One other thing about preschool writing/reading...

[Caththerese1973]

I was wondering if I should be concerned that my dd, still not quite 4, can write a little bit and recognise some numbers, but she tends to do it back to front. Eg today we were looking at a shopping catalogue together and most of the times she was identifying the numbers in the prices correctly, but back to front (eg, not $299, but '$992'). She also proudly writes her 'words' (which are made up nonsense words like 'bahoooohhhhm', or whatever) from right to left, rather than left to right. What I mean is that she STARTS writing from the right hand side of the page and goes backwards.
I probably sound like an over-anxious mum, but is this the sort of thing I should be correcting at this point? She is right-handed, and very much right-dominant, which is sort of cute from my point of view because I am left handed. Eg dd will always stick out her right leg or right foot first when I am trying to dress her, while me, being left handed, tend to always want to put on the left shoe first! I have tried to point out that you read words from left to right and not the other way around, but for some reason this always pisses her off and she tells me to shut up, shouts 'stop pointing', and wants me to get on with the story. Also, she had a phase (seems to be over it now) when she would draw these lovely faces, but always upside down! You'd have to turn the paper around and then you'd see that she was trying to draw a face or figure.
I honestly wouldn't be freaked out if she was dyslexic, or whatever. It's not as if such problems can't be dealt with. And she is still very young. But it seems odd that she has this penchant for writing from right to left, rather than the other way around (actually - and I must admit I don't know many other kids her age so I don't what the general standard is - it seems almost odd to me that she can write at all, since I've never tried to teach her. I'm sure I couldn't write anything when I was four, except, possibly, my first name).
Any thoughts?

[SenoraPartridge]

dd does exactky that with words, although we haven't got that far with numbers yet. She only copies words though - sounds like your dd is quite advanced. The backwards writing thing is quite common apparently - it'll fix itself, and is nothing to do with the shining.

[sunnysideup]

yes, I asked this exact thing quite recently on here and was reassured that it's completely normal.

My ds certainly does the right to left thing, and he writes some letters completely upside down!

He's also the same if I try and correct him but he's always been like that, he doesn't want me to be his 'teacher' in that way. He accepts instruction at school but gets cross if it comes from me. Obviously has a healthy disrespect for my abilities already!

[Caththerese1973]

well, thanks for that, posters! I guess I'm getting a bit freaked out by what seems to me to be an absurdly ambitious kindy program that dd is about to embark upon. Can relate to the Mum whose son rejected HER teaching, but accepted other people teaching him. My dd always complains if I get the least bit 'teacherly', which is one of the reasons I haven't tried to teach her much at home. I think her daycare lady has been showing her how to do a few letters and numbers. I wouldn't know if she was 'advanced' or not (nor does it really matter to me: if she's happy and doesn't grow up to be illiterate, that's good enough for me). I did notice, however, that her writing/drawing skills really took off once she started daycare. I think a little bit of daycare is a great idea for three y/os, even if Mum isn't working. I was over working the last 6 months, but am not any more: if it wasn't that kindy is starting soon, I'd still take her to daycare once a week just for the socialising and educational aspect of it.
Plus I think people who are fulltime Mums need their rest as well - even more so, perhaps, than Mums who work part time (work was almost akin to a 'rest' as far as I was concerned: at least I could go to the toilet by myself etc!)