As an early years educator, I feel the need to mention that Glen Doman methods are wonderful and an excellent means to accellerate learning. It is important to remember that the Glen Doman method is now nudging thirty years and so although it has its place in early year history, it is becoming dated in a modern world. Parents should be aware of this when paying a large sum of money for an old phillosophy.
Glen Doman in a nutshell is about exposing children and repeating small but useful bits of information, this is also done in the form of flashcards in various languages etc.
The flashcard technique, that is using whole word approach is a proven early years reading method and one that we can all use to encourage reading from a very early age, but again, it is all about exposure.
It is also important to remember that Glen Doman placed ENORMOUS emphasis on motor skill development and from what I see in Hong Kong, this area of development is sadly lacking. (I mean actual cross pattern motor skill development, propper brachiation etc. not just a few action songs and run around at playgroup, where there is normally limited space and very little input as to what children should be encouraged to try!)
It is also very important to ensure both the right and left hemisphere are well developed before the age of 2.5 years, this is called bilateral development and should ALWAYS be encouraged (for a number of reasons that I will not go into now). Without good bilateral development, lateralization at approx 2.5 years and excellent sensory intergration will take a back seat, and this WILL come back in later school life to show in various forms from poor co ordination, si issues, and learning difficulties from minor to severe.
I am a true believer in Glen Doman and use many of his methods in my teaching,however, I also believe that his style is becoming a little outdated in today's world. Do remember how much more is on offer in our community over the past thirty years, increased travel, internet, excellent and beautiful children's literature and the list goes on, recognized early years motor sensory programs, an increased input from fathers, the recognition that birth to three are the years to lay the solid early learning foundations. Many of the things Doman encourages in his methods are here in our modern world. In essence time has very much caught up with his phillosophy.
ALL children will lean "rote" style if exposed day in and day out to a set of flashcards, a piece of music or number dots. What is important is the visualization that occurs. If you show a word to a child for example "cat" - can the child truly visualize the word, make the sounds a cat does, move like a cat and later in school write a short piece about the cat that shows imagination and creativity? This is what we need to give our children - the opportunity to learn, creativity and imagination. So many parents and educators get so caught up in teaching children to read and some children are very impressive with their ability, but sadly so many children have no idea what they are reading, the comprehension is lacking. But while parents continue to be impressed with a child reading 20 or 30 words from a flashcard or recognizing their "annie apples" from phonics these old and dated methods will always have a place and always have a market.
Just my thoughts anyway.............
