Flashcards Can Raise Babies' IQ
Young children have very quick minds and they learn effortlessly. An effective way to teach small children is to show them several sets of flashcards throughout the day. Child brain development specialist Glenn Doman founder of THE INSTITUTES FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT OF HUMAN POTENTIAL ®
in Philadelphia calls his flashcards "Bit off Intelligence Cards or "Bits" for short. The term "bits" has become popularized. Bits are large picture cards with factual information on the back. Bits are ideal for infant stimulation and children of any age love bits. Being happy and relaxed and showing enthusiasm when you give presentations will add to your child's interest and enjoyment. As you and your child work daily with bits your child's knowledge base will dramatically increase.
Make
Your Own Bits
In order to make bits, collect a variety of pictures and accompanying facts. Paste each picture onto a piece of poster board. (Doman recommends 11" x 11"; 8-1/2 by 11 also work) Place a label identifying the subject on the back of the card. A list of information, or facts, can be added beneath the label. Bits can be covered with clear contact paper or laminated. 8-/2" by 11" bits can be put in loose-leaf jackets. Older children can help you make them for the younger children.
Basic Rules for Presenting Bits
1) The flashcards in each set of bits should all be on the same subject.
2) Pictures should be large, clear, and precise and display a single item without a background.
3) Presentations should be brief.
4 ) Cards should be shown quickly, about one card per second.
5)
Give one fact per card at a
time.
6) To insure continuing interest, always stop before the child's interest starts to dwindle.
It's
Easy and Enjoyable
The following tips can help you turn each session into a success:
1) Before showing flashcards to the child practice handling them standing before a mirror.
2) Each presentation should be a positive experience. Love and enjoyment are major ingredients.
3) The child needs to be in a receptive mood whenever you show bits.
4) Do not attempt to have a session with a child that is tired or sick. Do not attempt to have a session with a child that is preoccupied with something else.
5) Prepare the environment by eliminating distractions such as TV, radio, stereo and phone.
6) Good lighting is essential.
7) Enthusiastically announce that you have bits to show and tell the category you are offering. Ask the child if she would like to see them.
8) Hold the cards 18 inches away from the child at the child's eye level.
9) Work from the back of the stack towards the front.
10) Keep the cards steady without jerking them.
11) Be lively in your presentations.
Let your child know how wonderful she's doing and how much fun you're having. As you express joy, your child will be delighted to participate, even if she's only an infant. Infants who are shown bits develop their sight and hearing faster. As bits stimulate brain development, they trigger the genius potential that is hiding in each child.
It
Doesn't Take Long
Doman's research, among others, shows that children learn very quickly, especially babies. Doman's recommendation is to try showing a set of bits three times a day for ten days. Some parents find that their child learns faster and prefer showing the same set of bits less often to keep the child from losing interest. Adding facts and new cards while retiring old ones helps maintain interest.
An obvious sign that a child is losing interest in a set of bits is if she looks the other way during a presentation. If your child begins to lose interest and looks away it is probably because your child needs new information. If this happens, Doman advises moving on to new material. He says many children he worked with reached the point where they only needed to see a bit one time to learn a fact. These children have developed super-memory, which is close to photographic memory!
Photographic Memory
Dr. Makoto Shichida of Japan says that showing a child large amounts of information very quickly develops photographic memory and that is is not necessary to present information more than once. Finding out what works best for you and your child may take some experimentation.
Teaching
the Alphabet
The 26 letters of the alphabet are the first phonograms children usually learn. If you want to teach your child the alphabet you can divide it into three parts and present one section at a time, each section taking ten seconds to present. Presentations can be repeated throughout the day.
Doman Doesn't recommend running the sessions together, and he says to leave, at least, half an hour between sessions. However, if you find that running sessions together does work for you, you should still leave some space between presentations where you play with the child for a moment and share a bit of affection.
After presenting the names of the letters of the alphabet you can present the letter-sounds (phonemes) and use the alphabet-phonogram word cards. Then move on to the rest of the phonograms and their word cards. See ARTICLE on learning to read.
Because children learn so quickly it is important to continuously supply them with new bits. Presenting new word cards daily will help you to keep up with the child's need for new material.
Download Free Flashcards
For more information see books by Glenn Doman.
A few books by Dr. Shichida are available in English through Shichida Educational Institute in Tokyo: inquiry@shichida.co.jp. Shichida website
The Doman Method
For information about a book click on the title.
To see enlarged front cover click the cover.
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