Education is and has always been a fundamental issue for the human being. There have been multiple theories and methods developed with the purpose of favouring learning and improving the educational system and the acquisition of knowledge and skills and the empowerment of the exploration, interests and abilities of each individual.

In addition to the more classic and employed methods, there are a large number of alternative methods of education. One of the best known is the Montessori method, but there are also other equally valued and currently used methodologies, such as the Glenn Doman method for teaching reading to very young children . In this article we briefly explain what this method is, specifically in its program for learning to read.

The Glenn Doman Reading Method: Definition and Objectives

The Glenn Doman method proposes that human beings are capable, curious and even want to read at an early age , having the potential for such capacity from their first years of life. From his starting point it is considered that in the first six years of life the capacity to learn is much greater than that which will be had during the rest of existence.

Initially was designed to help promote the learning and development of subjects with disabilities and brain injuries , but over time it has spread to childhood in general. Although in this article we focus on the learning of reading, the author also generated programs to stimulate early other skills and abilities such as learning math, music or physical activity.

Some theoretical foundations of the method

The author proposes that it is from the age of two when the most appropriate and useful moment for learning to read begins, because it is a moment in the subject’s life in which there is a great level of curiosity and a plasticity that allows the acquisition of small information with great ease and in an enthusiastic way. It is suggested that from then on it will be a little more complicated to learn to read. It is considered that a child can learn to read words from the age of one, being able to read sentences from the age of two and simple books from the age of three.

The original idea is that parents apply it at home in a flexible way and trying to make it fun, like a game. The methodology involves the use of cards that are going to be shown to the child several times a day, in short periods of time and in series of 10 stimuli. The aim is to promote learning by stimulating and optimizing the curiosity and desire to learn of babies. In this way, teaching and learning is facilitated, enhancing capacities and making possible difficulties more difficult or preventing them.

It is based on the idea of the bits of intelligence , basic units of information that the child can understand or comprehend. It is necessary that this element is representative of a single idea and that it is new to the subject. Based on this idea, the baby can learn to relate the letters without the need to know the alphabet: it is a matter of understanding the concept itself and associating it with the word.

The bits must be chosen carefully, creating five series that each have five of these elements. They will be presented briefly, with the adult reading each one aloud and allowing a few seconds to pass between each series. After finishing, it is essential to reinforce the child’s behaviour , and the learning should be celebrated and lived as a fun and communicative game.

To be considered before teaching…

There are two elements of great importance when using the Glenn Doman method and generating a real learning of the reading skill: the attitude of the parents/educators and the use of a material appropriate to the abilities of the child.

The attitude of parents

One of the most important aspects, and one that is in fact largely responsible for the acquisition of such complex skills, is the approach or approach of those who teach them.

It is essential to approach reading as a game, as a rewarding activity that is carried out for pleasure and that is desirable in itself. Reading should be a reward, not a punishment . The child is fundamentally interested in learning and exploring, but will not do so if he ends up associating it with something aversive.

Another aspect on which the author places special emphasis is the duration of the learning sessions: they should be short and end before the child wants and expresses that he or she wants them to end. The idea is that the child not only does not get tired, but also wants and feels called to read and even requests it.

Material

We are teaching a child under the age of three to read : we are not going to start with Don Quixote or a Shakespeare play. The material we use must always be appropriate and take into account the child’s abilities.

We need to use simple materials: it is recommended to use white cardboards of a certain level of rigidity . On it, a single word or phrase (in more advanced stages) should be written with clear strokes and always in the same font (which should be easily visible) per cardboard, in small letters. The size of each letter should be very large, and maintain some separation between letters and with respect to the margins.

The author proposes that among these materials we include words such as mom and dad, parts of the human body, words about the world or nearby environment, vocabulary to build sentences and paragraphs, a book with simple vocabulary and a series of cards with the alphabet. The size of the first words is initially recommended to be 12.5 by 10 cm, and each card is 15 by 60 cm, in red. The size of the letters and cards will be reduced as we progress in the learning process , changing the colour to black from the words that correspond to the surrounding environment .

Plant it as a game for children

Many people are likely to be interested in this method in order to make your baby learn reading skills early. However, it is important to note that as much as your baby may have the ability to acquire this skill, it is important to assess whether or not it is appropriate and how this method is put into practice.

The fact is that it is essential to make learning fun and enjoyable for the baby and not an imposed and repetitive obligation. It is a question of approaching it as a game, which allows them to experiment, communicate, socialise and have fun. In this way, the baby associates the fact of learning with something that makes him happy and stimulates him. In fact, if it is proposed as a simple imposition, the baby will end up hating this learning and may have greater problems in its acquisition.

Proposed phases for learning to read

The Glenn Doman method, in its program for learning to read, proposes the realization of a series of phases to be applied in short batches , showing joy and making the process an element of leisure and union between parent and child.

Visual differentiation

Initially, it is essential to teach the child to read with few words, proposing the use of two. Later, they will be increased. The place is also important, being necessary to look for some point where there are no big distractors.

The procedure is simple: put the word in front of the child, and indicate what it says without further explanation. The word is shown for about ten seconds , and then it is removed from his sight and he is given a sign of affection for a minute or two, after which the process is repeated. And so a third time. The previous round would form a session, which would be repeated five times on the same day separated by at least half an hour.

This process takes place on the first day. During the second day, it begins to be carried out in two sessions. In the third session of the second day, a small modification would take place: You are presented with the word and asked “What is this? You wait about ten seconds. If the child responds with the word, a great level of joy will be shown, congratulations will be given and pride and affection will be expressed, even physically through hugs. This reinforcement is only affective, not accompanied by anything material.

If the child doesn’t say the word or makes a mistake, he or she should not be reprimanded or show any kind of disappointment. Proceed by cheerfully indicating “this is X, isn’t it? As a rule, learning is fast. You don’t teach another word until you have learned the first one.

The same method would be used for this. It is important not to overlap words until the child has learned them separately.

After knowing them, the child is shown the first one and asked to identify it. After that, the first word is still shown and the second word is taught with the other hand and the child is also asked to identify it. Once this has been done, the two cards are placed in front of him and the child is asked to point first to one and then to the other . The aim is to teach him to differentiate the stimuli visually. Usually in this step simple and basic words are used, such as “mama” and “dada”.

The Vocabulary of the Body

In this second stage it is based on the same principle as the previous one, but adding the sense of touch to sight and hearing. First of all, the child’s body part is taken and the child is told what it is. Then, the cardboard with the corresponding name is held and he is told that it is also a part of his body.

An example: The word hand is first taught by holding the child’s hand and saying that this is hand and then the child is shown the cardboard and told the same thing.

The rest of the procedure is the same as the previous phase. Be careful not to present several words at the same time until the child knows them separately , do not show consecutively words that start with the same letter and try to increase the number of letters in each word progressively, starting with short words.

Domestic vocabulary

A third stage, in which words are shown relating to elements present in the subject’s daily life, generally familiar objects, family and even actions. The font size has been reduced . It is suggested that approximately the child could be learning at this stage one word per day, although this will depend on the child’s pace. It is important to remember that it should continue to be approached as a game and that it should be carried out briefly and without the child getting bored.

Read words within sentences

In this phase, a slightly more complex learning process takes place. You will go from recognizing individual words to trying to compose a sentence. The parent must generate a card with each word of the sentence to learn. Each word is learned separately. Then they are put together and ordered, and the child is asked to indicate which word is each one of them. The aim is to learn to read words that are related to each other.

Phrase reading

After choosing a simple and appropriate book, with few words and large print, sentences are extracted to be able to work little by little. You start with short sentences, which are read slowly and clearly while pointing out each word separately. Then we ask what the cardboard says, pointing to each word separately. Once they have read, they celebrate and reinforce their activity. As you learn to read a page, you move on to the next page but re-read the previous ones.

Reading a book

It’s about having the child read the book from which we have extracted the sentences. We have to take into account that the size is smaller and smaller in each phase (in this specific phase it is proposed that the lettering should be about six millimetres), which makes it more difficult for the child. If there are difficulties we can look for and prepare larger letters.

Alphabet learning

Although it may seem strange and contrary to what happens in formal education, it is possible after learning to read to learn the alphabet . The reason for this is that letters are abstract elements, which can be more complex to interpret than bits of information referring to known elements. In short, this method considers that it is much easier to read a word than the elements that make it up.

Is this method suitable? Criticisms of this methodology

The Glenn Doman method is controversial, due to the age at which it is targeted . It is proposed that over-stimulating children at an early age can generate difficulties and that it facilitates many parents to push their children to learn to read as early as possible, making it difficult for them to experiment and play. We must not forget that at these ages everything is new and has yet to be explored.

Nor should we forget that at this age our nervous system is still immature , and that although we can learn to read early, understanding what we read will be complex and difficult to carry out, as the language is not yet completely automated.

There is also the fact that when the time comes for them to go to school, these children will be ahead of their peers and may become bored, making it difficult for them to learn later.

However, many of these criticisms were foreseen by the author himself, who stated that part of the problem is an overprotective attitude and the anticipation that the child will not understand the process or content of reading because of his age. In this way, we would be limiting their potential.

Although there are no tests or studies that prove the effectiveness of the method , the idea of reinforcing behaviour and considering learning as an element of leisure in which the child also has the opportunity to bond with his or her parent makes this method something that can be positive for the child.

Bibliographic references:

  • Doman, G.J. (2000) How to Teach Your Baby to Read: The Peaceful Revolution. Editorial EDF.