Glenn Doman Method

Can Toddlers Count?

I was very intrigued watching my cousin flash a set of cards to her 15 months old daughter with a very fast speed. “Flash”-card, she explained that each card is meant to be shown for only one second.  I have never seen anyone uses flashcards this way, and so she introduced me to the Glenn Doman method.

This teaching method, which was initially developed to help brain damaged children, apparently helps normal babies and toddlers to read and count. 

For counting, Glenn Doman also has methods to teach numbers and equation to babies and toddlers using flashcards only consisting of red dots.  This will help the child to relate the number to the amount- not the symbol.  I was certainly very intrigued by this method and went to research more about it.   The key method here is, apart from having the correct materials (which you can make yourself following the recommended specifications) is consistency.  As parents we will have to make time to plan the activity and flash these cards three times a day as part of a play routine for children under the age of 3.

One of the testimonials wrote:
Infants, up to age 2-1/2 years, have the amazing ability to instantly recognize quantities (or dots). An infant can recognize the difference between 78 and 79 dots (or whatever) and point it out to you. Not only that, this amazing ability can be used to teach math. The dot quantities can be shown to teach addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. These children grow up with this ability to instantly do math and the instant quantities. The ability to instantly see how many cows are in a field or birds are flying together in a flock once existed in all of us; we just never had this ability exercised when we were very young. It only takes a few seconds to do an exercise so you only spend about a minute a day showing your infant or toddler. This truly is amazing and a great lifetime gift for your child.


So here I am, with a set of stock cards with red dots on it.  Ready to try them on my bouncy 19 months old boys.  I hope they will be interested... and I hope I can be consistent...