Should I be teaching her more?

[CharlotteandCharlie]

Lately I've been wondering and noticing from a variety of friends that maybe I should be sitting with Charlie and teaching her more about her ABC's and motor skills. 

I feel like I teach her loads and she absorbs more than I ever thought possible about things in our everyday world but I DON'T sit and do school type stuff with her.  I am torn because on one hand I feel like she is just under three and it will come easier when she's ready and she has a load of structured learning ahead of her but on the other I wonder if maybe I am being neglectful in this way by not having her do her letters and numbers on paper and so on. 

Part of me also kind of thinks that since she is dropping the nap there will be plenty of time for her and I to do one on one skills while Campbell has her afternoon nap. 

FWIW, we cut with scissors, draw with pens, markers, pencils, play various matching games and ABC games on the computer. 

Any opinions/reassurances?  Some moments I feel okay and confident and others I feel quilt!

[marensmama]

Marking my spot, we're exactly where you are right now.  Maren is so smart but when I try to 'teach' her something she seems to balk at it, it's like she feels performance anxiety or something.  So I don't do that, we play matching games, memory games, read a ton of books, do crafts, and talk, talk, talk about everything.  But I worry too, that I should be doing more to encourage her to learn.

[Jaime]

we cut with scissors, draw with pens, markers, pencils, play various matching games and ABC games on the computer.

we play matching games, memory games, read a ton of books, do crafts, and talk, talk, talk about everything

IMHO, these are the best ways to learn - as a result of so much talk & play.  i definitely do NOT think it needs to be formal letters & numbers, but that stuff will come through all that playing. 

[Sarahlolly]

Hi

We do activity classes and one of them specialises in Literacy HOWEVER it is all done in a really fun way that is just playing!  So it sounds to me like you are doing a GREAT job!

Keep it up and have fun!

Sarh x

[nwmm]

marking for later

[RachelC]

You are doing the best thing for her right now.     Learning is through play and fun for quite some time.  There were still plenty of kids in Paige's kindergarten class (5 years old) who could not cut properly and didn't know all their numbers and letters.  At that age, they are more concerned with listening and following directions.

[lilmonkey]

IMHO, these are the best ways to learn - as a result of so much talk & play.  i definitely do NOT think it needs to be formal letters & numbers, but that stuff will come through all that playing. 

Ditto.  I believe learning should be fun at this age.  There is no need to force her to sit at the table for X minutes to teach her ABCs or numbers.  Although dh spends less time with dd, I would say that he teaches her through play as much as I do.  Some of the things he taught her are:

-counting/recognizing to double digits by reading the page numbers in her books during bedtime stories
-basic addition (to 10) through playing soccer or some sports game
-patterns/sequences of numbers through playing Snakes and Ladders and other board games.

I'm kinda embarassed to admit it as I'm the math teacher but dh just showed her that numbers can be fun, hoping that she will not be afraid of math in the future.

I think that you are doing great playing with her.  They learn so much through play.