Comments on: How did I teach my kids to read – a personal experience

By: mehar

mehar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:32:24 +0000

I taught them using the materials actually around us – newspapers and magazines. i would select a common word that might recurr in the headlines, like “a,” the simplest word. then progressed to “the.” i pointed “a” out to the kid. then, showed another line where “a” occurs and she was able to point the word immediately. i repeated this for some times and then added other word the next day.

By: Monique

Monique — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:59:10 +0000

Thank-you so much for sharing this!! This is wonderful information

By: Alenka

Alenka — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 04:29:08 +0000

I started my baby on the words that he already knew: relatives, body parts, animals, etc. However, we are stumbling onto something new all the time. Doman says it is not important to show pictures, since you can just familiarize the baby with a new subject during normal daily interaction. I really like to show the word and then to walk to the object itself: window, fish tank, sofa. I like to let the baby touch it, look at it, feel it, smell it. I do it a few times and eventually just skip this lengthy “introduction” process and just show him the word. It is not a traditional method of using Doman cards, but it doesn’t matter to me how orthodox my methods are, as long as it works for my kid!

By: Tisha

Tisha — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:13:56 +0000

I think I see how to show my baby the words (although I may be back with other questions), but how do you make sure the baby knows what the word means? I have flashcards with pictures on one side and just the word on the other. I have been using the side with just the word. What is the best way to incorporate the picture or to make sure my baby knows the meaning of the word?

By: Alenka

Alenka — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 03:17:15 +0000

Having a baby who doesn’t pay attention to any words, cards, books you are about to show can be very frustrating. I feel your pain. I already have two babies like this!

My first one never was interested in cards, words, etc. He still isn’t. I came up with tons of fun and sneaky ways to teach him and find out what he knows. My materials, books, phrases are all here: Reading materials. Many things that I tried to get his attention (with various degrees of success) are here: What can I do if the baby is losing interest.

My second one, a six month old, is currently keeping me just as challenged. I’m coming up with new ways to convince him, that cards are fun way to learn: I show him a card and throw my baby into the air, or woosh him around, or make funny sounds, or play hide and seek behind the couch. In other words, I do ANYTHING that would get his attention AND smile. The baby MUST like it, or he wouldn’t learn! That’s what I learned with my first one – he has to be engaged in the subject in some way… he has to be interested.

With my first one, I used to pretend to “vacuum clean” the cards, since it really amused my son. He loves cleaning, so I used to “wipe” every card as I name it, or suggest him to wipe the card “milk” – he would look at the card, and I would find out if he knows his words… I used to do somersaults with every card. I used to play with Encyclopedic bits: pretend to climb tall buildings, or pick colors for animals, or make silly conversations, etc. “Doman way” of showing… just never worked for us. So, I do what works!

Around 18 months we started looking at presentations on the computer, since it was holding his attention better, then cards, and it turned out easier for me to update.

Right now, my older one is almost four. He is so used to seeing his presentations three times a day, that he gets upset if we miss it.

My older son loves treasure hunts with words and sentences leading him to a treasure; my older one loves sounds at the presentations; my older one is really enjoying tons of books that I created just for him – about him, about our special occasions and holidays… or just everyday things. I don’t have those on the site. Just yesterday my friend suggested me to take some old 4×6 photo albums from her, since she no longer needed them. I thought about throwing them out for a second… and then decided I’ll fill it with my son’s pictures and, of course, some words and sentences! He is able to read really small fonts, so having a sentence on one page and a picture on the other – would create a fun and very educational (and memorable, and sturdy!) book!

The only exception were the cards by A.P.P. For some reason he absolutely loves these words: Combination of Doman and Phonics.

In the worst case scenario, if he starts fooling around, I use the “reverse psychology” as my last resort: I’d say that if he is not paying attention, I wouldn’t LET him see any more presentations. If I use some other activity – it would be a punishment, and he wouldn’t become interested in presentations. But since I use the presentations themselves as a bait, he catches right on: even if he wasn’t so interested in the presentations before I said this, after I say it he gets worried: is he missing something really fun? So then he starts begging me to see them, though right before that he couldn’t care less for it. I think it’s a little too much pressure, but sometimes I resort to it.

Doman says, that you should stop BEFORE The baby wants to stop. I agree with this concept wholeheartedly. Nevertheless, my babies didn’t want to start. So I had to come up with different ways to associate some good things with it, and to incorporate it into routine so much, that my kids are not aware they can live without it.

Is it too pushy? I often worry that it is. I would appreciate any feedback on it.

By: charmaine

charmaine — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:32:39 +0000

Hi Alenka,

I am amazed with your hard-work and your bright children.

Would you mind to advise in details on teaching the 50-70 homemade books? Were there only word books?

You started sentenses as and when they finished the word books or after teching all single word books?

May i know did you flash the word books to your child or the baby sit on your lap, point words on words as you read them? Read fast as per Glenn Doman ’s advise or just normal reading speed with explanation?

You read 5 to 6 books of 20 words each book for one sitting was really amazing. Your baby absorded like sponge.

sometimes i did this, but wondering whether was i over do it?

How many times a day to read words to them for same set of words? How often do you need to change the word books? Weekly or per GD method?

Per Glenn Doman’s method, retire after showing 15 times,3 times a day.

Appreciate your guidance as my child age 11 months old and 3 years old don’t seem interested on flash cards and educational dvd.

I just continue to flash even though she don’t pay attention.

I really got headache.