I'm going to the Institutes (IAHP) this weekend!!!

[TheyCan]

I've been eager to hear an update about your experience! I hope you had a great week and learned a lot!

[mrseddy]

Sorry for the delayed post! I was even hoping to post every evening from the conference but the days were full and I spent the evenings catching up on reading or out to dinner with my new friends       As I’ve mentioned, I also have two under 3.5 and expecting #3 in a month    so we’ve been feverishly preparing for baby and recovering from colds and a slew of other stuff (excuses, excuses, I know!). This post is looooooong so I thought I’d break it up into segments.

It was a fascinating week to say the very least!!

I am going to summarize my experience based on topics as listed below.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Course Layout:  The course is 7 days in length beginning on Sunday and ending on the following Saturday, although the two weekend days are half day instruction.  A different topic was covered each day.  For example, Monday was teaching your baby to read, Wednesday was teaching your baby math, etc.  The agenda was broken out hourly with 10-minute breaks every hour.   Those ten-minute breaks were not to be wasted!  You could use the time to ask questions, use the rest room, shop at the book store, or grab a coffee/tea/juice (and sometimes snacks) that were provided.  Generally, it was a frenzied attempt to ask a question that likely popped up over the previous 50 minutes, quickly throw back some water and if you were lucky enough to get your question answered and indulge in a drink, then perhaps even squeeze in a bathroom break.  But those 10 minutes were always over far too quickly and they were strict about closing the doors once the break was up.  No drink or food was allowed in the auditorium.  Instructors were identifiable by their expertise based on the color jacket they were wearing.  Beige jackets were the intellectual experts; black jackets were the physical experts; and green jackets, the physiological experts (ie. nutrition and respiration).   The mornings were generally spent watching a pre-recorded lecture from Glenn Doman (so we felt we really got to know him and his personality through his old lectures) and the late mornings were filled with examples of stories/anecdotal evidence in each of the relevant topics.   (Mandy, Susannah spotted her MIL in one of the old Doman lectures!!).   The afternoons were generally lectures from Janet Doman or an intellectual/physical expert depending on the topic.  Lunch was in a different building and was communal.  This was a fun time to connect with others and I always made it a point to change where and with whom I was sitting with.

BITs: I know this has been debated on the forum in the past – whether the exercise in showing BITs is for the transfer of knowledge or simply an exercise in right-brain training. I’ve confirmed that there indeed is the expectation of knowledge transfer not simply exercising the mind to absorb vast amounts of information.  Meaning, we aren’t just right-brain training.  Btw, they never touched on left-brain vs. right-brain – when I asked, it was mentioned that the topic is brought up in the graduate course (once you “graduate” from the “How to Multiply Your Baby’s Intelligence” course – aimed at ages 0-2 – you can return for the “graduate course” – aimed at ages 2+).  The assumption of course that from 0-2, as is the framework of the course I attended, all children are right-brain dominant.

Reading:  Biggest ah-ha moment -- maybe this one was lost on me but we are not supposed to have our children read out loud to us.  When my son started reading, I checked out many easy readers on a weekly basis from our local library and he had been making steady progress by reading to us every night.  I had also taught him phonic rules and he can decode words that he doesn’t sight-read.  However, both reading aloud and decoding phonetically slows down a child’s reading pace.  Speed reading training is such a hot topic on this forum.  By flashing the recommended homemade Doman reading cards quickly, we are inherently training the child to speed-read -- presumably by also training the right-brain (although, again, this wasn’t referenced specifically).  But by text-pointing and having our children read aloud we are training them to scan from left to right rather than to be able to absorb a page in the way we can look at a painting and take it all in.  So you might be asking, well how then will we know our children are reading?  When you go to read to them the next chapter in a book the following night and they tell you they’ve already read it     They said older siblings reading to younger siblings is perfectly acceptable but not to slow down their potential deliberately.  I was a little surprised by their stance against teaching phonics but their argument is that English isn’t a phonetic language and as adults we primarily sight read.  Further to their point, very few adults can speed-read naturally because we’ve been trained from early on to scan a page from left to right.  Another interesting point is reading should be easier for a child to learn than speaking.  How many times have we asked for something to be written down because we can’t make out what is being told to us orally?  Doman found that by showing a baby/child the associative written word that children could learn to read just as effortlessly as they learned to speak.  

[mrseddy]

Math:  Ah, the good ol’ dot cards.   They’ve encouraged me to reintroduce them to my 3 year old and my 23 month old.  Yes, it’s true that almost everyone loses the ability to perceive the quantities after a certain age (typically around 3); however, the ability to manipulate the quantities never goes away.  I asked one of the beige jackets (the intellectual experts), who happened to be a Doman relation and was introduced to Doman’s methods from birth, if he could still perceive quantity and what process he goes through when he’s confronted with a math problem.   While he’s since lost the ability to perceive quantity, he said math is one of those subjects that just comes easily to him.  He couldn’t quite walk me through his process as he breaks down a math problem – I point blank asked if he manipulated dots in his head – and he said it wasn’t as concrete as that.  Math is simply something that clicks and has always clicked for him.  Janet Doman said it can’t hurt to reintroduce dots even if the child is older and cannot perceive quantity as this in no way precludes a child from becoming a great mathematician.   Learning how operations work is a great foundation even if he/she cannot perform instant math.  My older son knew his number symbols (“1”, “2”, etc.) before he was a year and a half – and I couldn’t stop him.  I think that stood in the way of his ability to perceive quantities when I initially started him with the dot cards at 30 months (seemingly the magical cut-off age; so it’s debatable whether I didn’t catch him in time or if his knowledge of number symbols played a bigger role).

Foreign Language:  There were quite a few bilingual and multilingual families at the conference so this was a topic many of us found interesting.   Pick one foreign language to teach your child at first.  Then follow the same curriculum that was used to teach you child to read but incorporate the foreign language.  Begin with BITs that are familiar to your child (animals, foods, etc.).  Then work up to the reading – follow the exact pathway as you would in your primary language of instruction:  words (if the language has definite articles but the language isn’t spoken at home, include the articles in the flashcards – i.e. “l’elephante” vs. “elephante”), couplets, sentences, homemade books, songs and poems.

Music:  I asked whether there was a strong opinion as to teaching notes in solfege vs. letters and the verdict is that it doesn’t matter.  However, a father of two of the impressive children at the International School (kids play both the piano and violin) differed with his thoughts; his argument being that solfege can become confusing when trying to differentiate sharps and flats and letter notes eliminate the added confusion of moveable vs. fixed do.  I’m sure this can be debated (but I’m not in the position to be able to do that!)

Medium:  I posed the question about using computer-based “flashcards” for each of the learning disciplines (reading, math, EK) versus physical cards and not surprisingly they touted physical cards.  I tended to think they were somewhat Draconian in some of their beliefs, and learned to take some of their opinions with a grain of salt (don’t get me wrong, Doman is still my hero), but to be science-based is to use evidence to support a belief.  They’ve only ever used physical cards so it’s hard to advocate a medium that’s not familiar to them.   They are also not a fan of “plugging in” whether to a computer or to an ipad and I know with our programs on this site, we are engaged parents and sit alongside our children and participate with them.  We don’t press play and walk away.  So, in my opinion, using a mix of physical cards and electronic cards is perfectly acceptable.  My younger son used to run the opposite direction when I pulled out any form of physical flashcards but was instantly and continues to be mesmerized by BrillKids.  Since the conference, I’ve reintroduced BIT cards (some homemade and some authentic Doman cards) and he seems to enjoy them now that he’s almost 2.

Demonstrations: The demonstrations were by far the highlight of the week.  What struck me the most was that these kids are so well adjusted!  These children, along with their parents, attend/attended the Evan Thomas Institute’s Early Development on-campus program once a week and practice and implement their learning at home.  As the Institutes puts it, these children were average children whose mothers attended the course when they were pregnant or when the children were very little.  They are being taught at home exclusively for the first five years of life.  When these children graduate from the Early Development Program, they are invited to attend the International School on-campus program.   It was interesting to see both the younger kids and how their parents are implementing the program, and the older kids and how they’ve evolved through the program.  By the time the kids are in the International school, they are reading Shakespeare, speaking multiple languages, have a solid music theory foundation, knowledge of greek/latin etymology, can quote classical pieces based on one or two lines given to them from the book, can determine an animal based on its dental records, can identify a bird based on its sound –this was evident when they put on an intellectual bowl and had two conference attendees join either team.  The adults were zero help to these children     It was comical to see!  The physical demonstration was amazing.  We got to see these children tumble, balance, perform gymnastics, and brachiate.  After the demonstration, a brachiation ladder and balance beam were brought into the auditorium for the adults to run through how to use them.  We also had to each demonstrate crawling and creeping – very comical to watch the adults on their hands and knees.

[mrseddy]

Physical and Physiological excellence:  
       Physiological Program: Eating well and eliminating toxins in our lives is crucial.  We need to ensure clean air, clean water, clean (non-toxic) homes and a strong nutritional program.  This helps to control other factors that can be hindering us from maximizing our potential.   Each of the points above was drilled down further – how to ensure clean air, clean water – what products to use to clean our home – what to cook with, how to rotate foods, which oils to use, organic vs. inorganic.  Again, to some degree you have to do what works for you.  A complete overhaul of your life and eating only organic foods isn’t practical for many people but adopting a more natural way of life is basically the rule of thumb.  
   Physical Program:  Convergence with vision is essential for reading which is why the infant schedule is important.  You can tell a civilization by its floors.  No floors = no civilization (reading/writing).  Babies who are bored will cry a lot.  They crave to be on their stomachs and to explore.  IAHP links ADHD and in some instances, autism because children don’t have enough opportunities to creep and crawl – these are essential neurological functions.  A gymnastics program should be started at 2 years of age.  By 4 years of age, child should be able to creep 1000 yards and crawl 400 yards.  By 2 years they should be able to run 1 mile non-stop (crazy, right?!).  No pack n plays and limited stroller time – should give child every opportunity to walk/run when possible.  The Human Development Program consists of a floor program, the balance growth program, basic human development course, brachiation and running.  IAHP advocates physical activities that are extensions of basic mobility versus competitive sports because competition pits people against each other.  If you’ve skipped the passive balancing activities, it’s essential to go back and revisit for a few months because there are neurological connections made that make the active balancing activities easier on your child.  I’d recommend reading Fit Baby, Smart Baby, Your Baby (updated edition of How to Teach Your Baby to be Physically Superb) as it outlines the objectives and pathways clearly.

Schooling:  The IAHP doesn’t mince words when it comes to their views on public schooling.  It’s herd mentality and isn’t geared toward the individual child.  The school system is heavy on testing.  SAT tests and other IQ tests were abandoned by their creators but already adopted in school systems and they test what kids don’t know versus what they do know.  And as we all know, they advocate for one parent to be home with their child(ren) at a minimum for the first 6 years of life if not to also home school.  This had to also be taken with a grain of salt as we had participants from countries whereby the social pressures and circumstance warranted two working parents.  (These parents said they would fit in Doman where they could – and I have to hand it to them –what a display of dedication and love for their children to take time off work and to travel great distances to learn about enhancing their childrens’ lives).   They mentioned gifted schools are great but should be offered to everyone (couldn’t agree more).  One successful public school treated juvenile delinquents like gifted and talented children and the high expectations they placed resulted in high output from these children – children whom typical public schools would have discounted.

What’s in store after International graduation?: Most of these kids go on to community college or university after 8th grade.  They are clearly accelerated and some have come back to teach at the Institutes (a testament of their gratitude and belief in the “system”) and others have pursued their own lofty goals.  They didn’t focus so much on providing examples of outcomes from graduates of their program – I tend to think because the goal isn’t to produce a certain type of person.  It’s to teach your child joyously and to enrich their lives by doing so.  I also got the impression that the onus of keeping in touch lay with the former student so they weren’t always abreast on the “where are they now”.  (They did mention one graduate they kept in touch with who breezed through an Ivy League whereas his classmates had to work much harder.  He was well prepared and could absorb vast amounts of information much quicker than his peers and he had a greater base of general knowledge)

Overall: Was the conference worth attending?? Absolutely. Is it critical in properly implementing Doman at home? No, I don’t think so.  Our forum is vitally helpful in the exchange of information and ideas.  Some felt the course could have been condensed if the anecdotal evidence and Glenn’s prerecorded lectures were shortened.  I don’t disagree with that.  Some days ran later because they stuck with their predetermined schedule even though lectures ran late.  The general sense we got was that the graduate course is a notch up from this course and is highly recommended.  It heavily emphasizes the social impact of accelerating your kids.  Attendance of the graduate course is contingent upon successful “graduation” from this course.  I flew back home Friday night and missed the official graduation.  However, I stuck around for part of the parents’ take-aways and I was thoroughly moved.  Some of these parents were visibly affected as they described how this course has changed their lives and how they will now perceive their children.  I must preface that perhaps 40% of the attendees had been implementing some form of Doman at home (and of the 40% perhaps 25% had heard of or are registered with Brillkids) while the rest attended out of sheer curiosity.  For me, I decided to attend the seminar because I needed assurance that I was teaching the right way.  I felt that I was providing the right environment but unsure of its effectiveness because any type of indirect testing wasn't typically showing me that I was gaining traction with my efforts (other than with reading).  The one major takeaway for me was to allow my children to decide their own interests and to never, ever consider testing them -- no matter how tempting it is or how disguised the testing is.  Since we've been back, I've allowed them to lead the way and I've created books with each of them as the main character and they LOVE it.  It's truly enjoyable now for all of us.  I was feeling rather burdened with the task before the seminar; I felt I was forcing the lessons onto them primarily because I wasn't allowing them to lead the way.  Now, lessons are put away upon their insistence and I feel out their moods prior to showing them any cards and the balance seems to keep their interest and at the same time, makes things more positive and joyous.   I was also trying to do too much and cramming in too many programs – perhaps in an attempt to cover all my bases.  I was craving proof of our efforts and thought maybe I’d find the perfect curriculum to unleash their excitement in the form of tangible results! Ha! (as parents we just want to be sure we’re doing the right thing and teaching the right way and time seems of the essence).  I plan to strictly implement Doman with both of my kids and once the older one turns 4, I will supplement with other programs (abacus class, dreambox, etc.).  An exception is I plan to start my 3 year old with Suzuki lessons and once I am at the part of the math dot flashing where numerals are introduced, I will resume with Right Start.  I also love the tactile Montessori approach to math.  My older son used to have the most intense attention span (I could read him the dictionary and he’d find it fascinating    ) but he’s on the go now – always wanting to explore and touch and imagine .  Even Right Start is losing its appeal to him.

Summary:   I can’t leave off the parents! I thought I would attend a seminar, learn more, take away improvements on how I was implementing Doman's methods with my children and come back armed with more confidence (and my entire list of questions answered—which it was!).  While, yes, this was true, I didn't anticipate meeting such an incredible group of parents.  Every single person I talked to at the seminar was someone relatable and like-minded. I have made some life-long friendships and that was just the cherry on top!   Three out of the five nights of the conference, I did dinner with conference attendees.  I was half expecting pocket-protector types but I am not exaggerating when I say that every.single.parent.was.relatable.  And how amazing to meet parents from all over the globe!?  

At the end of the day, the Institutes began as selfless dedication to helping brain-injured kids maximize their potential.   Janet and her team are truly an inspiration and exemplify the altruistic nature that is simply admirable to say the very least and heroic to place the proper descriptor.  I will continue on my Doman journey with an enriched experience having been to the Institutes and the time spent there will always have a special place in my heart.

[mrseddy]

Mandy -

Funny story about Susannah....do you remember that you'd have to switch seats every day and you'd walk into the auditorium each morning and scope out your spot?  I was constantly rotating either from the front row to the very back row but seemed to be in the front row most often.  This particular morning (I looked for her after I read your message--day 2 I think), I was in the front row again, in the middle between two other attendees.  I scanned the entire room, the first name tag in my row and then resolved myself that perhaps I had her name wrong or she went by another name.  I never thought to look at the name tag of the person on the other side of me! The only name tag I didn't catch was hers! So I sat next to her all morning not realizing it was her and asked Connie if she knew who Susannah was at lunch.  duh! Anyway, she was one of the three other attendees I dined with a couple of times later in the week.  She's such a lovely girl -- and so sharp!  Most people at the conference came with someone else (spouse, sibling, friend) but the four of us were solo.  I even tasted some of the chocolates you sent to her -- how sweet of you!

Connie instantly recognized your name and said your accomplishments with your son are incredible -- even as compared to Doman standards.  Most of their students attend college after the 8th grade and they've never had someone as young as 8/9 accepted into college! So a testament to your hard work and your son's dedication is in order!!

[Korrale4kq]

Thank you so much for these updates! I hung on every word.

[TheyCan]

I agree!  Thank you SO much for the update!!!  I just came back to reread everything!

[Wolfwind]

Thanks so much for sharing! I have wondered how the course is; it's great to hear details. Also, if you don't mind me sidetracking this thread a bit, how are you planning to do Doman with 3? My oldest was just over 3.5 when my third was born in June and I'm really struggling. I'd love to talk to others in the same boat.

[ELeducation]

Fascinating! I've read it several times over now. I was especially interested in the reading section. I didn't realize that they don't recommend text pointing at all. I understand their stance...I suppose I just never thought of it that way. They're trying to have children absorb the information and instill speed reading ability.
As for physical flash cards vs electronics (iPads, computers, etc) to support what you said, I think it's all in how you use electronics.  I actually think that these mediums used in the right way are extremely beneficial. There are so many great learning apps that help reinforce different concepts. Tweedlewink is an excellent example of electronic flashcards, and of course, all of the Brillkids products are so wonderful!
Thank you so much for sharing what you took away from the conference! Karma to you!!

[TheyCan]

I am also wondering about the text pointing.  I've done it for so long now and have thought so highly of it, I can't imagine not doing it!  Are they only talking about when there is one sentence per page?  With longer books, do they advocate pointing to the sentence (instead of word) you are reading?

Another thing I'm curious about - are you doing anything differently in your home regarding a physical program after having gone to the class? 

Thank you so much again!

[Panaromix]

Many thanks for the post mrseddy! This has been the best read on the IAHP course thus far. My son is 23 mo.s old as well and we have been doing a modified Doman reading and math program so it has been all the more insightful. I am curious if the “graduate level” course is open to all of if this one you have done is a prerequisite.
Remarks on the text pointing, phonics, and dot cards are interesting. In their “teach your baby to read” book IAHP say that while it is not necessary to point a finger while reading, it is fine if the child wants to; just that the adult should continue reading at normal speed. I have read to my child pointing each word from left to right and we also did Tweedlewink multiple times (they have a segment on speed reading) along with lots of RB activities. I think my son can speed read but I think he also enjoys identifying words or blends/digraphs he knows. Sometimes, he is stuck on a word or a sound for so long it makes no sense to read further until he is done with whatever he is doing. Furthermore, most commercial books have so much text crammed between illustrations, I find this approach helpful to keep my son focused on the text (at least when we read a book the second time around). Overall, I don’t think it would hurt to do both. With that being said, while English might not be a phonetic language, some of the others out there are. One of the languages I am teaching him is South Asian and phonetic (IMHO that is; we didn’t have a word to define it that way). When I think about it, I suppose I sight read English but I do have to pause and sound out some words in two of the other languages I know (since a consonant and a vowel together make a character) esp. when I haven’t read them in while. Obviously, these wonderful folks have been researching for decades so I respect their opinion but my point it that sometimes, we may need to modify our approach.
On another note, I will bring out the dot cards just because they were the least used EL product I ever bought.

[Amalie]

Thank you so much for sharing. It is very interesting and informative to someone like me who is learning on the go. I stopped with the flash cards once the kids could read and just let them play and be creative but I will start again with a foreign language. What is the recommended reading practice once the child can read? When I read to them I do it at an accelerated speed but run my finger underneath the words. When they read to me I would point to every word. I could stop the pointing altogether but do I then just sit with them while they read? Can I ask questions later to teach/foster comprehension or is this considered testing? I find it more useful to teach new words separately from reading time. Learning new words is almost instantaneous even long, compound words so I think that they are learning by sight most of the time rather than phonetically.

[Amalie]

I have also noticed that spelling is a very different skill from reading. Are spelling skills considered more left-brained and should this be left until after 4 years old to develop? We are tracing letters Montessori style and playing with the movable alphabets but the pace is very slow. I am wondering what the institute's approach is when it comes to spelling, writing and grammar - all the associative skills of reading or language. I hope I have not side-tracked too much but I think that it is true, reading is easier than speaking and spelling etc. That is why I am trying to bridge some of the gaps early so it will be very interesting to know what the experts do.

[mrseddy]

I realized after I posted that I left out the physically superb component (this is held in very high regard) and the Institutes’ opinion on public schooling.  I’ve edited my post above to include those sections.

Wolfwind: I am not at all disillusioned at how hard it will be to implement Doman with three under 3.5.  We certainly didn’t follow his recommendation of spreading out our children, did we? ☺  Other than the infant schedule, I don’t think the teaching for the older two needs to be as rigid.  I felt much better about that coming out of the Institutes.  Frankly, I think kids who show aptitude in certain subject areas – whether it’s math or reading or science or a foreign language – have a true interest in learning that subject.  I know there have been many on this forum who have been disillusioned with their children’s math progress but those children who are excelling in it probably have a true passion for it.  So, why not feed your child’s passion—whatever it may be? It’s less effort on both parties.  For example, if your child is interested in cars, there are so many things you can do with that.  You can introduce your child to auto engineering, the manufacturing process, parts of a car, functionality of different internal components, etc.  You can incorporate EK and reading cards based on subject interest areas.  One of the things stressed at the conference is there is no Doman curriculum that fits all.  You have to design something that works for your child(ren) and be flexible without lofty expectations – and sit back and be amazed.  My kids don’t necessarily love the dots and certainly weren’t a fan of BK math but I find ways to sneak it in and I’m okay that it’s isn’t their favorite subject area.  Why? Because I find other ways to teach it without them realizing that I am.  My kids love to manipulate so that’s the “spine” of how I’m teaching math to them.  I should also add that my older child (3 year old) is attending preschool a few days a week for 3 hours a day.  It’s a gifted program and what interested me about it is they delve into exploration and discovery and do a lot of project/collective group work.  He attended a Montessori preschool 2 days a week (6 hours a week) last year and I had major qualms about sending him more than 2 days a week because I wanted to ensure I was able to implement Doman as well.  So far, this has worked out wonderfully for our family as I’ve had the chance to do one-on-one work with my younger child while the older one is in school.  Then, when the younger one is napping, I focus on Doman with the older one.  If they both nap, once up I try to have the older one do some independent learning or let him work on an app while I spend some time with the younger one, then flip flop.  I do BK during mealtimes and most days we are able to get enough in.  It’s not perfect and some days are not productive but I pick up where we’ve left off the next day and hope that we’re all more receptive ☺  I also generally don’t take the weekends off.  I squeeze EK or dots or reading in whenever I can.  I can honestly say that moms like us are a different breed.  We put our children’s interest above our own.  It’s countless the number of moms I know who choose their own comforts first so even though there are days I have my doubts, I know we’ve all created an environment whereby even if our kids get a little boost in life (which I would imagine would be the minimum output considering the level of input, we’ve enriched their lives!)

 Regarding text pointing, I tend to agree that you have to take their advice with a grain of salt.  I think both phonics and text pointing definitely accelerate an early reader.  Once armed with those tools, my son was finally able to truly read.  What I observed during the demonstrations for the 2, 3 and 4 year olds , were homemade books put into binder format (each page in a plastic sleeve for easy removal and addition of a new book) and accompanying flashcards that were flashed before the start of reading the book.  These were new words that were being taught in the context of the book.  Sometimes the child knew the definition, other times the word was defined in the book – for example “diurinal, which means the birds sleep during the day and are up at night”.   You obviously want to ensure the child knows the meaning of the word.  The rule of thumb is once your child can read smaller and smaller fonts, you can use a library book to read to them and your job of creating books is over.  I would follow your child’s lead with this.  My son loves the books I create and isn’t interested in small font text yet.  So I create a book or two a week with usually 25 new vocab words per book and he gobbles it up.  With my younger son, I simply flash the words but with the older son I try to find ways for him to retrieve the information throughout the week – in the form of a game versus testing.  I don’t ask him which word is “x” – I say let’s sort by such and such category and assist him as needed.   We’ll play games with the words or categorize them or simply use them in context.  At any rate, when I read to him, text is on a separate page from pictures and I don’t text point (neither did the moms I observed).  Does that mean I never do?? No – if the situation warrants that I point to a word, I will.  I imagine that flashing the word card does the trick in teaching him to “read” the word and when I read him the story I’ve seen improvements in his comprehension because he isn’t focused on following along if he wants to bask in the story.  I’ll read him the story a couple times a day for several days and some days I see he’s following along (eyes on the page) and when we play the retrieval games he’s showing me he knows the words.  Create books based on topics that interest your children! You’ll have much success that way.   Also, retention of 50% of 2000 words is much better than retention of 100% of 20 words flashed ad nauseum.  Flashing more words with the right frequency and duration keeps the child interested in word 2001.

 I remember they mentioned that it’s the child’s choice to prove he can read but not to test him because he sees it as inherently disrespectful.  I see this clearly with my son.  When I’ve asked him to read in the past, he’s never been excited to show me that he can read (other than the first few times he broke the code).  He views it as a test and has never liked to be tested.  Our reading sessions stopped being enjoyable.  When we ask our children to read out loud, they read slower than they’d read to themselves.  Think about when we were in school and were forced to read aloud in class – we were more focused on not making mistakes rather than on comprehending what we were reading.  We also generally subvocalize when we read as adults because we learned to read out loud and the majority of us are not fast readers.  The rule of thumb is no agenda and no timeline  - just give the gift of learning.  Now, if your child is a strong reader then they say it’s okay to have them read out loud.  You’ll know when they’ve become strong readers when they are gobbling up books independently.  Continue to read to them for as long as possible.  Janet’s brother just stopped reading to his son who is 17!  And you can absolutely discuss a book once you’ve read it to your child.  Ask leading questions, like who was your favorite character, etc.  You can even stop in the middle of the book and ask your child what he thinks is going to happen next.  I wouldn’t consider that testing – more so engaging.  That’s different than asking, name the three dogs in the book, etc.

Regarding grammar – I would imagine a child can intuit a lot of rules with enough reading, which naturally comes with age as well – until formal education/homeschooling.  They didn’t touch on spelling, grammar, etc. in this course because it’s aimed at ages 0-2 but I think if your child can read a particular word, he will be able to spell that word when the time comes.  Remember, a child doesn’t have to be able to speak to be able to read so perhaps similarly, a child doesn’t have to be able to spell to read/comprehend but the ability is probably latent until they are physiologically mature enough to be able to.   When I asked about writing, they stressed a physical program can really help with this.  Writing is the VII stage of manual competence on the developmental profile.  I remember telling them that we discovered Doman when my older one was 2.5 and they said to go back and redo any physical program that we skipped to strengthen areas that were not developed fully.  This would apply even if a child went straight from crawling to walking (creeping is what we think of as crawling…..crawling to the Institutes is similar to what a newborn does on a crawling track – not on all fours).  Writing requires two vital components (straight from Fit Baby, Smart Baby): i) having developed manual ability and independent brachiation the child will have the control needed to write, and ii) enough creeping opportunities is essential in developing excellent convergence so the child can see the detail of pen moving on paper.

As far as a physical program, we have yet to implement an “official” program.  Unfortunately, we have very cold winters so our activities have to be indoors for almost 6 months out of the year.  We take our kids swimming every weekend.  This is really my husband’s project.  He’s taken them both since they were infants –even before we discovered Doman.  Our 3 year old can now swim.  We are in the process of commissioning a carpenter we know to build a brachiation ladder.  Neither my husband nor I are particularly handy and frankly, we don’t have the time right now!  I’m using every spare moment to get organized before baby comes.  I know many of you on here are far more resourceful and there are detailed instructions on how to build one in the physically superb book. I’m debating having a balance beam built or simply finagling one using a 2x4.   I finally feel like I have the intellectual part under way and am starting to focus on a physical program.  I will update you as we go along.

Lastly, the graduate course admission is preempted on successful completion of the multiply your child’s intelligence course- presumably because it builds on it.  The topics covered in the graduate course include the following: the reading pathway, social programs, swimming, laterality, the writing pathway, neurological organization, gymnastics and respiration.  It helps link the developmental profile across the columns.  I haven’t signed up yet.  Come to think of it, I haven’t even told my husband about it.  I want to show him I’m implementing what I’ve learned so far before I ask for another “vacation” ☺

I think I just rambled again.  Hopefully I’m providing some insight from what I’ve learned and not confusing anyone.  I still think a parent’s intuition coupled with your child’s interest is the magic brew.  When you’re connected with your child, it’s very powerful.  What works for one family may not work for yours and vice versa.  But that’s also because no two people are the same.  Work to your and your child’s strength and present many opportunities and you’ll find what works.  I’m still learning every day.

[ELeducation]

Thanks for addressing all of the questions. The topic of reading without text pointing or phonics was of great interest to me since my LO seems to really love letters and their corresponding sounds.  I do text point when we read books, so I'll have to see about maybe switching that up a bit. Like you said, we should take everything wih a grain of salt and adjust accordingly for our particular childrens' interests and learning styles. Again, thanks for the insight!

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