Doman Method To Teach Children To Read Early

Reading and writing are the main skills that distinguish man from any other living being. These two activities constitute the key tools to develop our intellect , that is why we want to offer you a practical guide to the Doman Method with which you can teach your child to read  from 8 months of age.
Indeed, a baby can begin to be stimulated in activities related to reading before reaching the first year of age. This according to Glenn J. Doman , creator of the method that has been around the world and that amazes parents who see in their children the ability to assimilate hundreds of words in a short time.

Other researchers even assure that the vocabulary of babies can be enriched from the first month of life, through reading  of tales.

They may not understand the meaning at first, but when storing the information it won’t be long before they can establish the corresponding relationships between the words and the world around them.

And this is precisely what the Doman method is all about : use everyday elements in the child’s life to teach him what is the representation of each one of them in words, through some cards or small posters that will help him to establish associations and to memorize how they are written.

Sounds like an incredible task, right? The most incredulous will think that this is not possible, due to the custom of teaching children the alphabet before words . And here is the difference between the Doman method and the other strategies, in which learning has as its starting point abstract knowledge, such as letters.

Dr. Doman’s learning strategy ranges from the familiar, what is known to the child, to the abstract. With this focus makes good use of the speed of perception of small , who are hungry for information, knowledge and new things.

Glenn J. Doman’s work is recognized thanks to the implementation of a network of Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential , based in the United States, which are dedicated to the stimulation of children and the maximum use of their cognitive, emotional and physical abilities.

But let’s see what specifically the Doman method consists of so that our children learn to read at an early age.

Keys to the Doman method

Little capsules of knowledge.  The method must be applied in small sessions that cannot exceed 10 minutes. If the child has not reached one year of age, it is best to dedicate just three minutes of teaching. The idea is that you don’t get bored and your interest stays active. There will be three sessions a day, and each day a new set of words will be included.

Small details that will make a difference.  If your child is not yet 18 months old, the cards you will use will be large (15 x60 cm), the letters will be 12 cm high and 2 cm thick, the words must be printed in red and you must place the cards 45 cm away from your baby.

For children over one and a half years of age, the cards will be reduced a little in size (10 x 60cm), the letters will now be black and will have a height of 7.5 cm, the thickness will be 1 cm, and you will have to place them one meter away from their eyes.  

Do not take this task as an obligation, because the fun tone of the sessions will help you stay tuned and want to learn more.

Organization and discipline.   Establish groups of words (family, house, parts of the body) each one must contain five words, one on each card . The first day you will show your little one a category, but the second day you will have to include another group and you will have 10 cards. On the third day you will add another category, for a total of 15 words.

From now on you will add a group daily, until you reach the fifth day, when you will use 25 words in the three daily sessions. On the sixth day you must discard the first group of words to add another and keep the 25 cards.

In this way, you will present each group of words to your child for five days, in 15 sessions, enough time for him to memorize each one of them.

To start you can make about 200 cards, with which you will have material for a month of sessions. Remember that you must do three small classes a day, and make them fun, in any area of ​​the house, while they wait in the doctor’s office and wherever you want.

You and you child they should have fun while he learns. 

From the familiar to the abstract.   Start by teaching your child the words that define his environment: bottle, dad, mom, water, bed, hand, nose. After you go to categories referring to the family environment, you can include other words associated with other environments such as the park, the school, the grandmother’s house. This way you will gradually expand their vocabulary with proper names, colors and everything that comes to mind.

Every time you teach a new word try to point out to your child which object you are talking about . This will help him create the associations and it will be even easier for him.

The idea of ​​this method is to go from the familiar, to know how words are written, to the abstract, which is represented by letters and sounds. When your child knows what a word is like, it will be easier for him to grasp the name of each letter and how syllables, words and phrases are formed.

If you put these instructions into practice, you will see that the Doman method will not only be an opportunity to initiate your child in reading and writing, it will also provide them with moments to share and enjoy, while stimulating their intelligence. Don’t be afraid to do it wrong, confidence will help you pass the knowledge on to your little one. So go ahead!