Should I be impressed .. or is this normal

[Twiglett]

OK since I got impressed at DS's memory and then realised that most 3 year olds are excellent at playing games of pairs I'm loath to have a proud moment

But DS who will be 4 in February can add and subtract .. is that normal

he's been doing it for a couple of months .. as in if I ask him if he has a number under 10 and we ask him to take away any number he can normally work out how many is left quite quickly

he can add up to around 15 too

he just asked for 4 fish fingers .. and said "If I have one more that will be 5, and then if I have 5 more that will be 10"

So .. normal development or is he good with numbers?

[beachyhead]

Very good - I have a 7 year old who still uses fingers and a three year old who can add 1 or 2 to things but no more...... proud moment deserved....

[juniperdewdrop]

very advanced IMO

[Sponge]

My dd is also 4 and can do this but she is unusually brilliant

[JanH]

That is v v good, twiggy! (Lucky boy - he can be an accountant!)

[proudandshy]

my ds was the same at that age but not many I knew were

[proudandshy]

ds 2 will be three in spring and he can also do more simple additions and subtractions

[misdee]

Very good. dd1 will be 5 in march, and can only just do this!

[Lowryn]

I am near 30 and have to take my socks off for maths over 10 (and under 20) Clever lad!

[Bozza]

agree that lots of 3yo have impressive memories but think the metal arithmetic is pretty impressive.

[edam]

Oh be proud Twiglett... after all, he can make sure no-one gives you short change in shops, can't he?

[Lethal]

Twiglett, my ds (4) is similar to yours with adding & subtracting. He's blown me away a couple of times with things he's been able to work out in his own mind. Having said that, one of dh's older sons (my step-son) was extremely good at maths and won several mathematics competitions while he was at school. So there you go, perhaps it's just one of their abilities surfacing at a young age... it's nice to see though isn't it. Certainly makes you feel proud

[marialuisa]

DD is a similar age and does this and we are VERY proud If it helps her not at all easily impressed teacher said it was ok to be pleased!

[EpiffanyFeast]

be horribly impressed, my ds now 10 was counting stairs and things very early and adding and subtracting etc at late 3 yo stage,
he has remained a mathematical freak, bright in many ways but teachers say his mental maths is freakish...
So nurture...
WARNING: At age 6 and beyond, unless you have a PHD in applied maths you end up looking at them blankly and saying, " why the hell are you asking me?" a lot...

[emmaGotToTryHarder]

DS1 is very good at meths too. He's in year 1 and often asks me to write some sum out for him to do....just for fun!!!

I spoke to his teacher as i was quite freaked out at some of the sums he was doing (for example like this 12+3+5+9+6+3+2+3=43....out of about 15 sums I wrote he got 2 wrong)

She said any thing that is beyond 10 (so counting on fingers) is advanced at Ds1's age. Anything over 20 is fantastic. Most of the class can only add up using fingers.

You have a genius on you hands

[emmaGotToTryHarder]

good at meths....ha ha ha........pmsl


Maths of course

[emmaGotToTryHarder]

shit.....write some sumS

[EpiffanyFeast]

skip a generation does it emma?
PMSL

[emmaGotToTryHarder]