Thanks

I couldn't start prenatally as I didn't even meet him (or know of his existence) until he was two days old. 
But we most certainly are trying to give him every advantage

I've been fortunate to really make a difference in a lot of children's lives. 
This is the first time we've had a newborn though   So exciting!

What age do you start? 
I think I remember something about waiting til 3 or 4 months old? 

And if you were getting to start right at the beginning, what all would you do? 

Newest little guy is 4 weeks tomorrow

Just want to start getting things together for him

Thank you for your reply.

We actually have some reasons to believe he is very bright though delayed.  There just is something about him.  And sometimes he surprises us something crazy   Additionally, his sister actually looked worse off at his age according to a psych report we have.  Even in the last month of preK last year, the teacher was "cautiously optimistic" if we worked hard on her learning her sight words.  Well, instead, we taught her to read this summer.  She tested as a level 7 the first grading period when her peers test at a level 1 and are expected to make it to a level 4, maybe 5, by the end of the year!  This despite her also testing, twice now, as having a low IQ. And the brother between the two kids is also above average.  So between the glimmers he shines to us and genetics, we have some major hope.

Also, I'm really a believer in these sorts of programs.  My son also was delayed and on "the spectrum."  We never took that to mean much of anything.  We figured he'd turn out however he would, but we'd give him every opportunity.  He was dx'd as PDD rather than moderately delayed after four years of us working with him.  Even still, he was to get to the level of a 6-8year old.  We didn't tell him   And he's a pretty typical (though GOOD!) 16yr old now who should graduate high school in the spring!  He may not be advanced really, but he's solidly double the level expected of him by professionals.  BTW, we used Doman's program for speech/reading when son was almost two.  It majorly jumpstarted his speech though we continued to use sign also until he was about five because of articulation.

Anyway, so we know that his challenges may be hurdles, but we also know that he probably has much more potential than some want to give him credit for. 

Currently, he's in Head Start all school day.  This is going extremely poorly even with help from the mental health professional and disabilities coordinator.  I am very worried about what he is learning from this experience.  The best they have come up with so far is that the chart *I* suggested we make for communication and so we can see progress over time can be used by ME in order to discipline at home so hopefully he'll be better for them.  Ridiculous.  We have doctor and therapist blessing to pull him out so all we would need is the caseworker's blessing also.  I'm almost ready to ask for it.  I think he just needs some more mama time and time to mature.

So I want to have a good idea what to do with him.  I didn't know if Little Reader was made for kids his age.

He definitely has attention issues, but he also thrives on individual attention.  I just need a varied enough program (not necessarily bought, just plan).  I had to do that with my friend's son I homeschooled for Kindy/1st.  We did WTM and took all day to do it but incorporated walks, exercise ball, exercise, heavy work, etc. 

I'm gonna look more at the programs people are using here. 

Okay, I think I have a unique experience that may discount, only in an anecdotal way though, this stuff about it being over children's heads.

In the last 7 months, I've had two toddlers (foster children).  Both I got at at almost 16 months old.  One left at 19mo and the other is about to leave at 20mo. Both left knowing some of their letter sounds (the first one knew almost every one).  They also both left being able to read several spanish words, pointing out body parts, trying to make the sounds themselves (though both came to me non-verbal).  We did some numbers with the first one. 

The reason I think this may be telling?  These are children considered "disadvantaged."  They both experienced domestic violence.  The first one had been in no less than eight home in his first 16months and had a very troubled big brother.  They were both under the stress of having been removed from their families and everything that goes with that (and we know that stress generally is not conducive to learning). 

With the help of a tv and computer, they gained skills and knowledge they did not have before.  And I've used these same things with another child who still remembered much of the information and how it was presented years later (he's now 8 and excelling in school). 

Now, I will say that we didn't use it to the degree many people do.  The tv is on less than 3 hours per week here.  The kids have even more limited time on the computer, my phone, etc.  I found it interesting that they seemed to learn very fast by having more access at first with some more spotty reinforcement long term.

If we got another young child (we don't expect to take another child under 5), I most certainly would focus a bit more on this which very well may mean a little more screen time. 

Oh, one thing I don't like is that they are saying that the screen time takes away from parental interaction.  Fact is that while mom is in the shower or checking her email, the interaction is already considerably lessened, if not cut off.  Using transition times, times mom is doing something else, etc makes sense. I think it would be dangerous to set a child in front of a screen five hours per day so mom can play some online game; but I don't see any issue at all for the child to be watching his reading video while mom does her make up before they go about their day.

My foster son is 3½ years old. He also has some additional challenges (alcohol exposure, severe neglect, IQ tested a little low, multiple homes, behaviorally challenged, etc).  If anyone needs a leg up, it is this kiddo. 

But do I teach him as if he is the toddler he appears to be (even physically) or as the preschooler he chronologically should be?  And yet, aren't those two different things?  For example, with a 20month old, you'd do right-brain learning where you'd start doing more "typical" stuff (phonics, manipulatives, etc) with a preschooler, right?  I guess I'm thinking of our old Doman stuff (my big kids are older teens now, btw) and that there is a significant difference by three.  And yet, my daughter was a preteen when she learned to do the speedreading4kids, reading faster than she could turn the pages, because she still is quite right brained.  So obviously nothing is set in stone.

Okay, so... if he was your precious 3yr old, what materials would you use?  On what would you focus? 

I was trying to figure out exactly what I'm doing with each kiddo.
(note: we are foster parents so don't have any control over what they had before we got them so start at odd ages)

The 3yr old is the one I opened this thread about.  He's got some real delays which put him at a much lower level.  I *know* he's not ready for phonics as my previous 18month old got all the letter sounds from The Letter Factory but the 3yr old knows one or two.  It's been 3 months.  Most kids I've done it with have gotten them all in a few weeks.  On his psych eval, it showed him to have difficulty with part to whole.  I wondered if sight words would be better for him period, but at least right now.

Though I'm doing DadDude's with the older kids, I wonder if something more concrete like Doman (familiar nouns first) would make more sense for him. 

I don't remember how I found out about it.  I obviously didn't get how important it was to follow through though as I didn't really use it with my oldest children.

So I started doing flashcards (ala Doman) with my daughter for common words, big words, etc when she was almost 3.  She was also learning phonics.  She figured a LOT out on her own.  I was just supplementing to "fill in gaps."  I'm not sure I really did much.  By 3, she was reading small chapter books (Charlotte's Web).   One wish: I should have continued with a systematic phonics program. 

By the time my younger one was a toddler, we had some interested in adopting a little boy with CP (from Russia).  My own son had some issues due to oxygen deprivation and possibly a few other things.  Anyway, as I was researching speech acquisition for children with CP, I saw that many school-aged kids with CP learned to talk by learning to read!  Well, would it work with a non-verbal toddler?  I made the cards and started at 22mo (my son finally said mama that month!).  In 2months, my son could read 70 words.  We used sign and speech.  His articulation was very bad still, but he took off verbally.  We used sign and speech for a few years. 

I played with the math cards with him also, but....and I didn't do the EK.

Unfortunately, I just didn't stick with it.  Mostly, it filled a desire for me rather than it being a systematic situation for them. My son had a great deal of trouble learning to read for real and wasn't fluent until far past the average age.  I decided that if I ever got to parent again (a hope for a long time), I would not take a chance with another child struggling like he did.

So now I'm getting to start over and I'm so excited to really do this.

I'm new to this site, but I would guess that you may need to outline what you are calling reading.

With my oldest, I didn't set out to teach her.  She was insatiable with the questions though and I answered thoroughly, gave her info I thought she'd be interested in, took her to the next step many times.  By her third birthday, she was reading chapter books (Charlotte's Web, for example).  Her math, writing, physical abilities were also a bit advanced.  We were very low-key.  It never would have crossed my mind to teach her school materials at that age and I had a special needs baby that took up my time also.

My son had some special needs and I wish I had continued Doman with him (and started sooner too!).  Anyway, in less than 2 months, at just under 2, he could read a good 70 words.  It jumped started his speech.  We did have to continue sign for clear communication though.  My son is very intuitive with math.  Did that small amount of Doman math at 2 help that much?  I don't know. 

Hopefully the new ones will read much earlier, much better, and we'll continue with the accelerated (linear and broad!) learning. 

Hi from a newbie to the boards (but an experienced parent)...

I can definitely see the issue some would take with Western parenting.  I think there has been a systematic weakening of children.  I think the expectations and standards for children are extremely low (I thought that 18 years ago when I first became a mother and it's definitely more true now!).  And I think there are benefits to some "immigrant parenting" as she called it in an interview.  However, I think the abusiveness that happens in some of those homes and the horrible outcomes (mentioned above) are considerations to be avoided!

But I think there is a balance to be met (btw, I absolutely adore the idea of balance!).  I have been (and will continue to be) a very strict parent.  Strict doesn't mean harsh, rude, abusive, mean, etc though.  I simply believe we can expect so much more of our children, give them opportunities, help them succeed; but we can do it in healthy ways, modeling behavior we would like to see them emulate.