To think dd should be able to count to at least 5 by now?

I wouldn't worry about this at all! I'm a teacher and mother btw. Kids can often 'count' at an early age but they have no idea what anything past 2 actually means. Even at five they'll be 'counting' away but if you give them 4 objects they won't know how many are there. The principle is called cardinality which is actual counting and doesn't come 'til much later than 2 years old. Any child at 2 who is 'counting' is just repeating sounds.

There is a difference between counting to 10 and learning that each object relates to a number. So if you say one to ten to her 5 times a day for a week she will pick it up as rote learning. That doesn’t mean if you place 5 applies and ask her how many, she will be able to relate that rote knowledge to this practical application. As adults we know that this means we count to five, stop at the last number and that’s how many things there are.

I think you are focussing on the wrong thing. Counting to ten is not a sign of being good at numeracy, or even recognising that a certain shape is the number 4. If you do want to build these skills read up about it. There is a nice IG account called ‘countingwithkids’ (US based Maths teacher) who has some lovely ideas.

V interesting, isnt it? It will depend on the book I think. Preschoolers can get subtext in picture books once given time to discuss and infer and predict (yes really).
What is an example of something she didn't get age 8? Perhaps the book is simply at a too high level, despite being able to decode it.
I remember my dc1 had read all HP books before 8th birthday, gobbled them up. He then reread them numerous times and told me it's like reading a different book each time as he understands and sees more as he goes.
Meanwhile dc2 now 9 hasn't even read one! No interest! But scores in top percentile in comprehension so it hasn't effected him anyway.

Yeah I would believe everything the internet says.

Seriously this is so bizarre. You kid is 2.5 - let it go. You are massively over worrying about a complete non issue.

You have a very very bumpy road ahead of you if you are worried about things like this already.

And for reference, you kid hasn’t read the internet rules on counting. Take a chill pill.

Rather than trying to get her to count just do lots of counting things with her, sing songs like 12345 once I caught a fish alive, or 5 little ducks, or 5 currant buns at the bakers shop. Read stories with numbers in, count things as you get them out ie if you get some of her toys out, or as you put out the cutlery or anything really. Just have fun and introduce the idea of numbers and counting rather than worrying about her reciting them or actually counting herself.

Christ, stand down. Irrespective of what it might say online, children tend to be different. This really isn't something to worry about at all.

@Drylogsonly my DD is an early reader (fluent before 5) amd she gets absorbed in books (age 6) she can answer obvious questions sometimes but doesn't really get much subtext... the more she reads the less she comprehends. Now 2 too young to worry about counting, but what age do children normally get subtext, about 8?

2.5 yo? No. Forget your expectations.

YABU

DD1 was a very active baby / toddler. She was walking on her 1st birthday. Friend's DD wasn't walking until about 17 or 18 months. Her speaking was more advanced than DD though.

Fast forward 17 years - guess which one has always been an avid reader, enjoys drama and wants to do an essay heavy degree, and which one competes in triathlons and wants to do a sport related degree!

In other words, not only do children develop at their own pace, you can't predict from toddlers where their strengths lie.

Whatever about the shoulds, don't forget the don'ts: Don't quiz or question! You just count in a normal everyday fashion and she will learn and join in. Lots of chat and exposure to language and vocabulary Inc through reading. There are plenty of books and rhymes and songs with numbers. Don't become fixated!

That saved me posting the same. Exactly that.

“Counting” is different to reciting numbers they have heard frequently. Very few kids would be able to count properly at age 2.5.

My dd could sing Frere Jacques age 2.5. It was just because I used to sing it often. Now, she can’t speak a word of French.

Some children learn by rote easily. Some kids don’t.

Here's me thinking my ds is a genius because he counted 4 poppers accurately as a one off at 27 months. Lol

I suggest you seriously unwind. You'll do more damage to her emotional development with your negativity and neurosis, than her apparently abhorrent inability to count to 5 will ever effect her

We use the stairs to count so we go through each number per stair going up or down stairs (although she starts missing out a couple after thirteen).

Good god! Children develop at different rates. Innnow a kid who could read at 3… at 15 he has no social skills and barely reads anything. He doesn’t ‘get’ most fiction.

Big science brain though.
DS same age, took ages to read fluently. Now can read any fiction at any level and ‘gets’ all emotions, subtext and meaning from any piece of literature. Mediocre at science.
different kids different skills.

Lots of singing eg 12345 once I caught a fish alive, or 5 little ducks went swimming one day. Get a Jo jingles album! Lots of nursery rhymes are good for speech, rhythm, counting, sounds, story telling etc. So many kids don't know any songs, maybe because parents don't. Probably considered old fashioned now. (Obviously there will be some dubious ones but you can still find plenty of good ones). Get singing!

I was born in 1967. My Mum specifically didnt teach me money as decimalisation was coming in. Once we had new money she introduced it to me.

I'm an FCA!

Didn't do me any harm waiting.

Leave the poor kid alone!

Yes, I meant that it doesn't explicitly state that a 0-3yo needs to be able to count to 5 accurately. It does mention counting but it's more to show an understanding of one number for one item type thing.

Meh, counting to 10 means nothing.

So many children I have come across who can recite onetwothreefourfivesixseveneightnineten without any concept of the meaning of the words, or concepts like more/less or what three or five actually LOOKS like. With my own kids it was more counting things out - do your buttons up one, two three. Or asking them to pick up three apples in the supermarket or whatever.

So many posts lately where parents are fretting their totally normal sounding child has a problem.

One of my DC didn't know any letters much less numbers when he started school at 4. He's now at high school in top sets for everything. He was initially so behind I just thought oh well, he likes helping in the kitchen maybe he'll be a chef or a barber. Plenty of career options for those who struggle academically.

My point is development rates differ and if your child is otherwise happy and healthy then don't worry. And not all kids will be academic geniuses. Equally, kids who start off like rockets with their learning are often overtaken by kids who come from behind. It's usually all fine for all of them.

If there is something the matter with your child, you will notice. Back away from assessing her against milestones you've read online and focus on the joy of seeing her discover new things every day - it doesn't last forever! :)

Plenty of children can't even say 10 words at 2!

I wouldn't worry about that. None of my kids could even say more than 6 words at 2.5. All grown up now and it's not made a blind bit if difference