Glen Doman: early development methodology

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Most modern parents believe that from the very first days of a child's life, it is necessary to fully develop. Today, there are many pedagogical systems developed by both foreign and domestic specialists aimed at the early development of the child.

In this article we will talk about one of them, which has been popular for several decades, the author of which is Glen Doman, a neurosurgeon from the USA. The technique of this author, which contributes to the earlier development of children, is now widely used throughout the world. It is used both with he althy children and with those with any developmental problems.

Who is Doman?

Before we begin to consider the technique, let's say a few words about its author - Glenn Doman. In 1940, he successfully graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, after which he worked for a short time in a hospital as a physiotherapist. He served throughout World War IIinfantry, going from private to company commander.

Returning to civilian life, he resumed medical practice, and subsequently engaged in the rehabilitation of children with serious pathologies and diseases of the nervous system, as well as with various brain dysfunctions. In 1955, he created, and then for a long time and led the Philadelphia Institute for Human Development. As a result of many years of research and practical work with both sick and he althy children, many discoveries were made and Glen Doman's development methodology was created.

Basic provisions

When developing the early development system, Doman and the staff of the institute headed by him relied on the following principles:

1. Only with constant work can the human brain grow and develop.
2. A child's intelligence develops best when the brain is intensively loaded from the first days of life until the age of three.
3. Good physical development of a small person contributes to a more intensive formation of the brain and motor intelligence.
4. In the phase of active growth, lasting from birth to 3-5 years, the child's brain is programmed for learning and does not require additional motivation.

When to start?

Based on the basic principles developed by Glen Doman, the early development technique can be used starting from 3 months, when the child is already responding to objects. Classes begin with a demonstration of cards, which depict a variety of real objects - fruits, animals,toys, birds, vehicles and others. Thanks to such activities, logical thinking, speech, attention, photographic and auditory memory develop. Parents, in whose classes the Glen Doman technique was used, leave positive feedback, since for the baby this is an exciting game, and not boring training. This technique is designed for children under the age of three, since later, Doman noted, the ability to assimilate new information is significantly reduced.

Motor Intelligence

The more intensively the child's brain is loaded, the faster it develops, Glen Doman found out as a result of research. The method he developed proposes to develop the baby's mental activity through the formation of "motor" intelligence, that is, by mastering a variety of motor skills. To "force" the development of movements, Doman developed a special simulator - a track for crawling. This is a narrow space, bounded on both sides by sides. The width of the track should be such that the hips and forearms of the baby touch the sides. All this is aimed at creating an imitation of the intrauterine space and awakening the “first reflex” in the memory of the child, thanks to which he was able to be born. Such a simulator allows the baby to actively crawl and “conquer” rather large distances by the age of 4 months, thereby developing his motor intelligence, brain and ability to perceive new information.

You can make a similar design from two ready-made bookshelves, covering the walls and spacebetween them with a soft blanket or blanket. To interest the baby, at the end of the "path" you can install a bright toy.

Main tool

In parallel with the track-simulator for the early development of children, special cards are used.

They are made in a certain size and contain realistic images and inscriptions, which helps the child to perceive information and get the brain load necessary for development. It is enough for the kid to show cards with images of the concepts being studied, and the child will find the rules to which they obey. As Glenn Doman himself claimed, this technique, if applied correctly, can bring up a child prodigy and a genius.

Where can I get them?

If you are interested and want to work with your child, then you can:

• buy;
• find kits online and print them;
• pick up pictures and make cards yourself.

It is only important to remember that if the Glenn Doman technique is used, the cards should have a white background, on which a large, and most importantly, as realistic as possible, image of the object is placed.

At the bottom of the red large font is written a word that denotes the object depicted in the picture, object or phenomenon.

Creation rules

For those who decide to make Doman cards with their own hands, here are their main parameters and characteristics:

1. Dimensions: 28 x 28 cm. As many parents say,the reduction of a couple of centimeters did not affect the classes.
2. One image per card.
3. Background - white only.
4. The image should be clear and as realistic as possible.
5. The name of the item depicted on the card is written under it in large red block letters. On the reverse side, we duplicate the inscription with a pencil. In the future, interesting facts and information can also be recorded there.
6. The information offered must be new and unfamiliar to the child, otherwise he will quickly lose interest.

How to conduct classes?

How often and how long the classes will last, parents decide for themselves, focusing on the physical and emotional state of the baby and his regimen. It is worth doing it only when the child is calm and cheerful, slept well and is full.

For classes, you need to pick up 5 cards related to one topic and show the baby each for a few seconds, while saying the name of the subject, recommends Glen Doman. The technique provides for the replacement of one card from the set with a new one after three sessions. Thus, all pictures will be replaced. In about a week, you can slowly get acquainted with the method itself and with the cards.

Starting from the second week, the following daily exercise regimen is recommended:

• prepare 5 sets of words on the same or different topics in advance;
• one set is shown once during each session;
• class time about 10-15 seconds;
• per day held until15 demos;
• each set and card is shown to the child three times a day.

Learning to read

Glenn Doman's reading technique is based on the child's mechanical memorization of the whole word at once, rather than adding it up from individual letters and syllables.

First, the child is shown and voiced individual words, then phrases, and then simple sentences. By the same principle as working with cards, reading books is built. For several days, an adult reads a book two or three times a day. At some point, the child will have a desire to read the book on their own. Since the baby remembers the whole word, and does not add syllables from letters, seeing it in the text, he recognizes and reproduces its sound.

Foreign languages

If your baby masters his native language without any difficulties, then Glenn Doman's technique of English, and another foreign language, will also help to master. You can start practicing from the age of two.

Before you start learning a foreign language with your child, parents should adequately assess their level of proficiency in it. Well-delivered pronunciation and knowledge of grammatical basics will be enough to help the baby in learning a new language. If you doubt your own pronunciation or knowledge, it is better to find a teacher.

Regardless of whether there is a teacher or not, the following information flows can be organized for the child, which will contribute tolearning your chosen language:

• Songs and audio fairy tales, television programs in this language, which can be included as a background when playing or laying down for children from birth to two years. The child, most likely, will not look at the screen, but his brain will “record” words and sounds.
• Starting from the age of two, when a child can already focus on a moving image for quite a long time, you can start watching cartoons, fairy tales, theater performances for children in a foreign language. This will help your baby relate situations, movements and objects to sounds and understand their meaning.
• From the age of three, you can teach your child to use interactive language learning programs on a computer or other device.

Thanks to the great work that Glen Doman has done, early childhood development has become very popular. Many parents take it as a basis and optimize it for the age characteristics of development and the state of he alth of their baby, often combining it with elements of other systems. Remember that for a child this is a game and should be fun, interesting and exciting.