Is this unusual?

[thewheelsonthebus23]

This isn’t a boasting post, although I’m sure it comes across as one on here.
My almost 19 month old can count objects 1-10. Today he did it on our walk, he counted 10 sheep poos! And when we got home he counted 10 objects from his tea set and then 10 books later on. This has all come on suddenly, but he can’t speak very well. Although he understands mostly all instructions I give him e.g. “can you please go and get your shoes” and most words.

My PFB had a vocabulary of over 200 words at a year. Was reading and writing stories age 3 and could do simple addition and subtraction.
Probably because I spent a lot of 1 on 1 time with him.
Did it make any difference in the whole scheme of things? Honestly? - not a lot.
His brother was nearer to average in his development and both ended up with a similar grade of masters degree.

The fact that he's counting sheep poos suggests that he has grasped the concept of one object mapping onto one word.

What I found interesting in the OP's post is that all the examples she gave involved ten objects.

What happens if you put seven of something in front of him and start counting them?

Has he grasped that this is a way of finding something out or is it just putting one object to each of the words one-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight-nine-ten?

Saying a pattern of words is counting. He may not know he's doing it yet, but he will.

All maths is to do with patterns in some way - so is music.

He sounds lovely OP - let him have fun with it.

One of my children was like this - had an awareness of numbers and letters and started reading when he was 2 with no prompting.

He’s been able to read literally anything and spell pretty much anything (within reason!) since he was 3. He can do the maths set for children several years older (we have discovered during this homeschool period).

To be honest, we try to pull attention away from it as don’t want him to have the pressure of being the clever one or feel like he’s different from his peers.

Plus maybe he’s just peaking too soon

I'm a teacher. In my experience people and children have a natural tendency to either numeracy or literacy. One or the other. You can always tell.

I'm very numerate and love numbers and maths and see patterns in everything.
I can't write essays for the life of me and struggle with sentences sometimes = naturally numerate.

A lot of people hate numbers and maths and are good at writing and poetry and have no fear of writing pages of writing! = naturally literate.

You can see this in infants. Several PhD level studies have been done on it and there are plenty of books and papers on it.

You child has a love of maths and will enjoy it. Numerate.
Lots of great careers inc engineering, medicine, accountancy, finance, stock market, theoretical physics, aeronautics...

He can obviously say the words in the pattern, which is great, and he knows that you can use the words to relate to objects. Can he use one word per object and point as he counts? Does he know that the last number you say is the number of objects? As previously noted, the examples you gave were counting 10 objects, would he stop if he ran out of objects? And finally, if he counted and said "10", if you asked "how many?" would he count them again or would he know that there were 10? If he can do these things, then that's unusual, but it's not that unusual (although pretty good) to be able to say the words in order and know vaguely what they are for.

Unusual that he's so interested in sheep poo but agree with others it's great, encourage it, perhaps he'll be very good at maths.
Don't get too ahead of yourselves thinking he might be a child genius that's all.

My 15 month old can work the washing machine wow I'm 45 and still sometimes put it on the wrong setting.

Sounds pretty impressive and deffinatly something you should encourage! Have you tried asking him to go and find 3 blocks or 5 balls etc? If he can do that then he's very clever!!

Thank you everyone. I don’t think he’s a child genius or anything. I just know his dad is very good at maths (and physics and science in general) so I’m thinking he might be the same. He loves us reading books to him too
A couple of times there have been three or four objects and he’ll say the right number without counting them, but that could just be a fluke!
I’m going to ask him to get me three blocks tomorrow and see if he can do it

I didn't say that he should be doing all of that now!

I'm an slt, so to me, developing communication is important, obviously.

It's great that you are reading books to him OP and that he enjoys that with you.

It's never occurred to me to count how many words my 15 month has 😂 do you write them all down, 200 sounds an awful lot!

@Daftapath knew you were a SLT as soon as I read your words. Couldn't agree more with what you said (yes, I'm also a SLT).

Waves to Scorchio

My one year old granddaughter says Hiya name to her brother. Her cousin didn't start talking until he was 2 1/2 and less than a year later has an incredible vocabulary. All children develop different skills at different rates. Maybe your child is a mathematical genius , maybe not.

My eldest could count to 10 at that age, she said "happy birthday" to me before she was one and could sing whole nursery rhymes not long after her first birthday. Its unusual but not necessarily a marker of great things to come. Shes not stupid, far from it, but I dont think shes on track for genius status. And my youngest didn't speak any earlier than normal and he's just as bright as his sister.
Its lovely when they speak and count early - I have some great videos - but it's no more of an indicator of brilliance than walking early is of a future Olympian

Half of their 2 year olds have a Ph D by now

My 2 year old can headbutt me really hard and think it’s hilarious.

I remember ages ago I watched a documentary about how babies and toddlers learn Not only are babies and toddlers capable of learning a great deal more than most people think, they are capable of learning better and faster than older (over six years) children. However, there is a narrow window of opportunity to tap into this increased potential for learning, which most parents miss as they are terrified to teach their children for fear they will be "different" or "bored at school".
So much wasted potential.

My son grasped counting, walking and simple language at that age. Now he's a great grunter and has a lot of world records on a particular PS 4 game. So proud. He's nearly 18.

So proud.

So what did you do to foster your son's potential before he went to school?

Its unusual but not necessarily a marker of great things to come.

It won't be if it's left to the school. The window of opportunity to take advantage of early learning potential is birth to six years of age.

One of mine knew his letters really early, but could no do anything with them until 4.5

Hopefully yours will start to be able to understand more number concepts soon too.

He's definitely a genius

My nearly 4 yo cannot count past 10.
She doesn't give a shit.
She would rather make mud pies and be a princess.
She knows her name begins with P.

She's my 3rd child and does her own thing, she lives in her lovely little world and is quite happy with it.

My eldest had a wide vocabulary by 15m I remember writing it all down. She didn't go to school or do any formal education/learning until age 13 (her choice) She's now nearly 15 and very clever (no self esteem though and diagnosed with ASD at 11), just got a 2:1 at uni level assignment through school.

My middle one didn't say much til about 2 and is firmly in the average section I'd say, not keen on reading or writing at 6 but is developing a great love of minecraft.

Once he can count. You can try patterns: red blue red blue red blue etc
Or yellow yellow red, yellow yellow red.
This is a good and important stage in early years maths.

Then simple adding with things. Things should be the same. Eg oranges. (This is called concrete maths). You'll be surprised. He can probably add 3 and 4 and get 7, once he/she can count.
Try simple subtraction?
Counting in twos?

Only do above if he finds joy and delight in it. Don't force or insist or schedule it.
Best education is free and spontaneous and full of happiness.
Home schoolers take note

Otherwise whatever floats their boat. ☺