Anyone know what any of the Glenn Doman kids featured in his various books are doing as adults? I’m refering to the graduates of the Evan Thomas Institute or the IAHP, not his actual biological children.
Lori
This link tells about Marc-Mihai Dimancescu: http://www.jhu.edu/careers/students/explore/hopkinsprofiles/Environment/EnvironmentAlum1.html
Here’s a youtube video of Micah Sherman performing the theme from the motion picture “Schindler’s List” and “Nigun” by Ernst Bloch on the violin, accompanied by his father Marc Sherman on the piano (from a 1994 performance at Drexel University): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_8Y5a-kAuQ.
Any more? I would like to know SAT scores (or GRE or LSAT, MCAT) and if any went to college outside of Pennsylvania!
I did a search of some of the chidren profiled in his books. I found a few of them are still actively linked with IAHP as employees. I am disappointed by this outcome. I also found several unimpressive summaries of Glenn Doman’s books written by Chip Myers as an employee of IAHP. Each summary was essentially one sentence describing the purpose of the book - not well done. I really do believe early stimulation of a child can result in great outcomes, but I am suspicious of extremes. I wonder if the kids are able to assimulate in mass society then differentiate and pursue their own interests into adulthood. At home, I feel the Glenn Doman techniques sound great and avidly read each book. But frankly the IAHP seems like a cult environment. I hope I haven’t offended anyone with this humble opinion.
Why are you disappointed that some of them are employees? Wouldn’t that mean that they are so confident in his methods that they devoted their lives to them?
I agree, I would think with some of the students accomplishments many would have attended Julliard, MIT, Harvard, etc. and launched careers. It seems from the profiles on the website many became teachers at the IAHP, which is fine I would expect that for a portion of the students, but I would expect more of them to go to Ivy League institutions, go on to professional schools, and be strong in their careers, politics, and academia. My goal for my son is for him to have access to Ivy League schools and the career of his choice, I do not want him to come home to live with me after college, so I would like to know whether these methods are just sort of dressing up young children to look like geniuses, then as adults their natural average-ness becomes apparent. Or whether these methods are really giving them a jump start that will translate into an advantage in competition with children who have followed traditional methods.
All of us expect our kids to excel, but please do not forget that early learning is a gift from us to our kids. As everything with kids you can give them the basis but at the end they are the ones chosing what they want to do with their lifes. We are trying to expose them to as much information as we can so they have a better understanding of the world. This way they could be interested in things that may have never come across if it wasn’t for these programs. Again we are doing this for them and not for us. If you are doing this so you make sure you kid goes to Harvard or one of the Ivy League Schools please re-evaluate your priorities because you may be dissapointed later in life if this doesn’t happend and your kid will definetly percive your dissapointment. Wouldn’t you love your child the same if at the end he/she decides to be an entrepreneur or if he/she goes to Harvard?
I’m sorry if I offend someone with my comments, but I think this is a crucial subject.
Yes, perhaps some of them are so confident in his methods that they have devoted their lives to it. But it still worries me, especially since some have been there since toddlerhood. It’s a big world out there and I would have been happier to see some of them actively involved in it. Actually I didn’t find any other graduates. Some names the hits were too numerous and I had no way to definitively narrow my search. It worries me that the IAHP publication did not highlight any graduates that have successfully separated from the Institute into their own unique career. I was hoping to see smiling photos of adults with stimulating careers and flourishing families. Essentially I wanted to see a reflection of the dreams that I have for my own children. I want them to have work that is intellectually stimulating and enjoyable, strong marriages, and healthy children.
I think it is a crucial subject too. I am not offended, I think it is one of the most important debates. I tried to word my comment carefully, but maybe not carefully enough, but I do want my children to have access to Ivy League schools. You can believe I am wrong to focus on that, I do not mind! Maybe I think of that as the gift I am giving them, the fact that they can go. Or had everything they needed to make a strong competitive application even if they are ultimately rejected. I went to one, and was accepted to 2, so maybe I have a different perspective. I would not be disappointed in him at all if he did not get in to a certain school, or even if he did get in and decided he did not want to go at all. I could not imagine being disappointed in my little prince at all no matter what, short of him becoming some sort of criminal. But I want to give him everything he needs to have “access” and maybe I can’t define that well but it means that I have given him a certain level of education to where he can compete head to head with the best of the Harvard applicants.
I don’t want to criticize IAHP, I don’t know a lot about it but I really want to know more about the outcomes of children whose parents have put them through parts of the program. Not the hot-house burnouts whose parents basically emotionally abused them, but parents who completed a nice well-rounded program.
Amen, Joha. I think everyone should just enjoy the learning time with your child. Teach them what they are interested in and don’t push them to conform to your dreams. If you are placing all these expectations over them, they may feel too pressured and end up rebelling and doing the exact opposite of what you want. I really don’t see why it’s important to see what adults are doing now. I know it is human nature to wonder, but I don’t think it is important. You are giving your child a wonderful gift by teaching them all you can. You can either do it or not. There are many kids who grow up only learning what they are taught in school. Some of them grow up to be very smart and have prestigious careers; some of them don’t. I am sure the same is true of kids who are taught early. You can only do your best and hope that you will shape your child’s future. What they do with their lives is ultimately up to them.
I wouldn’t worry about him getting in if you were accepted by two schools. Chances are he probably has your genes. If you’ve got the money and the determination, that’s all it takes.
I agree with Joha and nhockaday
The main reason I’m teaching my son is for him to learn as much as possible and have fun with it. If he decides as an adult he wants to go to Harvard that’s great, if not no big deal as long as he is happy with his choice and choses what he wants to do in life, I don’t want him to make such important choices to please me.
Now I’m giving him tools to become an intelligent person, able to make good choices in his life.
Sometime ago I read something that I believe is very true - think where you would like your children to be in 25 years from now, you can be almost sure this will not happen. Life is unpredictable :yes: and we won’t have control over our children life for very long
It’s like we’re on the Gilmore Girls! I hear lalalalalalalas! 
Obviously, I will continue teaching my children. The outcome of IAHP Graduates has nothing to do with any of our children because none of ours are enrolled in their institute. It’s human nature to have vicarious interest in these people after reading all about their incredible childhood accomplishments. I couldn’t help but to imagine what must they be like today. It is the same when I read fictional stories too - sometimes I imagine my own sequel. I will continue to hope that someone finds updates of other graduates to satisfy my curiosity.
Lori
This is basically, to me, the essence of early ed. Why do it if we are just gonna fluff on education later, to lead kids into a better life position than what they would have otherwise? In my experience (not trying to be pompous, or otherwise appear knowledgeable, just laying out there), I was a very smart baby and had a lot of stimulation, as my g-parents and sisters were around to keep me busy - both older by 8 and 14 yrs., I would correct my parents when they used baby talk, etc. We lived in Cuba, and because we wanted to leave the country, it was very hard to find and keep friends. Also, my mom was always kinda stressed out because of circumstances, and my parents never really had a great relationship. Later, when we moved to the states, I was 6 and adjusting to a new environment was difficult and with a new language…
My parents always said I was smart, and had lofty dreams of the outcome, but I don’t remember a whole lot of direction in school.
I went to Catholic school and then because my parents were having issues still, we relocated to California in a questionable school system. I was made fun of for trying to achieve, and so I lost interest in it about 7th grade.
I think what may have helped, besides the obvious is a more “real” path to college. Like this is the goal, how do we get there and what are the expectations? Also, I think too much studying kinda plays into kids not fitting into the “norm” which is sadly sit around and do the minimum to be cool. Book smart kids are seen as nerds and geeks and if you’re smart, you’re a show-off. Fact is fact.
Does anyone have any input about this, home-schooling as opposed to private and public schools, montessori, etc. I really like the Tweedlewink approach, as the kids all feel appreciated and in that environment, they flourish, but I don’t know once they are into’'d into main-stream learning environments, how they respond. Also, home-schooling and the social gap. There is a current push to make federal changes to all school systems, which kinda takes power away from boards and PTA’s to change from a grass-roots perspective… that was my plan.
I was interested in this some timne ago and researched it. I found that many of the children were very well rounded, had traveled extensively and while not doing work that most of us might consider groundbreaking. Appeared to live content lives doing occupations (i.e. writers) that they enjoyed. I feel like the point of early education is nto to create a genius, but to give my child the well rounded background and skills that he can choose to go wherever his passion lies. And I believe that was Domans hope, not to create super children that excelled in one area, but renassaince children that were compentent (if not excellent) in all.
Hmm … writer … I think I like that one. It’s autonomous, rewarding, and intellectually stimulating. If gainfully employed and self-sufficient, it’s a good outcome. Thanks Linzy.
Lori
I took the course in order to help my son access his full potential.
I learned some amazing things at the course… I never knew children could retain such interesting facts at such a young age. I questioned a couple things and to tell the truth wasw frustrated that at no time could you ever question the “facts” linked to learning.
I believe that there should be stats to their claims… or yes a couple noble prize winners. I will be bold in saying I want my child to well rounded… know that they are loved… and yes ground breaking in their journeys. I want them to love life and experience all the great things and experiences that the worlds few greats have endevoured. I believe Leonardi Da Vinci, Churchill, etc… lived prividged lives because they were brilliant men. I want my son to carry the potential and the drive to make a difference in this world… and his world to.
I admit it… while I was impressed with the course I was disappointed with the reality of the IHAP success cases once out in the real world.
Thanks Mandi. I don’t know if I am looking for Nobel prizes, but really one of the IAHP kids should have been creative enough to come up with LR and LM, and implement this website :yes:
I did find some of the exercises in the book “How Smart is your Baby?” a little weird, like blowing the horn to develop awareness of danger… I couldn’t do it.
It’s kind of like some of the Freud theories, sheww, but the man did father a whole industry, not to mention a “normalcy” in what was seen as freaky before - hand.
Some exercises helped in making my son aware of a lot around him. I see friends that hand their kids something to play with and that’s it for the day. I must say, my daughter did not get as much stimulation as early - she’s 9 mos. and he is 23 mos. - I can totally tell the difference. She has a harder time focusing, and so I am really starting to do a lot more. I was sooooo sleep-deprived for so long, though. But now, I am feeling guilty.
The good thing about the DOman program is it actually made a child’s learning potential and cognitive capacity of all kinds - including learning ability, emotional attachment, musical prowess, and athletic skills known. They do focus on that, which was weird before - all kinds of attention came to the developmental capacity of kids, which, their whole motto is “can be enhanced through the right environmental stimuli.”
While parents can be “overly concerned” about their role in promoting their child’s brain development and maybe forcing the issue, the other extreme is to the detriment of letting kids be (ignorant) kids…
There are a lot of things parents can do to help sculpt those neural pathways in ways that will have long lasting benefits. This book is a great source of information in this area and easy to read. Even if you decide not to apply some or all of the principles, like I did (some, that is) - Bottom line is you’ll never see child development in the same way again. It’s an awesome potential.