Alphabet Mat

A few days ago I got the idea to get Hunter a floor mat to use for tumbling exercises. I picked out the alphabet one from toys r us that has twenty-eight squares and measures about seven foot by four foot.

It was not very expensive, only about $25 for this set. It sure is a lot nicer to have this, so we don't have to get out the little mats we were using before every time we do our rolls.

Some different games we've played on it so far are: doing our exercises. We do somersaults (forward and backward) and rolling like a log, both clockwise and counterclockwise. The purpose of these exercises is to stimulate the vestibular portion of the brain and help develop balance.

We've also: jumped in different patterns, such as diagonally, forward, backwards, and sideways, spun around on it, and played on the hopping ball on it. He plays with his blocks and other toys on here now, and it is nicer than the floor since it's not so cold.

Because of the letters in it, I anticipate using it for a lot of language games, such as spelling and three-letter word making (think running to different letters as you spell, say, hippopotamus).

It was a fun investment, and I know it will enhance our physical excellence program in a fun way.

"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them... And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."

Isaiah 11:6,8-9

The Zoo!

Wednesday was our first field trip of the summer. We went to the city zoo about an hour away and it was quite enjoyable. Hunter’s only regret was that “We didn’t see the bears” (we ran out of time).

I enjoyed pointing out all the animal names to him. I told him their real names, for example, saying “Look at the black howler monkey!” instead of just a generic “monkey”. The zoo made this easy for us since all the real names are by the displays. They also had all the scientific names, but we haven’t gotten that far yet (but we will as soon as I make the bits!)

I really enjoyed learning so much with Hunter (I didn't know their real names!), and I know he enjoyed receiving it even more. It’s sad to see parents hauling their tot around in a stroller, occasionally pointing out the “pretty bird” or the “horsy”. Kids are capable of benefiting from and appreciating so much more. And it definitely makes it more interesting and enjoyable for BOTH parties when you are teaching them something worth remembering.

I’ll have to admit I became a little bit distracted video taping and taking pictures. But we still did have a lot of fun together. And hopefully next time it won’t be quite as cold. I’m really excited about looking into all the community resources that are available. There are so many wonderful educational opportunities, and they are NOT just obtained through the schools. In fact the schools tend to mess it up a lot of time: you learn so much more and have so much more fun when it’s just your family, rather than a large group to be tallied.

I plan on taking him there a few more times this year. Next time I go I'm bringing a note pad and taking note of all the animals that are in each display so I can teach Hunter about them between visits. I can't wait to see how much fun it is going to be when we know about all the animals!

"But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee."

Job 12:7-8

Building a Brachiation Ladder (May 26)

bra·chi·a·tion [brey-kee-ey-shuhn]

–noun Zoology.
locomotion accomplished by swinging by the arms from one hold to another.

Yesterday we finished the first portion of our long-awaited, much anticipated brachiation ladder. After several months of saving the money I am finally able to create this wonderful learning tool for my son. I altered the design so that it can fit over our bed to save space in our 150-square-foot living space.

"Brachiation ladder" is another name for a set of monkey bars. Glenn Doman began using brachiation as a therapy for brain-injured children several decades ago at the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential. Brachiation is a very powerful and extremely beneficial tool for the growing brain and body, as it builds the lungs, strengthens the upper body, and coordinates the brain in such a way as to build the necessary skills for writing, reading, and violin playing. Children on their physical excellence program have ALL been able to write stories, do gymnastics, and play the violin superbly by the ripe old age of three years old, and a large part of that program is brachiating. To say the least, we are very excited about the opportunity to finally make one of these.

Assembling the ladder was very easy even for a wanna-be handyman like me. The next step is building the frame and then we're ready to go! The lumber is fairly inexpensive and I believe the cost is generally less than $150 to make one. And of course, the benefits and fun are priceless!

I am documenting our project with video and pictures so I will have a how-to video and download-able instructions coming soon.

"...and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob"

Genesis 49:24

Memorial Day (May 26)

Hunter has been really interested in soldiers and war lately, and, among other things, fighting in general. Which made a perfect entrance to our discussion about Memorial Day.

I haven't been quite so organized yet to be able to plan up to these holidays, getting coordinating books from the library or planning our learning activities around them. Soon though. I'll get there. But nonetheless, words are free. And giving your child your knowledge, well, that's priceless.

"Today is Memorial Day, Hunter. It's a special day where we remember all the men who have been soldiers. Soldiers help keep us safe, sometimes there are bad people in other nations that want to hurt us, but our soldiers protect us and defeat the bad guys. They take guns and missiles and tanks to kill the bad guys that are trying to hurt us. Sometimes when they are fighting the bad guys, they get hurt or die. We're always thankful for the brave men who die for us, because if they didn't fight for us, the bad guys would get us and we wouldn't be safe anymore. So today we thank God and thank our soldiers for fighting for us and keeping us safe."

Not exactly rocket science, but I try the best I can to express patriotism in a way that he can relate to and understand. Whether you agree with a war or not, remember that those soldiers are out there dying for your right to carry those protest signs.

In closing, I thought I would share this fairly unknown second verse of our national anthem. We live in a great country, which is currently very morrally ill right now, and in need of divine assistance, but God has blessed us dearly.

Our National Anthem, verse two:

O thus be ev- er, when free men shall stand Between their loved homes And the war’s desolation! Blest with victory and peace, May the heaven-rescued land Praise the Power that hath made And preserved us a nation! Then conquer we must, When our cause it is just; And this be our motto: “In God is our trust!” And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O’er the land of the free And the home of the brave?

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

John 15:13

How I Became a Human Calculator

Meet Hunter, who is barely three years old. Hunter doesn't know how to count yet, and if you asked him what symbols such as 2, 7, 10, or 59 mean, he couldn't tell you. But even without these things, Hunter is a mathematical genius. Hunter has a calculator installed in his brain.

Now, don't be alarmed by that last statement: this is not some new fad for rich parents hoping to make their offspring a child genius. In fact, there was no surgery involved. Just some paper, 5,050 dots, and a little game that takes less than five minutes a day.

You see, before Hunter learned to count, he learned about numbers. Real numbers, not symbols such as 4, 9, IV, or VII. He learned that:

This is "one", "two", "three", "four", "five", and "six". These are REAL numbers, or true quantity. And while counting and symbols are completely abstract, true quantity is about as concrete and easy as it gets.

But I did not stop at six, or even ten, or even twenty. With just ten weeks of teaching (showing him "quantity cards" three times a day [which takes about ten seconds per session]) he was able to learn all the true quantities up to one hundred. This means that he can tell the difference between a card that has twenty nine dots and the card that has thirty dots, or the card that has ninety nine dots versus the one with one hundred dots. Hunter can perceive the number of dots instantly, no counting required. If you don't believe me, watch one of our videos. Seeing is believing.


But how on earth can he do this? It is a built in function of the human brain. The human brain can differentiate between twenty nine dots and thirty dots, instantly, without counting. Or ninety nine dots and one hundred dots. Instantly.

Then how come I can't do this? Because by the time a child reaches about two-and-a-half, the ability can no longer be activated, and that part of the brain is closed off forever. Remember, the eyes see but cannot understand what is seen: only the brain understands. The ears hear but cannot comprehend that which is heard: only the brain comprehends. So although you can physically see the dots with your eyes, your brain cannot comprehend what is seen. But a tiny child's brain can. Have you ever wondered why a 99-cent piece of plastic and wires we call a calculator can do better math than our amazing, complex brains? Now you know - our brains truly are more sophisticated than a calculator - we just simply have known, and have failed to activate our potential.

Dr. Glenn Doman discovered this incredible reality about little children while working with brain-injured children. As a result, he wrote the book How To Teach Your Baby Math which is the program we have been using (we started in August of 2007, when he was 29 months old [just under two-and-a-half]).

This is an incredible ability, but what does it have to do with mathematics? How does that make him a human calculator? Well, the answer is quite simple.

Once we had learned the numbers one through twenty, I began introducing him to addition. It was very simple: I sat him down and said, "Hunter, I'm going to teach you addition!"

I showed him the a card with one dot on it and said, "One," then quickly pulled out a two card, "plus two", then quickly pulled out a three card, "equals three!" I did not have to act out what was happening (for example, adding two marbles to one): I simply showed him the facts. The idea is that, by seeing the words "plus" and "equals" used in action, they will be learned just as "mine" and "yours" are learned: by seeing the words used in action.

And the result? Well, I showed him about seventy five or so different addition equations over the course of about two weeks (nine equations a day, split into three "sessions"). With no explanation, and simply showing him the facts of addition, he is now able to do absolutely any addition equation. Tell him an equation, he knows the answer, instantly. No rote memorization, no counting, no calculating: he sees the numbers. He sees what's happening. With the same ease you and I can "see" one plus two equals three, he can just as well "see" thirty two plus twenty seven (actually see the numbers coming together).

We did the same routine for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division: showed him the facts, and allowed him to figure out the rules and apply them to all numbers. Soon we will be moving onto the world of fractions, sequencing, algebra, geometry, and beyond. The world of mathematics is now his oyster.

And it is as easy as that.

And you see, because Hunter can literally "see" the numbers and perfectly understands and actually comprehends what is happening, he has, in essence, had a calculator installed into his brain: simply tell him an equation and he knows precisely what it is, instantly. He will never memorize his multiplication tables. He will never work through long division problems. He will not spend his first two years in school practicing and practicing and practicing the same addition and subtraction problems over and over and over again. He will never throw his hands up and moan, "I hate math! I can't do it!" He will never have to bring a calculator to the store to add up his grocery list. He knows math. He understands math. What a beautiful gift to give a child.

Now, after this story, you may be thinking that I am going to try and sell you some horridly expensive program that promises to give you the same results. But I am not. World's Best Education is a non-profit, pro-bono online organization dedicated to helping parents help their children, no strings attached. I would like to give every parent and child the wonderful opportunity to learn about the exciting world of mathematics, so I am making available to everyone the materials we used, which are, like I said, merely paper, 5,050 dots, and less than five minutes a day. All you need to teach your baby or toddler math (about three months to two and a half) is some 8x11" card stock and a printer with lots of blank ink. Or, you can use the computerized program that I have prepared. All these downloads and instructions are completely free. I'll take you through every step of the way, giving you an already made schedule of equations you can use, checkoff sheets to track your progress, and tips to help you guarantee fun and success. All this can be found at worldsbesteducation.org/teachyourbabymath.asxp, and takes less than five minutes a day.

Be encouraged, be inspired, and then go help your child discover his amazing potential.

For videos of Hunter and Anthony doing their mathematics, click here. (coming soon)

"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."

Psalm 90:12

I Know Addition!

Our math program has been horribly inconsistent since we began back in December. But today Hunter took his first addition "test" (the candy game) and amazingly understood the concept just fine.

The Doman math program (How to Teach Your Baby Math) uses a very simple, straightforward way of teaching babies and toddlers the realities of numbers and equations. You simply show them the facts, and they discover the rules.

For teaching a toddler addition, this translates into gathering three cards and showing them: "One" (hold up a card with one dot on it) "plus two" (show the card with two dots on it) "equals three" (show the card with three dots on it).

No explanation, just show the facts. Since they can actually see the true number of dots, they understand what "plus" means because they can see what is happening. Therefore, tiny children who have been taught true quantity (see blogs under "Teach Your Child ... Math" to learn more) can learn what plus, minus, times, and divided by mean in the same way that they learn "mine" - which is, by seeing these words used in action.

Hunter has probably seen about fifty or so addition equations such as this at scattered times, and he understands. Today I "tested" him for the first time, placing a fourteen and a twelve card on the floor and asking, "Hunter, what is eight plus four?"

He knew.

Later I asked him two more problems. Bingo. Once again, he understood.

It is such an exciting thing to see that this program is really working. When I first read the book, I laughed, then stood in suspicious awe, then dove into the program in faith, thinking, "But what if it DOES work..." But, as I am here to tell the world, you really CAN teach babies and toddlers the reality of math. And it's fun. And easy. And a very noble thing to do.

"The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips."

Proverbs 16:23

"Grocery shopping"

A couple days ago I took this picture of Hunter "grocery shopping" in the basement pantry.

My original reaction was to tell him to put everything back as he was "making a mess", but what harm was he doing, really?

He got this baby doll cart and started shopping for food. Of course, he put it all back when he was done, but it was cute to see him pretending that these shelves full of food was a grocery store. And fun, too.


"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."

I Corinthians 13:11

My precious boy

"Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."

Mark 10:14

Carousel at the Mall

On Sunday we went to the mall and rode on the carousel. Hunter was somewhat timid at first because of the riding motion but got used to it quickly and really loved all the paintings on the ceiling, which was decorate with pictures of some of our national memorials including Mount Rushmore, the Washington Monument, and the White House.

Of course, he really wanted to go again and ride on the panda bear, but at $2.00 a ride I had to say no. But we did get some ice cream afterwards. And after the mall and church, he was more than ready for his nap!

"Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?"

Job 39:19

Snow

So far this winter we have been blessed with a lot of snow. Blessed, yes, I think so, because for me, the beauty and fun of snow makes the long, dead cold more bearable. But for Hunter, snow is just fun.

Hunter has never gotten to play in the snow much until this winter. Last winter, he was only one and a half and our total ventures out into the snow came up to a total of one. But this year, he is enthralled by it.

We got the opportunity to play and learn in the snow today. The last time we played outside the snow was perfect packing snow and we built a snowman. But today the snow was very light, so light in fact that the trampoline (which was under a foot of snow) didn't even droop (with packing snow it droops with only two inches on it).

We talked about how light it was and compared it to the snow we played with before.

"The packing snow we made a snowman out of is more dense than this light, fluffy snow. It's light and fluffy because the molecules are further apart [spread hands apart] and with packing snow, the molecules are closer together [bring hands together]. Molecules are all the little bitty pieces that make up the snow." [smiles and continues playing (don't worry, next time it snows he will repeat every word of what I just said)]

"Look, it doesn't stick together very good when you pack it, does it?" [shakes head and smiles]

All together we enjoyed about a half hour of snow play before it was time to go inside. We didn't do much talking, but I just loved watching Hunter play with the snow. He was experimenting with everything from molding it to throwing it to rolling in it, kicking it, even eating it. I'm so thankful that I get to share these moments with him, even if it just means watching. And I am also thankful that he gets to have these moments, which could never happen in an overcrowded, overstimulating day care environment (that is, if they let the kids play outside at all during the winter).

These priceless moments of learning will never come again. The winter will soon be over, and this is his last ever winter as a two-year-old. Yes, there will be more days. More winters. More times of learning. But once it is over, you can never regain your days. I encourage parents to recapture parenting, to be their with their children and help them learn about their world. It is an honorable thing to do, and the chance will never come again. Be blessed.

"For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength."

Job 37:6