I am very happy to share with you that we found a set of flashcards that help in developing visual stimulation.
They come in 3 levels:
a) only black and white
b) with some red
c) with more red
After that i am using another set of cards i had with my older grandson (now 4 years old) that has much more color.
Tomorrow we will start using them.
I also have a Black and White book for babies but just show it a litlle. Maybe will use it more when she reaches 1 month old.
This is one of them: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0881063134/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Do you know until what age should we keep showing this black and white images? I saw many books in amazon that are even in promotion of 4 for 3 and are considering getting them.
Have you came acroos any web page with good information on VISUAL STIMULATION?
Yeah like Frukc said…I have read a couple of articles that said use black and white cards until they are 3 months old as after 3 months of age babies can recognize even the slightest variation if colors (Like different shades of blue etc).
Long before I knew anything (and I’m not professing that I know a lot now…only a bit more than “nothing” ) and after I grew tired of the black and white cards (which likely wasnt’ more than 3 months) I used to put up sheets of coloured paper for my son to look at - one on either side of him and one in front if he was on his tummy. Then I switched to two complementary colours on each side (ie blue & orange or yellow & purple). I used plain old construction paper. He seemed to really like this - especially when there were two colours on each side. Then I switched to faces just cut out of magazines…oh had I known then what I know now…I could have done so much more!
Thanks to all.
I found that thread Frukc guide me to is very very good. I think i have been missing many important things. I hope i have more time to read that thread calmly and put in practice the ideas they give. liked a lot the time getting in a dark room and turning the light for visual stimulation.
I thoght black and white was for 1st month but as you all say it continues to 3 month. I have to read more carefully the instructions in the package we bought and not hurry with too many colors yet. I thing they came in 3 levesl that are for 1-3 monthe, 3-6 and 6-12 months.
My daughter came today and is staying with me for 2 weeks cause her husband traveled for work so it is going to be easier for me instead of going to her house and coping also with my daily work.
Maybe she will find some time in between breast feeding her baby and accept my invitation to this forum.
Once again i have to recognize this is an excellent place and give thanks to the creators for this opportunity to learn and share all the knowledge we find here.
i am very gratefull to all for helping me be a better grandma.
I have not been able to find any medical proof in the threads or elsewhere of when a child begins to see colour.
However, I would like to point out that it is very important to continue to stimulate the rods (responsible for seeing black and white) even after the child starts to see colour. So black and white stimulation should continue always, it’s just in the format which you would do it which may change. e.g. after imaging exercises etc.
does anyone know when a child starts to see colour?
From what I remember from medical school (and a quick search of online journals showed no significant newer studies to dispute this), babies can see in color at birth or shortly thereafter (within 1 week). At 1 week, infants are able to discriminate long (e.g. reds, oranges) and medium wavelengths (e.g. yellows, greens) relatively well, reflecting the development of the L cones and M cones in the retina. They have relatively more difficulty discriminating between short wavelengths (e.g. blues, purples). This may be due to absence of the S cones and associated mechanisms in the cerebral cortex. By 2 months, the S cones of infants are functional and by 4 months, infants appear to discriminate color more or less the same way as an adult with normal color vision.
Newborns also have very good contrast discrimination. For example, in the first month, babies can distinguish two shades of gray that differ by only 5% in gray level, and by 2 months, they can see large objects that have less than 0.5% contrast. (Adult contrast sensitivity is 0.2%) On the other hand, a newborn’s visual acuity is only about 20/400, at best 20/200 (roughly equivalent to being able to see the big “E” on eye charts).
) and after I grew tired of the black and white cards (which likely wasnt’ more than 3 months) I used to put up sheets of coloured paper for my son to look at - one on either side of him and one in front if he was on his tummy. Then I switched to two complementary colours on each side (ie blue & orange or yellow & purple). I used plain old construction paper. He seemed to really like this - especially when there were two colours on each side. Then I switched to faces just cut out of magazines…oh had I known then what I know now…I could have done so much more!