I have a 2-year-old daughter and so far I am very happy with the results that EL has had on her. Basically, what I have done, having researched the topic intensively on the Internet and read on this forum a lot, is to use Doman cards from about 6 months of age, all Brillkid’s products, reading a lot of books with her as well as use a number of apps. As far as Brillkid’s Products are concerned, I would give the influence of LR on her 5 stars out of 5 possible, LMu 4, and LM 2. My daughter now reads very well, both in Swedish, English, and even a little bit in Russian. When we celebrated Christmas last year, after she had just turned 2, all the relatives present were very surprised when she was shown a bottle of hobby glue and asked: “What’s this?” Instead of saying: “glue” she read the glue manufacturer’s very name from the bottle: “Casco!” She had never seen that bottle before. They do have glue in her kindergarten, but from a completely different manufacturer.
LMu lessons also go relatively well, even though she doesn’t like clap along anymore, nor does she recognise all of the cords.
LM has not been a big success. She is still overcounting and has not yet developed a one-to-one correspondence, but at least they say in her kindergarten that while the other children are simply shouting and getting dressed, readying themselves to go out, she is instead standing beside them, counting every kid. :happy:
Now to the topic: How to allocate time with your toddler. They say in kindergarten that my daughter is far ahead of everyone else (thanks to Early Learning!) and I would gladly pay 70% of my entire salary or so to put her in a Montessori kindergarten. Unfortunately, there aren’t any available where I live, only “stupid” ‘jump-on-mattresses-kindergartens’ (as I call them). Therefore, since my wife and I work a lot, we usually have only one hour a day to allocate to EL activities after we have picked her up. After that, she simply becomes to tired and wants to go to bed. Therefore, as topic says: How do you find an effective EL schedule for your toddler? I’m sure many parents here are in the same situation as I.
More specifically, I would like to continue all Brillkids’ Products, which amounts to about half an hour day. In a week or so I would also like to start SoftMozart with her. Then, in about a year, I will try introducing the Soroban.
Besides, I would like to continue with flash cards (since they have obviously worked very well on her) and some educational apps. In a few weeks we will also buy DinoLingo for her in Russian, to complement the Russian that her mother (and even I sometimes) speak with her.
Therefore, in other words: How on earth should one assemble an effective, routine-based EL schedule from of all this, assuming that we have only one hour a day to allocate? (On weekends we have a lot more time, of course). What have you done with your toddlers so far?