Sign Language, Reading, Math, Anyone?

[Maddy]

Just wondering if anyone else is teaching their baby(/ies) any of the above - as I am!

Sign language, using Baby Signing Time! DVDs; reading using Your Baby Can Read! DVDs and Little Reader; math (was) using Glenn Doman flash cards - but my DD was just too bored! So I'm going to try again in 6 months.

Btw I'm writing about all of this on my blog on BrillBaby.com (I'm the editor).

Looking forward to comparing teaching experiences!

Also, does anyone out there have an older kid who they taught as a baby? Have you noticed the benefits of early learning carrying on as your kid has gotten older? We'd love to hear from you!

[Niro]

For my first kid, I did use GD flash cards, as well as the YBCR videos.  Unfortunately, we left it a little late (when he was 3), and by that time he was more interested in doing other things rather than sit through flash cards.  The YBCR videos got his attention more, and he did learn many words because of it, but after finishing the videos he got bored with them as they were the same thing over and over again.

I'm really glad you guys have made Little Reader, because I can customise it so much and download more and more content.  I hope there's always new content coming!!

And this time, I will make sure I start my second child earlier, cos I think before they learn how to walk, run, etc. they would have far less to entertain themselves with and so would be much more receptive!

[nohayo]

You guys opened up a lot of possibilities for programs and research for me.

I am still new to this so I google every new thing I see

Thanks!!
Noha

[raindrop lila]

My sister taught her son how to read when he was 3 years old. 
He is now 13 years old, and very much ahead of most kids his age.
He is in a Senior level math class.  His teacher said he's a genius at math.
He takes piano lessons, and practices some 2 hours a day. 
His parents do have to keep on top of it, and make sure he does his homework, and practice his piano.  But he is also driven to do well, and complete his assignments.  There was a program, that would take younger kids into college, if they passed the college exam:
He really wanted to get in, and skip from 8th grade, straight to college.  He wants to be a doctor.  He took the test, but didn't pass it.  He will try again next year.  What surprised me was that it was his idea.  He wanted to go to college.  He was driven to study for the exam.  His mom wasn't sure about it at first, but since he wanted it so badly, she let him try.

[raindrop lila]

I just called my sister after I posted about her eldest son.  She actually has 2 sons, but I couldn't remember if she started her youngest son reading early.  She said they were moving at the time, and didn't teach her younger son to read until he was 4.  She said there's a huge difference between the two boys.  The younger one struggles alot more.  He struggles with reading and writing.  And she spends more time with him on his homework.

[nohayo]

Wow! There's a powerful contrast that goes to show how its not all just theory, and teaching early really makes a difference Thanks raindrop lila

[rafikipaka]

I have been using american sign language and flashcards with my 2 daughters from about 4 months on.  My youngest is almost 2, and my oldest is almost 4, and the bennifits from that are amazing me still!  My 4 year-old is quite advanced verbally compared to her non-signing peers.  It suprises me that she enjoys being around children that are a year or two older than her rather than playing with children her own age, because she can't understand what they're saying.  It's funny to watch her and her 4  1/2 year old "best bud" when they're eating together.  they sit side by side at the table and have calm conversations about school, TV, toys, what they did that day, week, etc, and it's the cutest thing EVER!!

The 2 year-old knows all the words to a LOT of her favorite songs (I wish I could catch it on tape - but it never happens!).  And regularly speaks in 4 or more word sentences such as "I want sit here, Momma!" or "No!!!  I don't want.  I want milk!!" and tonight at dinner it was "Napkin!!!  Owen funny Momma!" because he was being silly with his napkin...but the best tonight was "CAKE!!!!  I want cake please!"  I'm not really around any kids her age, so I'm not sure, but I think that she may be a bit advanced verbally.  I don't think Older Daughter was speaking nearly that much at the same age...

Anyway...I'm not sure these are exactly the LONG TERM effects you were talking about, Maddy, but it's always fun to be able to bragg on the babies sometimes :-)

[Tanikit]

My mother taught my sister to read at age two. She is now 32 years old and an advocate. She came top in her school pretty much throughout her schooling career. It did cause some trouble though as she was very bored at school and there were not enough programmes to keep her occupied. She also started school a year before everyone else and was almost two years younger than many kids in her class which made a big difference for physical activities and the school did not feel she could lead because she was younger when in fact she is a good leader. Nonetheless, you cannot stop a bright child and she has her own little girl who she said she would not teach reading too - she child is now 2.5 years old and knows how to read about 25 words and she has not been taught with any specific method - she just says the words she wants to know and my sister writes them down for her. The two year old is bilingual too.

I believe that teaching children early is very beneficial, but if you are going to put the work in to teach them when they are small, you need to be prepared to put work in every year thereafter - will you send them to special schools? teach them at home? use normal schools and also stimulate them home? allow them to find their own way of coping? And will you be there for the emotional support they may need?

So with those concerns in the back of my mind, I am starting to teach my own one year old to read.

[DomanMom]

Maddy - just thought I'd let you know that I love your blog and everything you're doing with your baby girl. Whenever I read your blog and hear about all the new signs she's learning it reminds me of when my little guy was young, I did sign language with him (this was long before I knew about Doman though). I started when he was about six months old and he signed his first sign, "more" at seven months, and did a couple more before 12 months, and knew about 30 or 40 signs before he was fifteen months old, which is when he started talking like crazy and dropped all the signs. So ever time I read something on your blog it brings me back to the time when Hunter was that age.

Also, we haven't really been doing sign language since then, even though I intended to continue with it, we never did. However we've started up recently slowly but surely, he knows the signs "sit", "no", "thank you" and "yes ma'am", . The only reason he knows those last signs is because I always use them on him when I want to tell him something but don't want to say it out loud, like reminding him to say thank you and stuff. We've also recently learned the words for colors and he is learning the alphabet. We were doing the Little Reader categories posted by rafikipaka (thank you!) but ever since the beta testing ended I can't get it to work, even though I downloaded the renewal license 

But yes, your blog is great, every time I read something about her signing it reminds me of when Hunter was that age - seems like an eternity ago, but it was only two years! Crazy how time passes. Have fun with your little girl, keep up the good work!

[kmum]

I had never heard of teaching babies math or reading when my 5 yr old was born, but we did use sign language.  Her signs very quickly gave way to spoken language & she was speaking in sentances by the time she was 1 1/2.  She is still advanced for her age when it comes to speaking.

[Maddy]

Hi Rebecca, Tanikit and Elizabeth

Rebecca, it's great to hear about your experiences - both your girls sound adorable. Naimah is also advanced verbally, since she's said something like two dozen words when most kids her age have said two. But as I've mentioned a couple of times on my blog, ALL of her spoken words are related to either her signing or her reading vocabulary. So I'm sure, with just a little help, the majority of children would be capable of speaking more than two words by their first birthday!

Tanikit, is your sister an advocate of teaching babies to read, or not - because you said she decided not to teach her own daughter (and that was because she had a hard time in school, being as advanced as she was, right?). You know, I haven't thought about what teaching Naimah might mean for the future. I guess I don't think she'll be too advanced in school - just have an easier time of it than she would otherwise. That's what I'm hoping anyway!

Elizabeth - wow, that's really kind of you to say about my blog. Actually I've been reading yours since long before I had a blog of my own - you're an inspiration to a lot of us with the time and dedication you put in to teaching, not to mention just being a great mom in general.

I chuckled over the story of Hunter putting the clock back. Reminds me of when I was a little kid and looking forward to my favorite auntie coming over. My mom told me she would be arriving "after lunch" - so I ate lunch at something like 11am!

I can't believe you only found out about GD when Hunter was 2.5 years old - talk about making up for lost time! Anyone would think you had started on day one. That's also an inspiration to those of us who've missed the first year's opportunity to teach math.

The schedules are invaluable, and I'll be putting them to good use starting next month! Thanks again

Maddy

PS ASL is excellent for communicating subtly and effectively - I've used it, for example, to ask my husband to get me a glass of water, from a distance and somewhere noisy. Otherwise I would've probably had to yell repeatedly! I can already see how great it's gonna be for reminding Nim to say please and thank you!

[Tanikit]

Maddy, no my sister is a lawyer (an advocate) but I think she feels more positive about early reading than she used to now and she actually cannot stop her own daughter who is very keen to know new words. There were four children in our family and we all learnt to read early though my sister was the youngest when she learnt to read probably because it is easier to teach an only child. I think we all had a difficult time at school for one or other reason and different teachers were more helpful than others with the reading - some allowed us to move at our own pace and others wouldn't allow us to and then we got bored. I see some people on these boards are home schooling and it is something I am already looking in to for my daughter, but that is because I live in South Africa and the standard of education here is pretty bad.

I am now off to read your blog and that of some other parents on here as it definitely helps to know what other people are doing.

[iristan]

Maddy,

Good to hear from your reply!  I've found the article that you mentioned.  Will read through them!  BTW, the signing time has lots of volume, which is the one that you refer to?

Your girl looks sweet!  How old is she now?  Josephine is going to be 8 months by 27th.  So, it is too late to start signing with her?

Thanks!

Iris

[Nikita]

I regularly use the words milk, bottle, drink, eat and more with Azaria, nearly 12 months now, and she will NOT sign back. Yet I think she will learn vowels early, as she often says "E..A" (as in eeee aaayyy) and "A...E" and once I noticed this I have managed to get her to say "I" and "O" but not "U".

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