How do I use baby flash cards? Some parents may ask why put in all that effort during the first few years of your babies life? Are babies are merely repeating sounds without taking in meanings? Studies show that infant's as early as four months old are able to learn bacic mathematics, new languages and comprehend written words. The advantages of teaching your toddler before they reach the formal years of schooling are enormous. Your child will have more skills in the classroom compared to their classmates and will have a positive base for further learning. The most effective way to teach a babies brain is through using baby flash cards. Maths especially has been a notable subject area for infants to teach and make great progress. Baby flash card learning allows children to use their right-brain to identify the number of dots on a page, rather than counting them. Do toddlers like flash cards? An infant will enjoy learning as they are naturally curious about room around them. Your role as a parent and teacher is to make the learning session engaging. Use smiles and applause for your infant, and most importantly - speaking along with your toddler as the flash cards play. There is no need to have fixed times for helping. Be calm and patient with your infant and allow them to learn at their own pace, as baby flash cards are meant to be a engaging activity. Do not be discouraged if you show the flash cards to your toddler and there is no initial progress, continue using flash cards on a daily basis as your toddler is naturally interested in and will absord the information. When you show them visual cues with flash cards, the right-brain will be absorbing the information subconsciously for later reference. The right brain uses an intuitive memory, which is more active in a toddler and easier to trigger than in adults, who later become dominated by their left-brains. Our own use of flash cards has shown toddlers (18 months to 2 years) counting or identifying the differences between 98 and 99 dots on a single page in a few seconds. Left-brain dominance results in linear,logical thoughts, and recall is correlated to the degree of repetition and 'rote' learning associated with a concept or set of facts. Hence problem solving can be achieved but is based on what has been methodically repeated and consciously classified as 'important'. This rote style learning is difficult in young children, which is why people assume early teaching is not feasible. How often should I use flash cards with my child? The optimal amount of time to practice flashcard training is three times a day, on a daily basis with your toddler. If you miss on that day, then it's OK to continue the next day or day after as intermittent exposure is better than none at all. Treat it as a normal play time or interaction, and not a special exception. The advantage of using baby DVDs is that it provides structured sequencing of the flashcards, you can then sit with your child(and not opposite them) and speak and repeat each card as it is shown. Progress your toddler to using child flash cards as a natural step, reinforcing structured teaching in a non-stressful way. It opens up the child to learning foreign languages and sciences, where retention of formula and phrases are important components to developing competency. Children learn words contextually, meaning they learn by association of the sound, and action or object, with emphasis provided by parents or teachers. The most important thing to remember is to have fun with your baby and see them grow into a confident and happy child when they are ready for formal schooling. Further Reading: Castro-Caldas, A., Peterson, K.M., Reis, A., Stone-Elander, S. & Ingvar, M. (1998). "The Illiterate Brain. Learning to Read and Write during Childhood Influences the Functional Organization of the Adult Brain" Brain, 121(6), 1053-1063. Doman, G. & Doman, J. (2005). How to Teach Your Baby Math: the Gentle Revolution. USA: Square One Publishers. Doman, G. (2002). How to Teach Your Baby to Read. USA: Natl Book Network. Faure, M. & Richardson, A. (2005). Baby Sense: Understanding Your Baby's Secret World. Citadel Press.
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