGES and WORDS COMBINED.
For the seventh day, you will use the 9 cards: one with the
word “colors” (introduction), 4 words of colors and the 4 images
of these colors (“blue”, “red”, “yellow” and “black”). You must
show firstly the image and then the card with the written word.
To start the session, first show him the card with the word
of “colors”, then the image “blue,” then the word “blue,” then
the word “red,” followed for word “red,” etc. Again, each card
- image is only shown for 1 second. The session with these nine
cards should be repeated 3 times during the day, remember to
leave at least 15 minutes between each session. The sessions
should be repeated for 3 days.
NOTES 3: • According to the results,
you can increase the number of cards and images. Initially,
you can start with 3 pairs of words-images. But you can increase
gradually to 8, 10 or 12 pairs, if your child is learning fast.
• On the other hand, if the baby’s attention is diminishing,
you should reduce the session to only 2 during the day and keep
a low number of cards-images. If you notice any signs that your
baby’s interest is diminishing, the session must be finished
immediately.
• You don’t have to create images for every
word. Sometimes is not easy to create or find images, for instance,
for adjectives, articles and verbs, etc.. However, the baby
needs to learn all these words. In this case, you only need
to create the cards with the words and teach him, by following
the procedure showing only words.
COMMENTS:
When the child has acquired a basic vocabulary of single words
(between 60 and 120 words), you can start Stage 2. While implementing
stage 2, teaching pairs of words, you still continue with stage
1 to teach new words and expand your little one’s vocabulary.
Once you have taught around 60 pairs of words, you can then
begin stage 3 (simple three word phrases) while continuing with
stages 1 and 2. Your baby is still very young so there is no
real hurry to move along the stages. Moving onto new stages
is more important than older stages as they often lose interest
in just learning single words.
14.5.8 Step 2: Learning 2-word Phrases
Once your child has acquired a basic vocabulary of single
words (between 60 and 200 words), he will be ready to join the
learning of word pairs.
Source: The Institutes for the Achievement of Human
Potential
Materials
- Cards: White paper (medium or heavyweight
paper recommended), 4 x 24-inch cards (10 x 60 cm). Letters
must be lowercase in red color, 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm)
tall and at least 0.5 inch thick. This thickness is key as to
facilitate the baby viewing the letters. We recommend you have
at least 100 pairs of cards with different words to begin the
process.
- Images: Printed images,
pictures or photos (family photos, images from magazines, internet,
etc) glued on sheets of paper. For the images, initially you
can use the paper sizes letter (8.5 × 11 inches), legal (8.5
× 14 inches), tabloid (11 × 17 inches) or equivalent sizes.
All the papers with images used in the same session should have
the same dimension. The paper sizes should be chosen according
to the age of your child. To achieve better stimulation we recommend
that you show pictures and familiar objects from the environment
to illustrate the concepts.
Vocabulary:
Make sure that the words you use in pairs are words that
you were using individually so that they are already familiar.
Here are some examples of 2 word phrases that could be used.
The step 1 (simple words) should continue along with step
2 (2-word phrases). As you start teaching the phrases with familiar
words, you can continue teaching new single words to use in
phrases later.
Include the present simple of the verbs
"to be" and "to have" (is, are, have, has, etc.). These words
will be used in the following step. It is also recommended to
include some verbs in the progressive form, such as reading,
writing, rising, falling, crying, etc.
Procedure
1. The process occurs in much the same way as the last part
of stage 1 does. You will include a new group of 2 word phrases
every day leaving out the oldest group so that you have 5 groups
every day. Again, you will carry out 3 sessions per group leaving
a minimum of 15 minutes between each session.
2. At
the same time, you will continue with stage 1. Make sure that
the words in the two word phrases are words that have been eliminated
from older groups.
3. In the same way, the procedure
for showing two or more words and their corresponding images
should be followed as it was described before. There is not
difference.
When the child has acquired a basic vocabulary
of two words (between 100 and 200 double words), you can start
the Stage 3.
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NOTE 4: You don’t have to create
images for every 2-word phrases, but you just need to
create the cards with the words and teach him, following
the procedure showing only words. |
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14.5.9 Step 3: Learning Short Phrases
Now that your child has acquired a basic vocabulary of single
words (between 100 and 200 words), and knows some 2-word phrases,
he is ready to be taught with some short phrases. This is a
very exciting step. The words that had been left out from older
groups are now used to make shorter and meaningful sentences.
You can start this step when you have removed around
60 simple words and have used them in 2-word phrases. You now
use those same words in making 3-word phrases.
Materials.
– Cards: White paper (medium or heavyweight paper recommended),
4 x 24-inch (10 x 60 cm) printed in red lowercase letters, 2
inches (5 cm) tall and at least 3/8 inch (8 mm) thick. Please
prepare a stock of at least 60 cards with short sentences.
– Images: Printed images, pictures
or photos (family photos, from magazines, internet, etc.) glued
on sheets of paper. You can use the paper sizes letter (8.5
× 11 inches), legal (8.5 × 14 inches), tabloid (11 × 17 inches)
or equivalent sizes. All the papers with images used in the
same session should have the same dimension. The paper sizes
should be chosen according to the age of your child.
For better stimulation, it is recommended that you also
show a picture of their familiar objects to illustrate the idea.
Vocabulary:
The cards should feature
the words that have already been taught individually. The following
are some examples of short sentences:
Procedure.
1. Choose a group of 5 phrases and carry out 2 daily sessions. You may
want to include new groups of single words and 2-word phrases.
2. With each new day you will add 2 new phrases and
leave out the oldest ones so that you always have 5 phrases.
The new words should be placed at the end of the group of 5
phrases to keep the child's eagerness to learn.
Use
the single-word and the 2-phrase cards to make short sentences.
(Please refer to the picture)
Because these are set phrases with words the child already
knows, it's not necessary to show them to him for 5 days and
3 times a day. You can show them for 3 days and 3 times a day.
Add 2 new phrases every day and leave out 2 of the oldest ones
by placing the new ones at the end of the group to always keep
the child's attention.
14.5.10 Step 4: Learning Long Phrases
Once your child has acquired a basic vocabulary of single
words (between 100 and 200 words) and knows some 2-word phrases
and 3 word phrases, he will be ready to move onto longer phrases.
This is a very exciting step and the words that have been used
in previous exercises are now used to make longer phrases.
Materials
Two different types of cards are necessary for the long-phrases
reading activities:
– Long Cards: White
4 x 24-inch cards (10 x 60 cm) written in red lowercase fonts
of 1.5 inches (4 cm) high, written with a marker. It is recommended
to prepare at least 25 cards with long sentences.
– Rectangular Cards: Legal size (8.5 × 14 inches)
or tabloid (11 × 17 inches) white paper cards written in lowercase,
although they now include the initial uppercase letters such
as proper nouns (as found in children's books). The font itself
should be reduced in a 0.8 inch or 1.0 inch (20-25 mm) and must
be written in black. It is recommended to prepare at least 25
rectangular cards with long sentences.
Vocabulary:
The cards should feature the phrases that have already been
taught individually and in 2-word phrases. The shorter sentences
from the previous stage can also be used. The following are
some examples of longer sentences:
As you combine the words left aside in pairs of words and
new phrases, you can teach the child new words and expand his
reading skills.
Procedure.
1. Choose a group of 5 phrases and carry out 3 daily sessions.
You may want to include new groups of single words and 2-word
phrases.
2. Add two new phrases and leave out the oldest
ones every day. The new words should be placed at the end of
the group of 5 phrases to keep the child's eagerness to learn.
Use the cards with a single word to make long phrases (please
view the chart).
They are set phrases with words that the child already knows,
so it's not necessary to show them to him for 5 days and 3 times
a day. You can show them for 3 days and 3 times a day. Add two
new phrases every day and leave out two of the oldest ones by
placing the new ones at the end of the group so that you always
keep your baby’s attention.
Keep on doing Steps 1, 2
and 3 to teach new single words and 2-word phrases throughout
the whole process to steadily increase the child's vocabulary.
14.5.11 Step 5: Reading “Homemade Books”
This is a fun way to encourage children and to play with
them. Your child will love the story if the star is himself,
so that you can take photographs of your child to begin with.
On the first page, write, for example, "Robert is sleeping,"
then, when you turn the page, let him see a picture of himself
sleeping. On the next page, write “Robert is eating,” and then
turn the page to find a picture of him eating, and so on.
Each book has just several pages. Each page has a single
phrase on it, and the next page is a photo depicting that phrase.
Do not mix the phrases and the pictures on the same page set,
as your little one will be far more interested in looking at
the pictures than he will be in reading the words. So make sure
that there is only one thing visible, either the phrase or the
picture depicting the phrase.
Materials.
– Rectangular Cards: Rectangular legal
size (8.5 × 14 inches) or tabloid (11 × 17 inches) cards written
in lower-case though they now include the initial upper-case
letter as in proper nouns (as found in children's books). The
font itself should be reduced to a 0.8 inch or 1 inch (20-25
mm) and must be written in black. This is done because black
offers a better contrast with small fonts and the page will
be easier to read. It is recommended to prepare at least 25
rectangular cards with long phrases.
– Images:
Photographs of your child performing a number of activities
like sleeping, laughing, playing, eating, taking a bath, etc.
Also include some pictures of mum, dad, siblings, animals and
objects in the child's environment.
It is very important
that your homemade books are prepared with care and attention.
Again: do not mix the pictures with the phrases, making both
visible at the same time. Ensure that there is only a phrase
visible and then a picture on the next page. Your book can have
around 12 pages in it with 6 phrases and 6 photos. Prepare and
read as many books as you can (8 to 12), before continuing the
next step.
Vocabulary:
The phrases used in the cards should be related to the child's
daily activities and must have words that have already been
taught. Short sentences from the previous step may also be used.
– The Step 1 (simple words) should continue along with steps
2 and 3. As you combine the words left aside in pairs of words
and new phrases, you can teach the child new words so as to
expand their reading skills.
Procedure:
1. Allow plenty of time for your child to view the picture.
This is a very interesting thing to him and will add to his
enjoyment of the process. Once the picture has been looked at,
you can read the phrase at a normal pace. You may read this
phrase to him several times during the following days.
2. You will keep on doing steps 1 and 2 to teach new single
words and 2-word phrases throughout the whole process to steadily
increase the child's vocabulary. Try to ensure that your little
one’s hands are clean to avoid dirty cardboards and books. This
is a good way to start teaching respect for what will later
be stories and books.
NOTES 6: You do not
need always to make hard copies on paper or cardboard. The presentation
can also be done on a laptop, PC or digital tablet. Use presentation
software such as PowerPoint or similar and make sure that you
sandwich phrases and pictures as one per slide, just as you
did on paper. You will see how easy it is to make a digital
book for the baby!
14.5.12 Step 6: Reading books and stories for kids (with
parents)
This is a step that you can really enjoy by
providing the right books for your child to develop their intelligence
and to become a great reader.
Materials.
– Homemade books.
– Commercial
children’s books. Once your child acquires
a basic vocabulary of up to 200 words you can begin the next
step. It is important that you look for children’s books appropriate
to your little one’s age and vocabulary. These first books must
meet the following characteristics:
1. They should be
clear and large print (greater than or equal to 0.8 inch - 20
mm).
2. They should be exciting, fun and colorful.
3. The text should be separated from the illustrations.
If the child reaches this stage at 2 years old or younger,
the letters need to be 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm). It is quite
hard to find ready-made books of this nature and the solution
is that parents make them with instructions from the previous
step (homemade or digital books in PowerPoint). Note that you
will need a book every week or every 2 weeks.
Vocabulary: – Make sure that you
review the vocabulary in the books you choose. It is important
that the vocabulary is familiar to your child so, if you find
new words, make sure to teach them separately using step 1 and
step 2 before reading the book.
Procedure:
1. Sit with your child and read the book. If
you find that he wants to read some of the words himself (depending
on age) allow him to do so. Bear in mind that a child under
age 3 should simply follow while you do the reading.
2. Read at normal speed, with enthusiasm and with a very expressive
voice.
3. Read the book 3 or 4 times a day for 4 days.
After that, shelve the book for a while. By doing this you increase
the chances that he will want to read the book again and again
at a later stage.
Even if your child already knows how
to read, do not rush him! You can continue reading aloud and
letting him follow along with you. By doing this, your child
gains confidence and it also increases their own speed of reading
and enjoyment in the task. There will come a day when he tells
you, on his own, that “you don’t need to read for me mom, I’ll
read it myself.”
Once in a while be sure to stop the
teaching process and simply take stock of the wonderful time
you are spending with your little one. Notice how wonderful
it is to be able to devote this precious time to him, paying
attention, praising his efforts and noticing his incredible
ability to learn. By giving him your time and sending this quality
time together, you will be giving a greater gift than simply
being able to read!
14.5.13 Step 7: Reading Books and Children's Stories (Independently)
Once your little one has the hang of reading it is important
to simply maintain that love. Especially with 3 and 4 year olds,
make sure that you keep their enthusiasm levels high as they
can get bored easily. There is probably no investment more profitable
than the investment you’re making into the quality of life for
you and your family. At this point, the program will assist
your little one in learning to read, learning new words and
increasing his intelligence.
Materials.
– Homemade books.
– Commercial
children’s books. Now that your little one
is entering the 6th stage and is ready to read books independently,
make sure that you choose books that are appropriate in terms
of length and vocabulary.
1. The books should be clearly
printed in large fonts (greater than or equal to 0.8 inch -
20 mm).
2. They should be exciting, fun and colorful.
3. The text should be separated from the illustrations.
Vocabulary
Make sure, again, that you check the vocabulary used in
the books and that all the words there are words that are familiar
to your child. If there are new words, teach them to your little
one using steps 1 and 2 again and refer back to the book once
all the words are familiar.
Procedure.
1. At the start, sit with your little one and help him read
the book if you notice that there is any difficulty. Give him
a chance to read the words by himself (depending on his age,
of course), and continue helping him until he no longer requires
your assistance. At this stop allow him to read at his own pace
and on his own.
2. Your child will discover with delight
that the book is talking to him.
3. As your child begins
to discover that words have meanings, he will begin to deduct
for himself the meanings of other letters, words and writing
standards. The program for learning to read independently does
not mean you should just leave your child alone. You have to
continue to be there, beside him. He is small and he wants your
company more than the books, no matter how interesting these
books may be. If the child notices that his new capacity means
losing your company, probably he will leave the book and will
go after you. Your child is still young and he wants to have
your book, but have his mom (or dad) first.
By the end
of the process, you will see that the reward of teaching your
child this valuable skill is something that money simply cannot
buy. Your little one will love and respect you for having given
your time and attention to the teaching
14.6 Benefits of Stimulation to Learn How to Read Early
on
– Really, at the end of the day, reading is one of the most
important skills that you can teach your child, and that will
increase his intellectual and emotional intelligence.
– Reading is the ability that will mark their successful
arrival at school, college, university and in life in general.
Reading well, fluently and with understanding are the hallmarks
of successful people, almost without exception.
– The
love of reading is directly linked to your ability to read well
and fluently, and to understand all that you have read. Teaching
your child to read fosters a natural love of reading.
– Early stimulation of reading always works to one degree
or another. Even if you do a poor job of teaching, your child
will still learn more than if you had done nothing. This is
a win-win situation. You will always develop his intelligence
to a greater extent than if choosing not to engage with your
child at all.
– Stimulation is a game in which everyone
wins, both parents and children. However, the better we play
the game to teach our child, the faster and better they will
learn.
– A love of reading naturally leads to higher
self-esteem and security. Your child will feel capable and in
control. This will only be reinforced when he realizes that
he is doing well at school too. Perhaps he will be the first
in his class in learning.
– If a child does not acquire
a real love of reading from an early age, he may not achieve
an adequate level of reading at the age of 11. By this stage,
the child may face reading comprehension issues and a lack of
interest in learning how to read.
14.7 Learning Two or More Languages (Bilingual Children)

In order to take advantage of the ability of children under
the age of 5 to learn language, the Glenn Doman system also
allows you to teach a second language at the same time. We recommend
that you start the steps described above and only start the
second language after about 3 or 4 months. It is also recommended
that one parent teach the mother tongue while the other parent
teaches the second language. Usually it is better for mom to
teach the mother tongue as the emotional connection between
her and the baby is of utmost importance.
It is important
to prepare the program in both languages in advance and carry
them on without interruption. A program that has many discontinuities
will not work well. If one parent is away, it is alright for
the other one to continue with the reading lessons in that language,
rather this than inconsistency. Always make sure that you tell
your child what language you are going to be teaching in.
But to start, just begin in the language you feel comfortable
with, and when you feel confident in your teaching ability,
you can move on to the next language. It is normal for your
child to mix some of the words up between the two languages.
This is all part of the process of learning and it does not
matter.
14.8 Other
Special Early Learning and Stimulation Programs
In The Institutes for the Achievement of
Human Potential, Glen Doman did not only create the
process of stimulation and teaching reading to children as described
above, he also divided stimulation programs to develop children's
intellectual, social and physical abilities. Below are some
of the stimulation programs for children 0 to 6 years that use
similar techniques with pictures, letters, numbers, cards, etc.:
• Exercising - appropriate physical development to age
0-6 years.
• Reading • Writing • Mathematics (see Chapter 15.12)
• Languages
• Good behavior
• Special Stimulation Programs - General knowledge For more
information: http://www.gentlerevolution.com
The list is as long as you want it to be. You can teach your
child anything. Perhaps you find yourself wondering how you
will teach your child all these things. It is quite simple.
By using a well-organized early learning program and following
one activity everyday with discipline, motivation and confidence.
Then, when your little one finally turns 6, you can enjoy all
his achievements with him and you will notice that he has become
a bright and happy child who will fondly remember the happy
years of childhood spending time learning and playing with his
parents.
Remember: Intelligence
is the most valuable human resource and you can develop it in
your children.
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Summary
· The love of
reading is directly linked to your ability to read well
and fluently, and to understand all that you have read.
Teaching your child to read fosters a natural love of
reading.
· For babies, reading language is a
brain function exactly as hearing language is a brain
function.
· Babies are innately programmed to
learn language and they can respond to human voices
from the moment that they are born making it possible
for them to start learning from the very first moment.
· The method created for Doman is based on the
use of flash cards with words and images: information
presented at speed is more easily apprehended by the
right hemisphere of the brain. Unlike left-brain memorization
which requires conscious, directed effort and right-brain
learning is unconscious and effortless.
· Reading
is the ability that will mark their successful arrival
at school, college, university and in life in general.
Reading well, fluently and with understanding are the
hallmarks of successful people, almost without exception.
· If a normal mind is stimulated appropriately
under favorable conditions then it can yield extraordinary
results. A child under 5 years can learn to read.
· Stimulation is a game in which everyone wins,
both parents and children. However, the better we play
the game to teach our child, the faster and better they
will learn.
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