Teaching letters and numbers

[~Emma~]

I've been thinking alot about how I spend my time with B and the fact is I am utterly rubbish with the whole imaginative play thing. Thats not to say I wont keep trying at it but after alot of though I have decided that B and I are at our best when I am teaching and he is learning. He gets a great sense of achievement from learning things and getting things right and he enjoys it for the most part.


 I really want to teach him letter and numbers. Is he way too young for that? If not how do I start? I want it to be VERY basic and most of all FUN! Something that will engage him for a little while each day, I'll just be going at his his pace so it could be 5 mins or it could 2 hours! Who knows?

 

[clazzat]

Does he like stickers? There are good sticker books by Galt which are fun and will tech him the letters and numbers.

Have you thought about teaching him other things as well? If the goal is merely teaching then you could do a kind of project every week - learning about the fire station, for example, or doing a nature project.

[Spandanna]

Hi

I've been thinking a lot about this too recently with my son (he's 2.5) because a friend of mine mentioned her LO's nursery had started teaching him number 0-5!! and he's 2y10months)...I was like 'wow, maybe my DS would take to that as he's pretty forward and loves learning new things....

So anyway I have this book called 'I can do it' by Maja Pitamic...it's all ideas of things to do with your toddler-preschooler that teaches them skills. There's a whole numeracy and literacy section in it with ideas of how to introduce numbers then developing the knowledge then sequencing etc. There are too many activities to go into detail about them all but essentionally introducing numbers she suggests writing the numbers big on cards then give your child the cards with the numbers 1 and 2 on then trace the number 1 with finger saying 'this is hiw we write 'one'' then they do it then same for 2''....after that trace them saying '1' or '2' then say 'show me 1' 'show me 2 then mix them up...'which is 1?' 'which is 2'?...she also says not to teach more than one or two new numerals in a day....you can do things like putting the number card next to an empty cup and counting that number of pasta/beans/marbles etc into that cup

[Shiv52]

Maeve has known her numbers forever.  Letters I haven't bothered with upto now but am sure if I put effort in she would get those too. 

With numbers I taught them quite incidentally.  writing them and telling her about them.  Recently we've done those number sticker books and she loves them.  Before she started nursery we started doing a number project each week.  So I made a workbook and first page would practically write the number and tracing it.  Page 2 would be counting objects and matching them.  Page 3 was a big number which she would colour and stick glitter and stuff on.  Page 4 couting and writing the number and so on.  She loved it! 

[shivi]

Oscar learned his colours and then his numbers from his Thomas the Tank toys.....

I just bought this for my niece -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0141339675/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE
and this -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0141501960/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

who is just over 2.5 - for her stocking. Emma is really good at counting, much better than Oscar - at counting reliably up to 5 items  - so give me 4 napkins, three spoons etc but is not as good at recognising numbers as she's a much more "practical" person who HATES to be taught, has to get there herself!

S x

[mmom]

It is interesting, because at 2, M was speech delayed, but knew the whole alphabet.  I hate to say it, but Sesame Street helped a lot, since he watched it every morning as we were trying to get out the door.  My babysitter at the time also got us a Leap Frog thing for our fridge that had letters and it played sounds.

we also always read before bed and discussed letters and sounds.  Now my 18 month old, will try letters and sounds with us.  M is 3.5 and knows all of his letters and numbers up until 10.

[Mashi]

It is interesting, because at 2, M was speech delayed, but knew the whole alphabet.

Kara that is sooooo ironic that you say that.  Same here. And at 2y3mo he could count the sequence from 1-10 and recognize the numbers as well as group objects and use the numbers that he knew (ie get me three, what is bigger 3 or 7, etc) and since about 2y5mo has known most of his letters by sight and name and is starting to recognize certain sight words. But the kid still can't say his own name

Anyway, numbers - Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  One watch of Mickey the Cowboy rounding up the escaped numbers was all it took.  We have a large EVA foam puzzle mat with numbers and we used to play hopscotch on it, which he loved!! He plays the kneebouncers website and loved the game to pop the number bubbles, so that helped as well.

He learned most of his letters just form an alphabet story book that we had and read before bed - no special focus on it just one of the many in rotation.  At 2 or so my DH started getting DS to match upper and lower case letters when they were reading the story and he learned his letters pretty quickly that way!! But it was a game to him and it was just a matter of something they did over and over and made it fun. 

[Shiv52]

Anyway, numbers - Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  One watch of Mickey the Cowboy rounding up the escaped numbers was all it took.

Us too!!  'We're going to round up all them number 10 to 1, 10 to 1'!!!

[*Ali*]

We have some giant coloured posters up on the wall of Cadan's room with numbers 1-20 with different things in each of the quantities and he loves to go through them and "count" one car, two cows etc. He can already say the numbers 1-10 in correct order and has some recognition of what 1 and 2 and 3 actually mean. He is always asking to stand in front of the posters and point the various things out. We also have ones for colours and shapes.
He has a touch and feel ABC book which he loves reading too.
I often ask him how many of something I have (like books or pencils etc.) and help him count them.
We also count things like stairs and jumps on the trampoline.
His cousin has foam letters for the bath and we often ask him to find a C for Cadan, an M for mummy etc. although he hasn't quite got the hang of that yet but B is quite a bit older so would probably pick it up quicker.
Fridge magnets would also be a good one and I like the stickers idea too.
I think it's really important to just incorporate these things into your day so he hears them lots but doesn't feel pressured to learn or get bored.

[Mum-of-Two]

I didn't read all the posts here but my Dad started counting the stairs every time he carried the kids up or down, both could count to 13 very early... 13 stairs!

[~Emma~]

Oh he can count alright! He can count to 25! Sometimes he messes up and sometimes he just cant be bothered but he can do it. He also knows the alphabet song BUT I'd like for him to be able recognise the numbers and letter.

 Thus far we have nailed 8....its looks like a snowman. And the number 1! 

 I have ordered one of those leapfrog fridge magnets for his Christmas too. And my goodness, some of oy have little genuises on oyur hands by the sounds of it! 

[snowbird]

Yes am convinced LJ could count 1 to 3 even tho she's only 8 months - if she could talk. Ever since she was born we've always told her what we are going to do and counted to 3 before we picked her up.

Also count scoops when making bottles so think she's well on her way to 8 lol xx

[okinawamama]

I used to be a teacher (in my prior life...before kids) and upon the recommendation of every single other kindergarten teacher I purchased this movie.
 http://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-Factory-Roy-Allen-Smith/dp/B001TKUXUC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323713084&sr=8-1
When I sat down and watched it with my son it seemed like every other alphabet movie out there, but for some reason it works! Read the reviews. It's amazing. By 18months my son knew every letter and sound! We obviously reinforced them at home and "worked" ( I use that term VERY loosely because he's so young, that all we do is play, but it's education play) with him, but I attribute a lot of the results from this movie!

[RachelC]

Ever since she was born we've always told her what we are going to do and counted to 3 before we picked her up.

Ahh, Tracy taught us all that one! 

[Katet]

Some of the things that were listed in our school handouts for parents helping children at home (so talking 5yo's more so, but same ideas KWIM)
* show house numbers when going on a walk (odds & evens when older)
* look at signs & ask them to see if there is a "P" (give the sound not the name)
* play matching games with letters or numbers (then on to words) rather than pictures
*show them words in things around them & get them to look for one that is the same as the one you point to
* READ READ & READ to them, children who are read to do learn to read faster than those who aren't
* count steps, count out food, count cars
* being able to count to 10 or know the alphabet by memory isn't the same as actually understanding how they are used, so just saying lets count to 10 or singing the alphabet song is more about memory of a pattern than understanding of letters & numbers, so it is good to physically talk about there being 8 with one more now 9, rather than 7,8,9 KWIM
*cook, measuring

Children generally learn best when it doesn't feel like they are (even at older ages) & learning isn't linear, often it is a combination of exposure & timing.