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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

What can your 3.5 yr old do? counting, writing name etc

100 replies

LoveMyGirls · 17/10/2006 11:22

im currently looking after a 3.5yr old, he is not in nursery so i want to do the best i possibly can for him, what kind of things should i expect him to be able to do by the time he goes to school next september?

so far he can

write his name (roughly, need more practice)
count to 10 on his own most of the time
count to 20 with help
very good at art, enjoys being creative, can draw a man with some prompting
once hes heard a story he can "read" it himself (make it up as he goes along with a rough storyline iyswim)

tia

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tortoiseshell · 17/10/2006 11:27

Dd is 3.2 and can
write her name
knows the alphabet phonically
can read about 20 words
can draw fairly representationally - can draw people, fish, spiders etc - so simple drawings
can retell stories
Count to 20

Things you could do are lots of painting - but don't necessarily expect him to paint anything specific, let him enjoy the feel of the paintbrush on the paper

playdough/lego - we make models then make stories out of them

if you want to help with reading, you can make a scrapbook - you could go for a walk somewhere, take lots of pictures of him 'with a pine cone', 'in the leaves' etc, then together stick them in a book, and get him to tell you about the picture, you then write that beside the picture, and you have a ready to read book!

Tbh, it sounds like he'll be fine at school. I would concentrate on social things like how to share with other children, how to take himself to the toilet and wash his hands etc, how to open a lunchbox, how to get dressed and undressed. And lots and lots of playing.

FillyjonkthePumpkinEater · 17/10/2006 11:29

my ds can't do any of these things really. Oh he can count, and loves drawing.

IMO he's fine, just let him play a lot

albatros · 17/10/2006 11:30

Tortoiseshell can your Dd play eye spy? my dd 2.3 knows some of her alphabet phontically but cannot relate it to the start of a word

albatros · 17/10/2006 11:32

Sorry Lovemygirls my dd2 can count to 15 and needs help after this she can write the first letter of her name but can recognise her name when it is written down. She draws people with heads arms and legs but no body and she is currently drawing a monster, she has started to colour in really neatly (coping her older sister)

Ladymuck · 17/10/2006 11:51

Tbh I would concentrate on some of the other skills - reception in particular is more than just counting and learing to read. Turn-taking, putting on and off coats and shoes, and eating lunch self-sufficiently are going to make more of a difference.

Original poster

LoveMyGirls · 17/10/2006 11:52

thansk everyone, i just don't want to hold him back i do let him play and when hes being creative i let him get on with but do prompt if i see he needs a gentle guide. i believe children learn alot through play and making it all fun is the best way to make it stick in their early memory.

we go to 4 toddler groups a week to get him interacting with other/ different children and i have 2 of my own but dd1 is now 7 so i cant remember exactly what she could/ couldnt do at that age and my dd2 has only just turned 1. Im learning as i go but i dont want it to be at the expense of children in my care.

OP posts:

NastyNemo666 · 17/10/2006 11:55

DS was 3 last tues and he can
write some letters
draw a few shapes
count to 40 do adding and taking away
make up stories/role play a lot
read a few words especially family memebers names and basics like cat dog, yes no etc.
Can say a word then guess 90% of the time what letter it starts with.

Original poster

LoveMyGirls · 17/10/2006 11:56

yes he can put his own shoes, clothes on and off, he can wash his own hands although he tries to wet them, have soap on and then wash it straight off without doing anything with it but we're getting there. he is slow with eating but is doing it on his own. sitting still on his chair is a bit of an issue at the moment as he insists on turning round on his chair/ standing on his chair with a mouthful of food (getting it everywhere) so im repeating "please sit down on the chair properly, turn around and sit on your bottom" about 50 times a day.

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Original poster

LoveMyGirls · 17/10/2006 12:04

THANKs, YOU ARE ALL GIVING ME IDEAS THAT I CAN PUT INTO PRACTIce with him this afternoon as i really want him to be as ready as he can be. (oops)

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mymama · 17/10/2006 12:05

at what some of these children can do. My ds is 3 and can

draw a circle
count to 10 with help on no. 8
recognises his name
colours in lines most of time
can charm the pants of anybody

can't draw anything or write any letters. Doesn't say alphabet or anything. oh well, he can always charm his way through.

Socci · 17/10/2006 12:07

Message withdrawn

FrannyandZooey · 17/10/2006 12:08

My ds can't do any of those things, LMG

Oh he can maybe count to 10.

I would relax and let him play and benefit from your time. Have fun together. He'll be made to sit down and write for large parts of the day soon enough, meanwhile just let him enjoy playdough, sand, water, physical games, singing, bashing instruments, etc

NastyNemo666 · 17/10/2006 12:09

Socci we have been told that..however his speech pronunciation is at the level of a just 2 yr old so we are waiting for a assessment to be done. Have been told it is possibly because he has so much info he wants to get out his pronunciation suffers for it.

nutcracker · 17/10/2006 12:13

My Ds is 4 in december and tbh he can't really do any of those things. He can count but often gets it wrong. He knows his colours and could tell you 101 things about Spiderman

NastyNemo666 · 17/10/2006 12:18

lol; nutty then he would be Ds idol he loves spiderman.. However think superman tops the bill for him.

Gobbledispook · 17/10/2006 12:21

Ds2 is 4 in November. Along the lines of what you have here, he can:

Count up to about 30
Knows all his colours and 2D shapes (including pentagon, hexagon, octagon but only because we've been doing these with ds1 who is in year 1!)
Knows most letters of alphabet (again, ds1 teaching him these mostly)
Write his name (first and surname) but needs practice as he swaps between using left and right hand!
Write all the numbers up to 10
Draw circle, triangle, square and can make a good attempt at a house
Draw a face
Recognises his written name and names of family and nursery friends
Recognises letters in words that are also in his name or names of his friends (i.e. he'll point to 'N' and say 'that's what Nathan's name begins with'

Can undress and dress himself (when he wants to )
Can feed himself, go to the toilet by himself
Follow instructions, is quite compliant

He can also:
Count up to 10 in Spanish, knows all his colours in Spanish and can sing songs and do some basic conversational Spanish too.

Also has a bizarre talent for 'car spotting' - he can point out cars that are exactly the same as all family members and his friends! He's always spot on - it's the exact car, not one that is similar!

Agree with others taht the social skills and being able to dress etc that will be more important in reception.

blueshoes · 17/10/2006 12:37

LMG, your ds sounds like he is absolutely fine. My dd goes to FT nursery so I have some basis for comparison with nursery-attending children. I am impressed with a lot of the skills on this thread - Advanced IMO! Agree that play is the most important at this stage.

Original poster

LoveMyGirls · 17/10/2006 12:53

im his childminder, if i was his mum i wouldn't be concerned as imo he's doing ok but i don't want him to fall behind because i "thought" he was doing ok iyswim. With my own children i let them develope at their own rate, my dd1 went to nursery from age 2.5yrs so i missed all this with her.

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Jaynerae · 17/10/2006 13:08

Lovemygirls - what a wonderfully caring childminder you are! How fantastic it is to see that you care that your mindee doesn't miss out on anything he should be able to do. My DD is 3 (just) and is with a childminder (who is also fantastic). I think your mindee and his mum are lucky to have you. Well done you.

DumbledoresGirl · 17/10/2006 13:14

Ds3 is 3.8 and I am beginning to think he really is a bit backward!

He can count roughly to 10 - not reliable.
He is learning to read numbers up to 10 - he probably knows them all now.
He knows shapes etc and beginning to understand a bit about time (eg he knows the position of the hands at 3 o'clock and knows that is when we fetch the others from school)
he is good at puzzles - can do 60 pieces puzzles - that is probably his best achievement!

In terms of writing/ reading/ drawing:
He is beginning to ask what some letters are and knows some sounds, not many though
He can recognise his name
He draws scribbles - not recognisable

He cannot write at all!

Piffle · 17/10/2006 13:14

DD is 4 on sunday
Cannot write draw any shape or letter.

But she knows all her alphabet names and phonics, is starting to read.

Can count up to a hundred and beyond (due to ehr yr8 boffin maths brother)

she can do basic addition and subtraction using fingers or objects - infact seems number obsessed as ds was.
colours, shapes,
And she seems to be able to tell the time which I have no idea how she has learned that at all..

dd is just starting to dig role play games, playing house, playmobil sort of thing. She also loves to bake.

lucycat · 17/10/2006 13:17

My dd is 3.4
she recognises her own name but can't write it - being a lefty seems to hinder her pencil control.
Can colour 'in the lines'
Can count to 10
knows all shapes and colours
Draw a 'person' and a cat - sometimes interchangeable.
loves playing role play
She is kind, thoughtful and empathetic and very funny!

Can climb trees/climbing frames
Can swim - almost
can ride a bike - almost

Can't you tell where her talents lie?

Then again dd1 didn't know all her letters when she started school and is now reading The secret Seven with ease, she's 6.4.

lucycat · 17/10/2006 13:19

Dumbledores girl - your ds sounds lovely.

I'd much rather dd2 developed her social skills at the moment as those are what are going to get her through nursery and the early days at school, not whether he/she can write.

Zippetydoodahzippetyday · 17/10/2006 13:22

My DS is 4.5 and unfortunately he still cannot write his name yet he is left handed also but just doesn't have the interest or the patience to sit down and write.

He loves stories being read to him but cannot read or recognise letters.

He can count to 50 though and recognises numbers very well.

Original poster

LoveMyGirls · 17/10/2006 13:37

Thanks Jay - i know he will make a brilliant actor one day as he's forever throwing himself on the floor and pretending to be dead...........hummmmmmmmmm i think more creative then academic

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