Reading and Down Syndrome - Part One

Teaching Reading Early (0-3)

Did you know reading and children with Down syndrome (Ds) is a controversial subject? Sounds pretty benign doesn't it? Families tend to fall into two groups - those who teach reading early and those who wait until a more typical time in a child's life - the elementary school years. I thought I might share what I've learned about reading and Ds and explore the different options.

Much of our time during infant and toddler years as parents of children with Ds is generally focused on health issues. Approximately 45-50 percent of our children are born with heart defects. About another 7 percent are born with gastrointestinal defects. Many present with feeding issues. Respiratory issues are prevalent due to lowered immune response. Most of our energies as parents during those early years are focused on getting our children beyond these health issues to a healthier place for our children.

During the infant/toddler years the focus of most professionals and parents is on the most obvious delays – delays in gross motor skills. Our children are normally delayed in reaching the typical milestones of the infant/toddler years. They sit at an average age of 11 months and walk on average at 26 months.

Speech Therapists during the infancy and toddler years are focused on feeding skills and/or sign language skills. How many parents are counseled to begin teaching reading?

I really want to encourage every parent who has a child with Ds to consider beginning to teach their child to read during late infancy and the toddler years. Because our children are so visual they easily learn to read words that are meaningful (words they can say or sign) to them. In the long run, teaching reading early eases their entry into the world of literacy and gives them a great head start!

The technique is easy and only takes a few minutes a day. There is no need to buy expensive programs – all you need is a bold marker and posterboard.

The following method is familiar to those who use the neurodevelopmental approach and excerpted from Teach Your Baby to Read by Glenn Doman.

Length of play (reading flashcards) is very short. At first it is played 3 times a day. All sessions must end before the child wants to stop. This way the child will enjoy the sessions and want to play the reading game and the parent is nurturing vs. destroying the child's natural desire to learn.

Materials

Stiff white cardboard (posterboard) – ready made note cards are just too small.
Words should be lettered w/felt tip maker – red is recommended..
Printing should be neat, clear, and have consistent plain lettering style, large letters (5 in by 4 in with 1/2 in between letters.
Margins should be at least 1/2 in. all around.
Printing should be lower-case letters unless the word is a proper noun.

The First Step (Visual Differentiation)

First words:
Pick 15 words of high interest or familiar, start w/mommy, daddy, names of family members, pets, favorite foods, objects in the house, favorite activities.

Sessions

Pick a place with little/no distractions.
Work only when the child is in a good mood.
Hold up the word mommy, say "This says mommy." Give the child no ore description and do not elaborate. Hold up the next card, daddy, and repeat the process. Show 3 other words. Do not ask your child to repeat the words. After the fifth word, give your child a hug & kiss with lots of praise. Repeat session 3 times/day, at least 1/2 hour apart. Sessions should last no more than 3 minutes. Always end the session before the child is ready to end it.

How hard does this sound! Doman's book will give your greater detail on how to proceed with this method. Several people have developed materials using Doman’s method to assist the parent in teaching their children to read including eReadingPro.

Another early reading tool for birth to age 3 – Love and Learning

Though it is convenient to have ready made curriculum for reading, the cost of these programs is a bit out of reach for many families - especially during economic downturns as we are experiencing now. Doman’s reading method is cheap, easy to use and successful!

Part Two - Reading and the Older Child