MM>As per Doman & Doman's work and books on infants ... but we also
MM>know that neonate discriminative learning assembles perceptual
MM>constancies at unholy rates - enabling the young brain to
MM>discriminate triangles from squares and circles, for example, as
MM>early as 3 months.

MM>Indeed, the rate and amount of learning at this time will never be
MM>equalled in later life - amd most of it without being noticed by
MM>adults. I believe that it is at this time that adults make or
MM>break reading in their children.

I just read an interesting study that found that READING to children has
little effect -- but HAVING books in the house and valuing them ("Oh,
look, Suzie!  Grandma gave you a BOOK!") does have an effect.

My own approach is that passive listening is a poor way to learn, but
interactive reading is effective -- ask the child to point to things,
identify shapes, animals and letters seems to be effective.

MM> VH> By learning that symbols have meaning, they are
MM> VH> partially there.  Singing the alphabet song is also a preparatory
MM> VH> skill.

MM>There's an excellent guide titled "Learning FUNdamentals" by Rose
MM>& Dryden out of Greenwich Editions (ISDN 0-86288-747-X) which
MM>explores useful activities like this for infants ... but again
MM>overlooks guidelines for neonates.

I agree -- I think, however, in the US at least, we simply by fad have
some answers.  Toys for very young children tend to be interactive.  My
oldest granddaughter was swamped with toys that flashed lights, played
music, and so on, and her mother noticed that she would explore a new
toy to try to find out how to turn it on so it would play music.

MM>I think I might have to scour Greek mythology for some suitable
MM>term to encapsulate the wretched phenomena...

How about "Neonatal cognitive learning?"
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