Any good websites or books for helping preschoolers?

[rarrie]

Help needed please! My DD (2 years 9 months) is a real little bookworm, and I'm starting to feel out of my depth in how to help her best. She asks to do things, and I'm not always sure the correct method we should be doing things - I don't want to teach her stuff that is wrong, or do anything that will confuse her, but at the same time I don't want to quash her enthusiasm. A couple of examples...

She has just learnt to tell the time (as in she can read the O'clocks only) and we're thinking of introducing half pasts etc but I don't know the best way to go about doing these things. I have not actively taught her the O'clocks - she's just kind of picked it up from the books we have been reading (oh and lots of watching Tikkabilla!) But now she is asking and I'm like Oh heck, how do I show her this ???

But my real concern is about her learning to recognise letters. She has been asking so we bought her a jolly phonics book - she loves it and is now asking for book two, but I'm not convinced she is ready because she still sometimes confuses p and t and a and i. So at the moment I have said no but is this the right thing? She is veyr nearly there but should she be able to blend the words together before I let her look at the second book, or is that beyond the skills of a child who is not yet three? On the one hand I don't want to quash her enthusiasm, but on the other I don't want her to get confused. Part of me thinks she is too young for proper reading and we should just stick to letter recognition, but I'm not sure what to do for the best.

I'm sure there are much wiser mums who have been there and done that with their little ones, and could point me in the direction of a few good books / websites which might help me decide what to do with her.

Thanks in advance

Not sure I'm wiser but I certainly sympathise!
My DD1 (20 months) is just like this, she wants 2 know everything!

She picks stuff up without being taught and is already doing letter recognition for letters in words she knows.

I have just invested in 2 books 'Brain games for preschoolers' and 'Helping your child to succeed'.

Terrible titles perfectly aimed at pushy parents (which I'm just not! In fact In fact I'm quite scared by the prospect of teaching her)

However when u open them they are both more about exposing children to the right sort of things so they learn naturally and at their own pace, through everyday experiences and activites.

As far as Jolly Phonics goes I used to use these when teach dyslexic youngsters and found that if you wait for them to have all the knowledge secure before moving on they tend to be bored of the subject by then. (Don't know if this applies 2 preschoolers or not) U can always put it away if you feel it is confusing her, she may suprise you.

Let me know how it goes I may be in this position soon.

HTH
S x

FWIW, my Dad taught me to read basic three letter words when I was just 3, and I loved it (am no genius now, everyone else caught up later - it was just my favourite thing as a young child). I already knew the alphabet, just wanted to be shown how to put it together. Felt like the key to a kingdom, because I loved books - so no, not necessarily too young.
I don't know what I'd do either, but probably follow her lead...if its too much for her, you'll be able to tell: she'll probably change the subject or act bored!