dd 3.6 - letters, numbers etc

[rhetorician]

I assume that there is no reason to be concerned that my dd isn't really interested in letters and numbers - she knows quite a few letters, but we haven't pushed it. We don't do much to teach them to her, it's true, mainly because she doesn't seem to be interested. I guess she will catch up when she is ready to learn them?

reassurance, I suppose. I guess I wasn't expecting to have a not very academic child - many of my friends would value such things highly, so I keep being asked if she is 'clever', to which my answer is generally that I think it is too early to tell. Am just wondering if this is in fact true!

There seems to be huge variation at this age. Ds is 3.9 and thanks to jigsaws, toy laptop, and CBeebies Alphablocks and Numberjackd etc is practically reading. However he has zero interest in throwing or kicking a ball, and sadly CBeebies are yet to make a riveting series on How To Get Dressed or Wiping Your Bottom... if only they would!

She'll get a bit interested when school or nursery do letters, I'm sure.

They don't need to know any at all before school. Don't worry x
If she does want to learn some letter, make sure you teach the phonic sound of the letter, rather than the latter name.

Don't worry too much.

All the schools I've seen whilst choosing for DD have said the more important stuff is being able to go to the toilet, dress/undress unaided, etc. They can teach the rest.

she'll be 4.9 when she starts school which is a long way away in toddler terms; I also think that she has had to work quite hard at social skills (she is shy, by nature) and that has taken up most of her energy/attention. It's probably better than spending the first year of school bored...she can dress herself (sort of), but is quite advanced in Bottom Wiping Thanks - needed to know that I was being silly

Just because she isn't incredibly interested in letters/numbers at 3 doesn't determine if she will be academic or not!
DS1 was reading Harry Potter by the time he was 5 (taught himself to read when he was 2).
DS2 on the other hand had no interest in letters until he was 4.7 (the summer half term before he started school). Within 6 weeks learnt loads of phonics. And now in reception is classed as gifted and talented in Literacy and Maths. I had always assumed he was quite dim . DS1 has never been on the G&T list - he is clever but doesn't excel in the school environment..