numbers - doman method.

I have been showing Winston the Doman dot cards from 1-20 for some time.  Not all the time.

Often i will say to him "where's 2?"  and hold up the 2 card and another card.

He quite likes it according to how excited i sound... i am getting the impression that I have to sound really excited.

Anyway,  today I showed him some simple equations.  i.e.  2 + 5 = 7  ,  and as i show him the cards I say the number or symbol and place them on the ground in front of him.

Each time i have done this he has pointed to each card and made the noise he makes when he wants me to tell him what something is.  i.e. He is interested.  It was almost as if he was realising something new. He especially likes the equals sign.

So now I will continue introducing new numbers, but also have an equation (+ only for now) each time i show him some numbers.

It got me thinking that maybe its time i should introduce some sentences to him .. with the big words. So that it comes together a bit for him.  The speed he picked up the word digger was quite amazing / not just on the card i made, but even if i write it on a magnadoodle, and it was because this is something he is interested in at the moment. He is also interesting in things that  need a sentence .. like 'putting things in the bin" ... so i am sure a large sentance saying "put it in the bin" would be really interesting for him

Winston was constantly bring me books to read to him today .. .all those in the picture.. and some of the those twice or more (Elmer and the lost teddy, mimbo jimbo and pino).

Me and Caroline were both a bit ill today ... i slept next to Winston for both his naps (i don't think i have ever slept twice in one day before, so something must have been wrong!)

some more words Winston can read

I cant be sure that once he shows that he knows a word, he remembers it, or if he forgets it quite quickly.


Anyway, today it was clear that he can read PIANO , BIN and  DIGGER (which he tries to say),

A video of Winston reading some words

I made this book for Winston some time ago. He likes it, and gets excited when I show it to him... normally he does the hammer motion when he sees this book  or similar ones i have made since.

This film shows some words Winston can read now - just short of 14 months.

He cant speak... but the noises he makes are his versions of the words for those items, so i can be sure he is reading and understanding the words.

sweetcorn is a bit long and difficult, and pen just doesnt get said that much (or not enthusiastically enough ) ! 

Winston can read his own name

He gave me "Elmer and the stranger" to read.

I opened it (see the picture of the first page).  He pointed at his name  and  said something that was clearly meant to be "Winston" ...  anyway 2 syllables and a sort of ST sound in the middle.

We looked around a couple of houses today in the Åsa region, looking to buy something that will fit our growing family and our business.

Winston seems to have picked up the word chair ... he says something like "air" and points, or goes up and pats chairs.

We also went to the see today. To a rocky place (nature area just north of Åsa)  where he didnt mind the waves coming over his feet .. he even had a big smile on the bigger waves.. then later to a sandy beach, where he was quite happy to walk on the sand  - a week ago in Poland he was quite hesistant.

playdoh

I just made some playdoh!

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Playdough-Play-doh/

It took about 10 minutes

I could only find red coluoring and some tumeric for the yellow - so have kept half of it white for next time i go to the shops and can buy some funky colours.

when Winston wakes up, we can play with it ... i have might have a go first though!

Well me and linka had some fun with it... Winston was more interested in throwing it on the floor carrying it to the bin  -  he likes bins .

back on the words again

After a break of about a week, i have started Winston on the words again.

I have now got a quicker technique of showing the words, and so far he has really enjoyed it.

He is a busy boy, so it works best either when he is in the car in his car seat, or  in his high chair before and after dinner... basically when he is captive.

90% of the time he is pointing at stuff ... often he uses both hands to point at 2 different things at the same time.

Today when i showed him his Hammer book ... we went through it.. i left a small pause before saying the words to give him a chance if he wanted to do anything.  and on the pages CAT, CAR and BUS ... he said   AT ... ARRR and B   ... which is his spoken versions of these words.

B seems to fit quite a few things ... like  bin, bus, banana ....  and if a bus and a banana are not in eyesight and a bin is.. why not use B for the word bin .... it saves time :)

As he seems to like it faster, i will introduce 2 new words in each category tomorrow.

I was reading NOSE IS NOT TOES to Winston last night .. and he was pointing at the words ..which he hasnt done with any other books so far.... i think it shows that he appreciates they are siginificant.

numbers

I am showing winston numbers today. He is 1year 1month 1week old.

I do a combination of simply holding up the dot card and saying the number... And holding up 2 dot cards and saing "where's 2?" for example. I always make it super obvious which one is correct and give a big cheer when he grabs it. This seems to keep him keen.... Maybe it is worth doing something similar with the words.

He clearly knows the quantity 1 and i think 2... Not 3 yet. He has a big smile when he point confidently at 1 :)

reading

Winston can read the words tree and car (and knows what they are). He says ARRR for car and EEEE for tree.

We think hes a bit bored of words now.... So we will do the numbers for a few days until he seems keen on the words again.

Some teeth coming through meant him and jus didmt get too much sleep last night.

4 days in a row

4 days in a row doing all 5 sets of 5 words 3 times each.

Winston seems to like it more when it is consistent.

He also seems to like it more when mummy does it rather than Daddy. ... perhaps she is more joyful :)

My aim is once this becomes a no hassle habit, to introduce the maths again.


For speaking Winston says an approximation of GUNGA (Swing in English).  He loves going on the swings.

He can point to his ears and  once his nose .. so maybe he knows what they are.   I have to try to keep in mind that the only English he gets is from me, and he spends more time in Swedish than English.