Kate said…
Hi Valerie,
I have been reading to my 7-month-old son, Kayden, since he was 3 months old. I know that infants and children benefit a lot when their parents read to them. Lately, I have been thinking about whether using flashcards with Kayden is a good idea to teach him words & pictures. I have done some research on the Internet, but am pretty confused as to whether I should apply the flashcard method, as there is a controversy on this issue. I would really like to know your view on this, and whether you do anything else to enhance your children’s language development, in addition to reading.
Thank you.
Kate
Plowmanators said…
Kate,
I just read and talk to my children. I am not a baby-talker, so when I talk to my kids I talk to them as I would any other adult. I don’t “dumb down” my vocabulary, either. If they don’t know what something means, they ask.
I think you can do flash cards, but just be careful about it. Don’t go into it with pressure or expectations of greatness. If it is something you both enjoy, go for it. If it is something that stresses one or both of you out, then I wouldn’t do it. I could see him really liking to look at flas cards of different pictures. Take it as a fun activity.
