Can your 2.9 year old recognise all letters, numbers etc??

[Girlsville]

Shoudl I be worried that DD1 (PFB) doesn't know all her letters, and although she can count to 20, doesn't recognise numbers yet??All around me competitive friends who have chidlren of similar ages are proudly shouting about all the counting, reading, writinge etc that theri dc can do and its making me panic!.

DD1 loves colouring but is still doing random sqiuiggles and can't colour between the lines, although she does like to attempt to draw pictures of animals (which actually bear no resembalnce to animals). I thought the things which she should be learning now werre things like how to get dressed etc ie life skills rather than literacy and numeracy but it seems others think differently!

No she can't! Don't be so bloody daft!

DD had no idea about letters or numbers at that age. She's now at Secondary School, in top set for maths and amazing at creative writing. Relax!

No don't worry.

Most of the competitive shouting will be hugely exaggerated. One mum in our group bragged about her dd knowing all her letters. What her dd actually knew was how to recite the abc song like any other nursery rhyme. Nothing more.

My dd at 3.10 can't even do that and she's verbally advanced.

Don't stress. Seriously.

absolutely not, DS is 3.3 and can count to 20, probably could do to 10 at that 2.9. Took him AGES to get colours and just now can recognise the the 3 letters of his name and ABC but that's it (and he's been at pre-school for over a year). Your friends are either lying or all have prodigies! He can't draw AT ALL, just scribbles and can't do puzzles. They all do things at their own pace - and he can't dress himself yet either, just about pulling up pant and trousers. Please don't stress about this, its a poisonous competition that does nothing but make people feel bad x

Lots and lots of children, infact the majority, of children start school not knowing all their letters and numbers.

And some go to school being able to chant or sing the alphabet - but this is not going to help them at school much where the focus is always on letter sounds.

Bonkers DS has a massive vocabulary and is nearly 4. He recognises the first letter of his name and his name. That's it. Can count to 20 ish but goes wonky at 13.

Doesn't know letters or written numbers. I'm not worried

No.

phew! noidea why people felel the need to brag so outrageously!!!

OTOH he can tell you why giraffes have long necks and pontificate on who would win in a fight between a stegosaurus and a rhinocerous. So clearly a genius

Thanks all (dd is PFB as you can tell)

I'm with you, potty-training, sharing, getting dressed, counting. Much more important plus it's not a race!

My just 4 yr old has only just started doing flowers and stick men.... She knows the letters in her name - she knows the letters that words start with as dd1 is learning them ( we start school later over here). She can recognise some numbers....

A friend of mine was proudly telling us how her son 2.9 knows all the numbers to 20. What he can do is say them in order, much like singing a song. Another friend told me how her son, also 2.9, can spell. What he can do is recognise the letters M and S in Marks & Spencer window. Take with a big pinch of salt what people tell you. In many Scandinavian countries kids don't learn to read until they're 7 or 8, yet they come near the top in international educational tests later on.

At 2.9 I wouldn't expect them to know anything like that.

DS could "count" to 10 by 18 months but all he was doing was reciting the number he had no idea what the meant. He is 3 now and can understand the numbers and recognise them written down but thats only because he has always liked numbers for some reason.

The only letters he vaguely knows are those in his name.

My 5 year old doesn't even know all her letters yet! She has no special needs, just normal with a non pushy (read exhausted) parent!

no, DS2 is 2.9 and can count to 18, he does also understand the concept of counting, but that is it. I have no idea whether he knows any letters as I've never asked him. He knows his colours but isn't at all reliable in getting them right.

I was like you are with DS1 and stressed that he was not as advanced as he should be. He was fine

In answer to your quesion, my DD is 2.9. She can read numbers up to ten, count verbally to 25 and can recognise all the letters of the alphabet regardless of order or context. She has been able to read numbers and letters since she just turned 2 so around 23 months.

However, she CAN'T read numbers beyond ten or count physical items further than ten. Apart from reading her name she seems disinterested in putting letters and sounds together and she can't write anything apart from copying or tracing her name, nor can she colour between lines and most of her drawing apart from faces is unrecognisable!

I don't believe she is a prodigy at all.

So it perfectly possible that some of these mums are not lying, however I don't think ALL of their children are prodigies. Kids develop at all different rates. What is obvious is that they are competitive boasting and making you feel uncomfortable. They may well be exaggerating as well.

I know a mum like this whose child had an amazing vocab when she was just 18 months old and my child was barely saying anything. Both parents used to point the differences out between them in a very obvious manner, and I think they were and still are convinced their daughter is a genius because of this despite the fact her peers inc my dd have now caught up with her and are just as vocal.

Nah. At 3.9 she can do those things and more, but she is way ahead of where DC1 was at that age. And he is fine at school.

Dd knows number 4 and number 2. Everything else is number 8 my friend has taught her two year old all letters but only capitals which seems a bit pointless to me! Dd does know shapes and colours but that's mainly down to the fab Melissa & Doug puzzles we have I highly recommend then they're her favourite and you can show off to your friends

This remindd me of a time a friend was bragging while out about her genius 2yo who, when we all turned to look at her, was licking the table

DD1 knew all letters and numbers written down at 2 could spell, read and add up before school

DD2 is two now. She is non verbal so can't say any numbers or letters she just babbles.

They all pick it up in the end

I don't think that learning letters and numbers at 2.9 is all that important. It is quite easy to hot house your toddler to do all the things you mention.

Life should be fun during the early years. Developing good speech, toilet training, social skills are a bigger priority. It is far easier to teach a four year old letters than a two year old. Unless there is an issue like dyslexia most children learn to read during reception.

God yes Really, I have neither the time nor inclination to hot house my DC. I can see though that children are all different. One boy in DS1's class was readly freely by reception. His parents were far from hot housing types and he was/is a very able natural reader. I was actually when I first heard him

I don't understand how people can say stuff like 'my child is a genius' in public, unless of course they actually are! It makes me cringe inwardly. My neighbour is always going on about how her daughter is 'soo advanced for her age'. She is a normal bright toddler!