How Flashcards Helped My Little One Learn to Talk

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As a parent, I've been asked by our pediatricians one question over and over again: does my baby talk? I know every child develops at their own pace, but I try to engage my little one with books, games, and other activities to help them start talking faster. One of the learning milestones for us was using the "Who Lives in the Forest" card set from the "Smart Baby" series by "Aris-Press". I chose this series because my kid loves animals and is always fascinated by pictures of them, listening to the sounds they make, and even excited when we meet a cat, dog, or birds in real life. I started teaching my little one to talk with the "Who Lives in the Forest" card set when he was 1 year and 4 months old. Before that, he already knew a few basic words like 'mama', 'papa', 'baba', and some sounds that represented certain objects. He'd pronounce them in his own way, but I could tell what he was trying to say. My task was to help him expand his vocabulary and learn to remember simple images, like animals and birds. So, I used only 14 cards with their pictures. The sessions were pretty straightforward: I'd show him the cards one by one, saying the name of the animal out loud and clearly articulating each word. I'd repeat the name a few times and ask him to look at me, so he could see my mouth movements (that's what the speech therapist recommended). To make it easier for him to remember, I'd also give the animal a simple description in one sentence. For example, for the woodpecker, I'd say, 'This is a bird that lives in the tree and knocks on it with its beak: tap-tap-tap.' I'm not sure if I was doing it right from a pedagogical standpoint, but the results were undeniable. By the 5th or 6th session, my little one could recognize the animals and would show me the correct one when I asked him to. Soon enough, he even started pronouncing the names of some of the animals. Of course, he'd simplify them or use a combination of sounds he already knew, so it might not have been immediately clear to someone who didn't know what he was trying to say. But I could understand him. For instance, he'd say 'gaba' for a boar (he was trying to imitate the sound of a boar, but since the 'r' sound is still tricky for him, he'd replace it with 'khh'), and 'khh' for a bear (he was trying to mimic the bear's growl, but since the 'r' sound is still out of reach, he'd use 'khh' instead). It's not all at once, as they say. The sessions were short, around 15-20 minutes, because my little one would get bored quickly and want to take charge, playing with the cards instead of following the lesson. Of course, he'd bend them, but he couldn't tear any of them. We don't use the "Who Lives in the Forest" card set every day. I have other books and games in my teaching arsenal, and I give my little one some time off to avoid burnout. When he comes back to the cards with renewed enthusiasm, the learning process goes much smoother. We haven't used the cards with tasks yet (my little one is now 1 year and 7 months old). I think it's still too early for that. Besides, we've already lost a few cards. But even with the remaining ones, my little one enjoys playing with them. The cards are top-notch – they're sturdy, colorful, and the coating doesn't crack when you bend them. Plus, the activities have been a great way to develop my child's language and memory skills. I'm seriously considering buying another set to try out the additional exercises and explore different themes – the price point is definitely reasonable. I highly recommend them.