TEACH THAT BABY TO READ!

Thanks-Giving and Celebrations

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we celebrate all of our children who “stand out,” whether they have Down syndrome or not. And since my Friday blogs focus on reading, let me tempt you with the vision of YOU celebrating the fact that your baby with Down syndrome can read a dozen words. This is not far-fetched!

A Good Question

Last weekend after I gave my reading workshop at Princeton, a young couple came up to me afterwards with this question: “Our baby with Down syndrome is eight months old; it is too early to start teaching him to read?” What a great question, and the answer is “No, it’s not too early.”

Where To Start

I advised those young parents to start NOW teaching their baby pre-reading skills with Down Syndrome Education International’s kit, “See and Learn.” There are copious directions included with those materials; following their guidelines, you will advance your baby’s receptive language and understanding of beginning grammar. Actual reading will come later; but you will give your baby reading readiness skills with those materials. (Note: there is also an online See & Learn, which is no longer free, though it used to be; if an online format is better for you, you can purchase it that way.)

Perhaps even more important, buy and read Glen Doman’s book, “How To Teach Your Baby To Read.” That book is in its fifth decade (and has been translated into dozens of languages) for a very good reason: it works. Many parents of children with Down syndrome have succeeded by building on the success of that method alone–my son Jonathan (28, DS) included.

Look Ahead to Celebrations

Keep your eyes on that goal–that your very young child with Down syndrome can read. Follow Glen Doman’s excellent method, and rock on to greater and greater Celebrations!