Early Infant Learning

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

70% of parents think their children are gifted

This is true. I thought my little one was ahead of the curve when she came to me with a piece of paper with her name written on - correctly - at the age of 3. Not that we actually taught her the alphabet past the sounds at that age. I still do not know where she picked that little trick up. But I haven't made a big fuzz about it because first and foremost, I want her to be a kid.

[rlogan 2,036]

Thanks to all the nay-sayers who have ignored us emphatically stating this:

he is just a normal boy.

There are two kinds of attacks you are going to get for early infant learning. One attack is that you are destroying their childhood and pushing them too hard. The other attack is that reading at two years old is normal: Invalidate teaching early by claiming everyone does it, or anyone can do it (as if you didn't say that yourself).

Actually no, it isn't normal to begin reading at two years old and using adult computer programs at late two years old. It doesn mean they are gifted. It means you are teaching them earlier than average. Our consistent message has been that normal children can do this. But parents do not teach them when they are capable because they underestimate children.

What the most recent slew of criticism has been is that we think our child is gifted when our message has been that ANY child can do this unless they are developmentally delayed for some reason.

Vanessa & Tony - we are reading peer reviewed publications in science journals from the top PhD early infant learning researchers on the planet for guidance. We get this all the time with "my sister works in a day care" or "My mother got a certificate of completion at the local community college". You obviously did not read that we have been corresponding with them directly and exchanging videos for their review. We're amazed that they spent the time to review them, correspond with us, and send us more research. But that's what normal parents can do if they take the initiative: some of the best people in the world will actually give you their time if you read their publications and correspond with them.

You have done exactly the same as others of late here:

it's normal for kids exposed to that stuff to pick it up

It is rude to ignore what someone has written and make up your little strawman about thinking our kids are exceptional. We can repeat ourselves 'till we're blue in the face that our children are NORMAL, it's just that they are being exposed early to reading, music, computers, physical arts, etc.

So we want to send that message to other NORMAL parents who are not exposing their children because if they just keep their kids in the middle of the pack then by the time they graduate high school they'll be behind the average kids from two dozen other countries.

Well, we're done because this has been our experience in general. There are a few parents who are interested in teaching early. Very few. The rest are going to find fault with it, and criticize with logical fallacies. This thread has been a good demonstration of that.

[Darnell 8,478]

rlogan - good on ya ! Happy to shift to the Proper Label, always !

[The Mean Lady 604]

Is it wrong for me to NOT want my child using the computer at age 2/3?

I mean it's cool that they get the hang of things fast, great, but I'd much rather he go be active somewhere.

And before you say it, I saw your other videos, I saw snow, so I'm sure it's freezing outside and that isn't possible.

Idk... it just freaks me out to see children glued to computers/phones.

And I'm not some old bitty. I'm only 27 and when I was a kid, doing physical things is all I did.

I'd like to think I'm somewhat intelligent (and my ps vita game agrees with me ) and I had no early learning techniques.

I made forts, played barbies, tried to nail wood planks into a giant tree so I could climb it, rode my bike a lot, i think.

Really I'm just thinking outloud. I have no real point to any of this.

I'm going now.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Is it wrong for me to NOT want my child using the computer at age 2/3?

I mean it's cool that they get the hang of things fast, great, but I'd much rather he go be active somewhere.

And before you say it, I saw your other videos, I saw snow, so I'm sure it's freezing outside and that isn't possible.

Idk... it just freaks me out to see children glued to computers/phones.

And I'm not some old bitty. I'm only 27 and when I was a kid, doing physical things is all I did.

I'd like to think I'm somewhat intelligent (and my ps vita game agrees with me ) and I had no early learning techniques.

I made forts, played barbies, tried to nail wood planks into a giant tree so I could climb it, rode my bike a lot, i think.

Really I'm just thinking outloud. I have no real point to any of this.

I'm going now.

God you make me laugh and ditto to all your sentiments.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

They will be so happy when he starts repairing his own computers.

You can mix play and learning. Archery and trebuchets will teach math without being painful. Gardening will teach basics of chemistry.

[JoBri 548]

Wow.... But be careful about walking too early. That can be bad on the bones and cause bowed legs. Our son started at 10 months on his own.