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Original poster

My almost 4 year old knows his times tables

43 replies

Whitedots · 03/09/2022 17:51

Okay, this sounds like I’m making it up, but my DS who is 4 next month, knows his times tables from memory.
We haven’t taught him, he watches number-blocks and loves it.
He seems to have memorised it, he was playing a game on his tablet and it was asking 8x4 , 11x2 etc and he was getting it right every time.
I was completely blown away.
He loves numbers and has been fascinated by them since he was tiny. He sees patterns in everything.

He’s also taught himself to read and can read a story book meant for an older child pretty accurately without much help at all (he watched Alphablocks regularly during lockdown too).

He doesn’t start school properly until next September, but he is starting in nursery class attached to the school this month. I’m wondering if I should mention this to his teacher?

He finds things like riding a bike/scooter or swimming difficult and isn’t particularly interested in those things either, he loves walking though and has a lot of stamina for walking miles at a time. He’s never been one for playing with cars or figures, although he likes his brio train track.

OP posts:
BrandNewBicep · 03/09/2022 17:59

Have you looked up hyperlexia?

GingerScallop · 03/09/2022 18:02

That's wonderful Op. Keep encouraging it. Someone will come along to say memorising is not same as understanding and solving but I think it's fantastic. Just the interest in numbers, let alone pattern recognition will stand him in great stead

MargaretThursday · 03/09/2022 18:03

I wouldn't worry about mentioning it to his teacher.
As you said it's literally a memory thing, and if they're interested and exposed to that sort of thing they learn very easily.
I remember someone being very impressed with dd2 aged 2yo singing the alphabet and I pointed out that as far as dd2 was concerned "Ellemenohpea" was a word. She knew it because her big sister sang the alphabet song.

Later he'll learn to apply it, and that's when already having committed it to memory is helpful.

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4 year olds Behaviour & development Families
BrieAndChilli · 03/09/2022 18:05

Sounds exactly like my eldest. Right down to the only really liking the train track!

honestly?! I wouldn’t mention it, nursery will soon see for themselves. At this age there is now point in pushing things plus nursery is also about social skills, practical skills, fine motor skills, friendships, sharing, and a million other things that are just as important and actually sometimes even more important than ‘academic intelligence’

DS1 was assessed when he started reception as having a reading age of 14+ and used to do maths/literacy with the year 2s (he should really have been in with year 6’s but socially a 5 year old and 11year olds isn’t a good mix!)
he’s 15 now and done a couple fox GCSEs this year in year 10 - got A* (we are in wales thankfully so none of this 1-9 nonsense!!) academically he’s a brain box but still can’t ride a bike or do some fine motor skill stuff.
at 3/4 kids profess at completely different rates, often they all catch up. Some will always be more intelligent but others will just have learnt some skills early but are over taken by slow developers.

just encourage his natural curiosity - learning should be fun at this age and these a huge scope of other things he also needs to master.

GoAround · 03/09/2022 18:05

Wow sounds like he’s a sharp cookie! I would mention it to nursery along with him being less interested in the gross motor stuff, because maybe that’s something to work on before starting school, especially considering he’s ticking the academic boxes so won’t need as much focus there.

Undermearmour · 03/09/2022 18:07

My eldest taught himself to read before school. He impressed the HV with his availability to memorise ridiculously difficult dinosaur names at 2.

He has since been diagnosed as autistic. He's 9 now and can read at adult level. He can't tie his shoe laces or use a knife and fork properly though.

Suzi888 · 03/09/2022 18:09

My friends little boy did too- from number blocks. He is now ten and VERY good at maths!

FloppyFlippy · 03/09/2022 18:45

My youngest DS was like that OP, he went on to get a first in Economics and now works in finance. He loved patterns and statistics and as
a toddler he’d tip all his cars out of the box and spend ages counting all his cars and then do it all again.
He can’t tie his shoe laces, neither can his brothers and none of them are driving yet.

Pumperthepumper · 03/09/2022 18:49

That’s great! He’s spotted number patterns and he understands them, that’s a brilliant thing 👍

Apart from Brio, what other things does he like?

Afonavon · 03/09/2022 18:53

My DS was like this. Very strong in certain logical, patterns mathematical areas. He did end up being assesses for ASD, and struggling with language and social Not that I am claiming that it is the case for your DS, just that it rings a few bells for me.

ofwarren · 03/09/2022 18:54

My son taught himself to read too and was a whizz at maths. He was diagnosed with aspergers at 13.
His difficulties became more apparent upon starting senior school.

Rinatinabina · 03/09/2022 19:07

He sounds amazing OP, I probably wouldn’t mention it. They will give you a whole picture of how he’s getting on at some point. May be worth giving him some more challenging stuff or trying some number games with him to see if he understands how to work things out or if he has memorised.

Somethingsnappy · 03/09/2022 19:21

ofwarren · 03/09/2022 18:54

My son taught himself to read too and was a whizz at maths. He was diagnosed with aspergers at 13.
His difficulties became more apparent upon starting senior school.

Similar experience here. My DS (7) taught himself to read before school and has always been advanced with writing skills too. He also has an exceptional memory, and often gets 100% on geography quizzes that are intended for adults. He is being assessed for ASD. Not to say this is will be the same for your DS, OP. But worth keeping it in mind. My son's traits have become slightly more apparent as he gets older.

Original poster
Whitedots · 03/09/2022 19:22

I’m thinking he’s possibly got traits of ASD.

He enjoys soft play, playing with his friends, drawing, jigsaws, playdough but inevitably he turns everything into something related to numbers lately.

He was speaking from an early age, it came on really suddenly from babble to mini sentences around 20 months.

His dad his a maths and physics brain too and did engineering science at uni. He’s now a science technician in a secondary school.

OP posts:
Usernamenotallowed · 03/09/2022 19:28

My 5 year old is similar. Can read and do maths as well as my older son in year 4. He's just started in year 1. I've never mentioned it to the school, they do their own assessments at the beginning of the year. I know he's being given differentiated work and working with an older year group when it fits in the timetable/is appropriate.

When he was at nursery they made sure he focused on all the other skills too as they are just as important, if not more so, than reading and maths at that age. Social skills, gross and fine motor skills seemed to be their biggest focus. I wouldn't say anything for now and just let him enjoy nursery.

Boreded · 03/09/2022 19:31

Mine could do this at 3…by 4 he was adding up 4 digit numbers in his head (and carrying the ones) - sometimes some kids learn early, sometimes they have good memories.

you should be more concerned with whether he is a healthy and kind child :)

Silverbirch2 · 03/09/2022 19:33

Wouldn't worry abut mentioning it to nursery. Just keep an eye out for asd traits.

ancienthouse · 03/09/2022 19:34

My DD just turned 3 and she can add and do some multiplication thanks to Numberblocks too! It's an amazing programme for teaching the building blocks of maths. And DD really loves numbers and patterns so that's what she's focused on. She doesn't care a jot about letters/reading yet though. I'm just following her lead and not trying to read too much into it, they'll all catch up at school anyway.

user478965227857 · 03/09/2022 19:34

OK.

Notting hear to mention to nursery.

Luredbyapomegranate · 03/09/2022 19:37

Sounds like he’ll be good at maths.

I don’t think this is very very unusual though.

Original poster
Whitedots · 03/09/2022 19:38

I won’t mention anything to nursery.

I want him to improve on the things he finds difficult such as the gross motor skills and some social communication too.

He does seem to have some signs of ASD. But I’m not sure yet.

OP posts:
erikbloodaxe · 03/09/2022 19:53

Being bright doesn't mean he's autistic though. My youngest taught himself his times tables up to 13 when he was 4. He was good at every subject at school. Just a bright boy. He taught himself to ride a bike at 4 too, he was very independent and focused on what he wanted to do.

He is an adult now with a Masters in Physics. He isn't autistic.

TheNoodlesIncident · 03/09/2022 20:11

Whitedots · 03/09/2022 19:38

I won’t mention anything to nursery.

I want him to improve on the things he finds difficult such as the gross motor skills and some social communication too.

He does seem to have some signs of ASD. But I’m not sure yet.

You should mention your suspicions to nursery, it's definitely relevant and they can help. If he is autistic then the sooner support and interventions to help his difficulties are in place, the better. If he's not, no harm done.

SkankingWombat · 03/09/2022 20:17

TheNoodlesIncident · 03/09/2022 20:11

You should mention your suspicions to nursery, it's definitely relevant and they can help. If he is autistic then the sooner support and interventions to help his difficulties are in place, the better. If he's not, no harm done.

Show quote history

I agree.

SpringIntoChaos · 03/09/2022 20:23

Hi OP...I'm a teacher, with many years experience in Early Years. Please do talk to your child's teacher about this, as they will want to know so that they can make his transition into the setting as smooth as possible. Also mention any concerns you may have about ASD...the sooner they are aware of your concerns, the quicker they will be able to assess him (or at least, monitor and observe, to see if they, too, notice anything).