So cute and So funny
Ok it’s one thing that others are amazed by Sophie ability to converse at 1 and a half but it’s another thing, when I, her stay at home mum am constantly amazed daily.
It amazes me that she can associate descriptive words. I love to hear her say it – SO CUTE! For example, she knows exactly when to use – "So cute!", "So funny!", "So pretty!" etc. She’ll look at a field of flowers and say "Flowers! So pretty!"
I mean how does one teach a young child what each descriptive word (adjective) means? It can only be thru constant repetition of association to different things (nouns) right? After a while, they should figure the use of the adjective. Times like this, I wished I had studied early childhoon or teaching.
I’m trying to pick it up. I borrowed a whole truck load full of books from the library recently. One of them included Glen Doman’s How to Multiply Your Baby’s Intelligence. I’ve been avoiding that book. And any other book that talks about raising a gifted child or making your kid smarter etc. I think I am subconciously relectant to push Sophie towards this. Which also explains why she’s not in any enrichment class. One is because I admit – I am lazy. I mean, flashing cards at a kid takes up a lot of energy and discipline. I’m not sure if I want to go down that road. The other, I prefer reading to Sophie and let her pick up reading eventually from there than flashing cards. Although that explains why I flash chinese cards to her – because…….. I can’t read Chinese books unless there’s hanyu pinyin. 
And finally, I really do not like how people compare their kids so I avoid these classes coz people are SO competitive here.
But yet on the other hand, I seem to have this smart kid in my hands and she seems to love to learn – what am I supposed to do? If I do more, maybe she’ll become more. Right? Hopefully it’s not to feed my ego but it’ll be better for her at some point.
Oh wells… we’ll see. If you have some thoughts, I’d love to hear it.
May 19th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
I dont think using a flashcard to help a child read as a very fun thing to do. Perhaps I’m a sceptic but I too avoided Glenn Dolman like a plague. Just read to her more often and dont talk to her like a baby anymore. I think if you speak to her with proper English and try not to speak to her with baby speech, she will pick up all the good habits… if you need more info why dont you go and speak with Amanda Poh? She is after all an early childhood teacher. I’m sure she wouldnt mind giving you some helpful tips. Hey, expert at your doorstep!!
May 19th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
haha funny thing – I did speak to amanda during the wedding over the weekend and she said I shd do the flashcards w Sophie! I’m going to finish the book and then decide what to do. I have a sense of what Glen Doman is talking about and I might just do a hybrid. He made some good sense abt some things.