Properly utilized, video technology is another means by which we may help our children with pronunciation, language and comprehension skills. And when audio and video tapes are used in conjunction with each other, they can serve as powerful complements, each providing a different avenue to mastering the same material. Why use a special video tape with your newborn or toddler? It is a fact - for better or worse - that most every child will eventually discover the powerful attraction of television. Before this occurs, it is important that we as parents decide whether we will use TV in a responsible, constructive way or merely as passive entertainment. Television can be a wonderful educational tool, but only if we decide to make it so. Limits need to be placed on not only the kind of viewing our children do but also on the amount. Our experience with our own daughter was that she learned best from videos which were simple and straightforward. If she watched alot of television where "glitz and glamour" were paramount, it became more difficult for her to attend to our videos. She would be captivated by the action on the screen - the more the better - even though she didn't truly understand what was happening. So we did consciously limit the TV she watched. And the less television she saw, the more special the videos she did watch became and the more likely she was to watch them attentively. When a young child first becomes interested in television, he often likes to watch the same program repeatedly, much as he might like to hear the same book read over and over. For special needs children, this is a good time to begin making/using video tapes which can help in language development. If these tapes are interesting enough to capture his attention so that he will watch them again and again, he can gain tremendously from the repetition. The tapes that are successful will work becuse they not only entertain but also present the material in an easily understood manner. They work on improving articulation and comprehension by breaking down complex sounds (words) into manageable parts, displaying letters and words, and objects associated with them, in a clearly presented format. The following is a description of how to make such a video tape. There is some work involved but if your child begins using it as soon as he becomes interested in TV, he will watch it hundreds of times. And of course he will benefit from the repetition here as he does from the repetition of the audio tape. But do keep in mind that it will hold your child's interest over a longer period of time if you limit the amount and type of television that he watches.
In addition to a video camera, you will also need about 30 - 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of paper. Next, make a list of the 25-30 words you want to teach (Mom, Dad, your child's name, house, car, dog, hand, foot, etc.) Use a broad tip black marker to print one word on each sheet of paper. Make the letters about 3 inches high but in lower case letters. We suggest lower case since it is used in most of the written words your child will see. Do, however, use upper case for the first letter of someone's name. Print the words horizontally on the paper since the televsion screen is slightly longer than it is high. On the back of each sheet, print the first letter of the word on the reverse side. Next is the actual shooting. Film the letter on the back side of each sheet while you say it (3-5 seconds). Then film the word on the opposite side for as long as it takes you to say it in syllable form (eg. ma-ma). Pause a second then say the word as you would in normal speech (eg. mama). Next, film whatever the word represents and say the word again as in normal speech. As a general rule, objects that can move or have some activity to them can be filmed longer than stationary, inanimate objects. When all the words/scenes have been filmed, there is just one more thing to add. Make alphabet flashcards using more 8 1/2 x 11 paper. Use lower case only and print one letter per page. Now shoot the letters, taking 3-5 seconds per letter. When you are finished, the video should be approximately 15-20 minutes long. This is optimal - long enough for the child to enjoy but not overly long so that he becomes bored. Other helpful hints: have a radio or tape player with music in the background while you are filming. Music can be an important component of learning as it helps focus children's attention. Secondly, as you are filming the individual letters, make sure the sheet of paper fills the entire screen. Above all, keep things simple and fun. Don't get too involved in any one scene. The entire effort should take no more than 4 hours. If it does, you're probably being too fussy. Try to make it fun for yourself and your child!