Hi..
Thanks a lot.  I downloaded beginners word cards from the site.

Hi

I have been viewing monthly contests for contributors and download of the month in LR.  Just wondering why it is not extended to LM ? I think it will be a great encouragement to introduce a similar one in LM too.

Hi
I started off with showing the pictures and then pointing to the words moving my finger from left to right.  While we are reading the same books over and over, i just point to words and my son follows me.  I have also made sure I buy books with large print and less illustrations.  I have found that it works better...!

anjie

Hi all
Recently I came to know about the reading schedule and 200 words that glenn doman suggested through forum threads.  I didn't get the book over here, so can anyone who read the book be kind enough to post whether doman has suggested any schedule for toddlers.  Has he suggested which words we should include in these 200 words?  Should I go through all the 200 words or start with couplets in between?  When should I start phrases and short sentences?  I have been reading to him on a daily basis.  How should I go with my active toddler?      Plz help......

Hi..
We are fluent in 4 languages; English, Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam our mother tongue.  Our son speaks English, understands Hindi and Malayalam.  Since we are staying @ B'lore, he is exposed to Kannada as well.  Now we are looking forward to introducing him to French as well with Little Pim.  Lets see how it goes....
As varshak mentioned it is not uncommon to see Indians speaking different languages.

Hi
Here are few details on preparing for pregnancy

Healthy weight
Women who smoke and who are underweight or overweight (BMI less than 18.5 or over 25 - please see our BMI calculator) are also more likely to have trouble conceiving. If you need to lose weight, try to do this before you become pregnant because dieting to lose weight isn't recommended during pregnancy.

Healthy eating
Eating a healthy diet before pregnancy means that your body has adequate stores of vitamins and minerals. A nutritious, well-balanced diet includes:

plenty of fruit and vegetables (at least five portions per day), which provide vitamins and fibre
starchy foods such as potatoes and whole grain cereals, bread and pasta
protein such as lean meat, fish and pulses
dairy foods such as milk and yoghurt, which supply calcium
It's best to limit your intake of sugary, salty and fatty foods.

Pregnant women can become anaemic so make sure you eat plenty of iron-rich foods to build up your iron stores. These include red meat, pulses, fortified breakfast cereals, dried fruit, bread and green vegetables.

A well-balanced and varied vegetarian diet should provide all that you need, but you may find it harder to eat enough iron and vitamin B12. It's a good idea to speak to your GP about ways to increase your intake. Also ask for advice if you are on a vegan or any other restricted diet.

There are certain foods that you shouldn't eat pre-pregnancy because they may make you ill or may harm the baby if you do become pregnant. The Department of Health advises that you don't eat:

liver and large quantities of vitamin A in supplements such as fish liver oils
unpasteurised dairy products
raw or soft-cooked eggs
pâtés, including vegetable pâté
soft cheeses such as brie or camembert
blue cheeses such as stilton or roquefort
swordfish, marlin and shark
any more than two tuna steaks (170g raw) or four tins of tuna (140g drained) per week

Folic acid
Folic acid (one of the B vitamins) is the only pre-pregnancy vitamin supplement recommended for women who are eating a balanced diet.

You need folic acid for the development of healthy red blood cells. Adequate intake of folic acid also reduces the risk of your baby being born with a neural tube defect, such as spina bifida. The neural tube develops very early in pregnancy, during the first few weeks after fertilisation. At this point you may not have even realised you are pregnant.

It's important that you start taking folic acid supplements when you start trying for a baby or as soon as you realise you are pregnant. The recommended dose is 400 micrograms (0.4mg) daily, which you should take as well as meeting the recommended intake of 200 micrograms in your diet. Good sources of folic acid include fresh dark green vegetables such as broccoli, peas, brussels sprouts and chick peas. Many breakfast cereals are fortified with folic acid and it is also found in wholemeal bread.

A higher dose of 5,000 micrograms (5mg) of folic acid is recommended for women who have previously had a baby with a neural tube defect, or are taking medicine for epilepsy. If you have a family history of neural tube defects then you should also take the higher dose. Speak to your GP about folic acid before trying for a baby if any of these apply to you.

What to stop before trying for a baby

Smoking
It's a good idea to stop smoking before trying to become pregnant. Smoking reduces fertility by affecting ovulation in women and reducing sperm count and sperm motility in men.

Smoking during pregnancy is also linked with risks for the baby including premature birth, low birth weight and cot death.

Alcohol
Too much alcohol may decrease fertility in men. For women, heavy drinking, especially binge drinking, can cause problems for a developing baby, leading to poor growth, intellectual impairment or birth defects (fetal alcohol syndrome). The effects of small amounts of alcohol in pregnancy are not clear, but doctors know that it does cross the placenta and may affect the baby's developing brain.

It's best not to drink alcohol if you are trying to conceive, or at any stage during pregnancy. This is particularly important during the first three months of pregnancy, when important organs such as the brain are forming. If you do decide to drink alcohol, have no more than one or two units of alcohol, once or twice a week. Don't get drunk, or drink more than five units of alcohol in one go (known as "binge drinking"), as this may harm your unborn baby.

 Hope this helps....
anjie

[numbers]

Hi
I have been using little math for some time now.  It comes with the following options..

Numbers

random icon, random placement
random icon, rapid pronunciation
random icon, grid mode
repeated mixed icon
introducing numerals
red dots
chinese numerals
Custom and example presets.

Math
Additions, subtractions, multiplications, and divisions presets.

Each option under numbers has files that has 10 numbers in it, like 0 to 10, 11 to 20, 21 to 30, ...till 100.

You can start off with these options or if you want to follow Doman or Shichida method you can download these presets from Day 1 to Day 65 from little math library.  Presets make your life easier as you just have to download and double click on the file to import.  Ready to use 

Please see the following thread
http://forum.brillkids.com/little-math-how-tos-and-faqs/puzzled-about-little-math-suggest-faq-ideas-here!/

Feel free ask any doubts.

anjie

Hi..
As you cited, the web is saturated with pros and cons of vaccinations.  So it has become a matter of personal choice to have your child vaccinated.  As for me, I had my son fully vaccinated, till now no problems.  Back here in India, we can't imagine the life without those jabs.  Till now, I haven't come across any child having any side effects from vaccines.  From my personal experiences, I have a cousin down with polio, since her parents couldn't give her oral polio drops.  She is 27 now and its hard to see how she manages.  Here pediatricians are recommending all the parents who can afford to go for optional vaccines like varicella, pneumovax, apart from the schedule of vaccines.  I have the feeling that my child is so precious that I want to prevent him from contracting these dreadful diseases. My sister in law, who is a homeopath has told me about alternative vaccines available, homeopathic nosodes.  But I am still to gather information about that.  I think choosing what is good for your child depending on your living conditions would be a better option.

Take Care
anjie

Hi there...

LR vs LM, Tough one....
Since you are already doing a reading program, I would say go for LM.  Math is all about quantity, structure, space, change, and related topics of pattern and form.  You can use different icons to hold your 15 month old's attention.  You can try the same with your 4 yo, with his favourite icons, may be cars, trucks, so on.  But with this child already knowing the numerals, you can show quantity and numerals, so that the child gets an idea what the numeral stands for.  You can even upload presets and earn enough points to get LR at a later stage.  Math and its understanding is important as it helps to quantify the universe.  So give a headstart in Math along with Reading.  See what interests them and use that icons, give it a try.
anjie.

Hi Skippy,

Pim is an adorable panda featured in the Little Pim series, a 3-piece DVD set especially designed for the small kids audience. The DVDs teach the children words and phrases about waking, eating and playing. Little Pim’s series includes Eating and Drinking (DVD 1), Wake Up Smiling (DVD 2), and Playtime (DVD 3).

You can check this link
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/9B_Ir73dC14&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/9B_Ir73dC14&rel=1</a>

Hope this helps..
anjie

Hi

Welcome to the forum.  Feel free to ask any questions.  I have found this site very informative and helpful in teaching my son.  Please browse through the downloads section and you will find exciting files in it.  Also share your experiences of teaching your kid.  Good luck and hey, birthday wishes to lovely Matteo in advance.
Take care..
anjie

Hi 
Welcome and happy to see you here.  I am a native of Kerala and we have so many Maldivian's there.  Feel free to browse around and ask any question you wish.  The members will be happy to help you.  Hope to know you better through your posts.
anjie

Hi..
Welcome to the forum.  These are the details I could gather.  Please feel free to ask any doubts in the forum.  Food during pregnancy impacts the intelligence in babies.  DHA supplements can improve babies intelligence.  This is an excerpt about DHA supplements.


Mothers who supplement their diet with fatty acids rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) during pregnancy and lactation may be doing their children a favour in later years, say researchers in this month's Pediatrics journal.

Researchers in Norway examining the effects of DHA on mental development found that those children whose mothers had a higher intake of DHA during pregnancy scored higher on intelligence and achievement tests at four years of age than those whose mothers took fatty acids not containing DHA.


The researchers at the University of Oslo enrolled women during the 18th week of pregnancy in a randomised, double-blind trial and supplemented their diets with one of two different polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).


Participants received either cod liver oil (containing very-long-chain omega-3 PUFA rich in DHA and other omega-3 fatty acids) or corn oil (a long-chain omega-6 PUFA with no DHA content). They took the supplements from the point of enrollment until three months after childbirth.


Researchers then completed assessments of intelligence using the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) for 84 child subjects once they reached four years of age.


The team found that children born to mothers who had taken the cod liver oil during pregnancy and lactation scored significantly higher (approximately 4.1 points) on the Mental Processing Composite of the K-ABC test compared to children whose mothers had received corn oil.


The researchers classified these increases as significant. Commenting on the findings, Henry Linsert, CEO of Martek BioSciences which markets DHA derived from marine algae, said: "First, this is the only study that has specifically measured IQ in order to quantify the developmental benefits associated with DHA supplementation. Second, by showing an improvement in intelligence at four years of age, this study demonstrates that the developmental benefits of DHA persist well beyond infancy."


The Best Food To Eat

Fresh food that's as close to its original state as possible is best for you and your baby. Eating good-quality food should be your goal throughout, as well as after, your pregnancy.

When you're out shopping, choose fresh produce; seasonal fruit and vegetables are always fresher and sometimes cheaper than imported, out-of-season items. Pick out firm fruit and vegetables and reject any that look tired or are going bad. Buy your meat and fish from stores you can trust-don't run the risk of getting a food-related illness. If you can afford it, go for free-range or organic foods grown without pesticides and hormones (used particularly in beef and intensively farmed poultry); many organic foods carry a USDA organic label. Check the labeling of processed foods to see whether they include any genetically modified (GM) ingredients. Until the scientific research into the safety of these foods has been completed and fully debated, it's sensible to avoid GM foods during pregnancy.

Always keep some packs of frozen vegetables-they're good standbys when you can't get to the store. Avoid cans, except for whole tomatoes and fish such as sardines. Read the labels on any other packaged foods you buy, and remember that the closer an ingredient is to the top of the list, the more there is of that one ingredient. Sugar has many different names and can appear on a list more than once.

Foods that have been overrefined, such as white flour and white sugar, have had all of the natural goodness stripped out of them and fill you and your baby with nothing but excess calories. Choose whole-wheat bread and flour rather than "enriched" refined products; it's highly unlikely that the enrichment puts back in all that's been taken out. The two "waste" products of flour refining are bran (the fiber) and wheat germ (the heart of the wheat) and these contain most of the goodness. Bran is probably an unnecessary addition for the average pregnant woman (although it will help prevent constipation), but wheat germ contains lots of vitamins and minerals that are good for everyone. Wheat germ is crunchy and nutty and can be added to salads and sandwiches, as well as to cooked and baked dishes. You can buy wheat germ from health food stores and good supermarkets.

Music provides a fantastic source of entertainment and stimulation for a young baby and listening to music together is a fantastic way to interact and bond with your baby whilst helping their development. Although on its own music is unlikely to turn your baby into a genius overnight, exposing your baby to different types of music is a fantastic way to teach them about the world.

Music In Utero

Foetuses develop the ability to hear around the 5th month of pregnancy when they start to become aware of stimuli outside the womb. Many believe that in utero exposure to music (especially the classical variety) results in enhanced intellectual development.

Research findings such as those that suggest newborn babies recognise music played to them in the womb and that foetuses move and breath in time with music they enjoy have been taken as evidence for an 'increased level of cognitive development' resulting from in utero exposure to music. However, the evidence itself is widely open to interpretation (how do we really know what kind of music a foetus enjoys?) and other studies have found no association between pre-natal exposure and intelligence.

Having said that, exposing your baby to different stimuli when in the womb isn't a bad thing by any means. If you do choose to directly expose your baby to music in utero, either by stretching headphones over your tummy or by holding a radio at stomach level, you should limit this to gentle music, played at a low level, for a maximum of one hour a day to avoid overstimulating your unborn baby.

If you would like to expose your baby to music in the womb but would prefer not to take such direct measures then don't worry, your baby will be able to hear any music that you do (as amnotic fluid is a good conductor of sound waves). Having a radio playing as you go about your day or sitting with your feet up and listening to your favourite CD, will sufficiently expose your baby to the rhythm of the music.

Babies and Music

Although claims that simply exposing your baby to classical music will make them more intelligent are unsubstantiated (and incredibly unlikely!), music does provide a fantastic avenue to help develop your baby's emotional, linguistic and motor skills in a non-pressurised, enjoyable way.

Playing nursery rhymnes and song tapes to your baby will help them get a feel for the rhythm of language long before they can understand what is actually being said. As they grow older, new information set to music will be more easily remembered and song provides a great fantastic way to teach your infant colours, numbers and letters.

Rocking or swaying your baby in time with music can be incredibly soothing and provides a great way to bond. Additionally, encoraging your baby to move and dance in time with music not only provides a fun form of exercise (for you and baby!) but also helps to build baby's confidence and body awareness.

Many find that playing soothing music during the evening helps to settle baby before bed. If you find that baby wakes up when the music stops, try stopping the music just before baby falls asleep so they don't become too dependent on the sounds. If you find a particular song that works, try playing it in the car to help baby take a nap when you embark on a long journey.

The Mozart Effect

Most of they hype about playing classical music to children resulted from the misinterpretation of a study designed to test the effect exposure to music would have on the performance of college students. Although the study did find a temporary increase in spatial intelligence skills after listening to one of Mozart's sonatas, this effect was never tested on children, let alone babies.

Despite the irrelevance of the findings, the results were taken by many to mean that exposure to a program of classical music from a very young age would enhance mathematical ability. The reasoning behind this assumption was that as the mathematical area of the brain is situated in close proximity to the music centre, development and enhancement of one area would have a similar effect on others nearby. Unfortunately this does not seem to be the case.

Although playing music to your baby is not guaranteed to turn them into a genius, it will actively encourage their development and is a far better source of entertainment and stimulation than television. For a baby, interaction with Mum and Dad has a far greater effect than routine exposure to any other stimulation could hope to. So regardless of the type of music you enjoy and whether its considered to be good or bad for development, put on your favourite CD and sing along - your baby will appreciate it!

Hi piyu

You are not alone in feeling dissappointed, you can count on me too. Check this thread, thats me...

http://forum.brillkids.com/teaching-your-child-to-read/help!!!my-kid-fails-to-recognize-words/

After this I tried the following.

Never test the child.  We all do this just to make sure they are getting it.  From what I could gather you don't have to do it.  Your child will get it as long as you are consistent and keep the program fun.  Have faith that the child will learn.

Like norcalmommy I too started taping the words that he know.  I tell him this says " xxxx" and later says, Oh..mamma can't find "xxxx" can you help me find it?  Well sometimes he says it correctly.  Or else, if I see he is not getting it, I say ooh..there it is... and we clap our hands.  I change one word every alternate days and change their order. 

I started matching games.  I wrote the names of toy animals that he has, on pieces of hard paper and then said this says " tiger" "lion" and so on.  I  then told him the paper is a bed where each animal can sleep.  This caught his attention.  Now he asks for "mamma, animals sleeping bed".  I give each animal's paper, he matches it with corresponding animal and says like " tiger is sleeping".  I progressed this to his toy cars, trains, and so on.  I wrote " red car", " yellow train", "blue bus" and he matches the words with the toys.  Here too at times he mismatches them...

I write some common words, one each day and we match it with words in newspaper and magazines.

This has been going on fine till now...more because of the change in my attitude and because of keeping it fun.  I ignore his mistakes and don't say its wrong, instead says this is "xxxx".  At times he doesn't say correctly because he can't say... So I ask him to point...

So piyu...hold on and keep the faith.

anjie.

Hi all 
I came across this wonderful site for math practice.  They have excellent resources for 100's of skills from pre K through fifth grade.  Check this out.

http://www.ixl.com/