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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

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

arfishymeau · 17/10/2006 23:59

DD is 3.10 and can:

Count 100 (although sometimes does thirty-twelve, thirty-thirteen etc)
Count backwards from 12
Write her name
Read about 10 words, and is just starting to link sounds together to read properly
Knows all her starting letters and can do the alphabet phonetically and normally
Count to 10 in Italian and Spanish
Do basic adding and taking-away
Draw a stick figure with appropriate features
Naviate her way around abc kids and cbeebies websites on her own (choosing links, closing windows, clicking on 'go' etc) and type her name in

She's getting cross that she can't read, but she's shortlisted at a school that teaches reading in a very specific way, so I don't really want to interfere and maybe do more harm than good.

She does a lot of this spontaneously. I only realised she could do subtracting over the weekend. She also just started to write letters after seeing them written down.

She's only been talking for about 14 months though and isn't as mature emotionally as a lot of her friends. She refuses to dress herself and needs constant attention. She gets up between 4.30 and 5.30 every day and it's taken years to sort out bedtime.

So, swings and roundabouts really. I think I'd rather have a child who sleeps, dresses herself and can play by herself than one who does this stuff.

colditz · 18/10/2006 00:07

Can lose an entire, yes ENTIRE jigsaw in an afternoon.

Flutter his eyelashes in Woolworths

Sing his teacher's name to the tune of 'Twinkle Twinkle'

Clutch his privates and jump on the spot simultaniously when he is excited about something

Make police cars from almost any medium (mud, lego, wallpaper)

Open my makeup bag silently and decorate the fridge with liquid eyeliner

'Read' a shopping list. We need cheese, bananas, chocolate milk, and crisps. Always.

Laugh like Muttley

willowcatkin · 18/10/2006 00:13

throckenholt · 18/10/2006 08:24

I am amzed at what some of your kids can do. My 3 (3.75 DS twins and 5.25 DS1) are all bright intelligent kids - but no way could/can they do half of the things mentioned here.

My philosophy is let them do what they enjoy - time enough to do all the academic stuff at school. (DH and I both have PhD's so chances are they might excel at academic stuff - but if I were to write a list of what they can do now they would seem really slow compared to most of the others mentioned ).

FillyjonkthePumpkinEater · 18/10/2006 08:38

oh ok ok, will stop being so modest about filly boy. He can do all sorts of things, really, I suppose.

He can

appreciate shakespeare and various other writers, though we often have disagreements about whether salingers so called genius resulted from a seredipidous production of angsty novels at a time when america was in the grip of an unusually analytical consciousness, or whether he was, in fact, a very good writer. He has also writen two books.

knows pi to 400 decimal places

Has shown sucessfully that Heinsenberg's uncertainty principle resulted from Heisenberg not being all that bright.

Speaks 14 languages fluently

Has designed a range of knitwear.

so I suppose he can do a few things

cocopopshater · 18/10/2006 08:55

Well dd2 is coming up to 3, and most of her speech is still babbling, though when strongly moved, she can say words clearly.

Am I worried? No. I have a lot of confidence in her.

Appreciate that LoveMyGirls isnt boasting about her own child, but actually, I think what you said in your OP is very advanced for 3.5, LMG. He sounds fine for school.

FrannyandZooey · 18/10/2006 19:51

Well Filly, if my son hadn't grasped the basics of critical theory re: Salinger yet, I would feel slightly worried too. Perhaps your concerns are valid after all.

fubsy · 18/10/2006 20:05

Filly, where can I buy your sons knitwear?

Seriously, doesnt this just show how differently children develop? And how important it is to look at what you really like about your children? When I talk to parents whose children are being assessed for various special needs, I often ask them what is really good about their children. And some of them cant think of anything. Sad eh?

FillyjonkthePumpkinEater · 18/10/2006 20:12

oh, all major department stores, fubsy

fran, my concern is this, when he strops becuase of said disagreement, should it be the naughty step or a time out? I know you are hot on this sort of thing.

FrannyandZooey · 18/10/2006 20:16

harpsichordcarrion · 18/10/2006 20:19

fgs filly, just smack him.
honestly, otherwise how will he ever learn?

FrannyandZooey · 18/10/2006 20:29

Look shall I get my ds to have a word with him? I oftef find that peer group pressure is really the most effective means of making progress, when it comes to appreciation of reclusive novella writers

harpsichordcarrion · 18/10/2006 20:34

or, failing that, lock him in the cellar with only a JEffrey Archer "book" for a while

rarrie · 18/10/2006 23:09

Tbh, I think a lot of what children can do at this age depends a lot on what you do with them.

My DD is not three until next month, but can already tell the time with the O'clocks and is making progress with the half pasts - but then I enjoy reading books with her and her fave book is a clock one! However, she is the only girl in her dance class who cannot hop properly and she has zero ability to kick a ball in a straight line. Also, she can trace her name well but she cannot draw a face or do anything other than a squiggle. But guess what, I was the nerdy kid who was always the last one to be picked for PE and have absolutley no ability to draw whatsoever, so its no surprise really!

Give me free time with my daughter, I'm far more inclined to read a book or do some writing (I'm quite booky myself!) or do a jigsaw puzzle with her - and as a result she can already do 24 pieces by herself and 35 with help... but I don't spend time kicking balls around or doing all that much painting, and guess what, she's rubbish at it! I'm not saying my child is a genius, just a nerd like me!

motherinferior · 18/10/2006 23:13

I have no sodding idea what DD2 can and can't do - I mean I have a general idea but I don't exactly monitor her (and that's not just because she's in childcare four days a week). I expect she can't do most of the things other people's three year olds can apparently do. I'm quite sure she'll be able to do all of them in a few years' time. She appears to be utterly charming, beautiful, strong-minded and really quite bright in my obviously besotted maternal opinion. She'll do.

Kittypickle · 18/10/2006 23:18

Can some of them hop ? Now that really worries me, though it shouldn't as his big sister has motor skills problems. They can't all hop can they ? Ooooo, I'm not so chilled out about all this as I thought I was !!

Piffle · 18/10/2006 23:22

I'm a bit like MI, so infatuated with her loveliness that what she can and can't do, does not occupy my mind as perhaps it should.
We spend a lot of time reading books, she adores books, so no surprise most of her skills are in that area, but for us it's just fun mum and dd time.

Piffle · 18/10/2006 23:23

not infatuated with MI's loveliness, although I'm sure she is fragrant and elegance personified, I did actually mean my delicious daughter

FredBassett · 18/10/2006 23:27

DS2 is almost 3 and is doing okay developmentally (although having major potty training/sleep issues)he loves colouring, playing etc... but one weird thing he has done for a while is count from 10 backwards really fast, I'm not sure where he picked it up from but he loves numbers and I must admit, I was pretty impressed when he started doing this! Kids are weird aren't they?

arfishymeau · 19/10/2006 14:01

Ooh yes. Hopping. A critical developmental point. I'm relieved to announce that DD mastered it at 3.8.

She picked it up much faster after I hot-housed her with a trampoline.

expatinscotland · 19/10/2006 14:14

DD1, age 3.4, and I often discuss Descartes, after she's finished her algebra lesson.

She moved straight from hopping to ballet en pointe.

Her father's birthday was yesterday and she gave him a star chart.

But I'm a bit concerned that she's not mastered the concept of pi yet, as has Fillyjonk's child.

She's probably destined to a life of serfdom as a result.

expatinscotland · 19/10/2006 14:23

Left-handed = slow to write.

LOL!

I'm left-haded.

I was also one of those 'G&T' people.

What a joke!

I've been nothing but 'unsuccessful' according to the middle-class definition.

Good thing I never gave a fat rat's arse about much!

I'm living proof as to why people who rabbit on about how 'advanced' their kids are are beyond a joke.

hotandbothered · 19/10/2006 15:01

Think I'm a typical teacher - too laid back when it comes to my own child! Haven't really done much academic stuff with dd - there's years of it ahead of her at school... But we have a lovely time together, going out collecting stuff, baking, painting, socialising (she is so good-natured with her friends), making things, etc. I am trying to encourage independence doing things though as in my experience at school that holds children back more than not knowing how to write their name! Many kids who come in able to write etc go mad at school when they get the opportunity to play.They aren't fussed about working as they feel that was what they did at home.
Without pressure tho' my 3.3 dd can count to 20, recognise her name, knows most 2D shapes, beginning to read 3 letter words. Bit garbled, sorry!

GoingQuietlyMad · 19/10/2006 16:01

I'm trying to word this carefully, to avoid offending anyone.

Aren't these skills a direct result of what you teach them, rather than a sign of intelligence? Although I accept that whether they pick things up easily or not could be an early sign of intelligence, isn't it true that what they know depends on how much effort you put into coaching them?

And I not suggesting there is anything wrong with it - I am very happy for those that are have enjoyed teaching them these things.

This post is really aimed at anyone whose dc's haven't been taught these particular skills and who are worrying about that now.

expatinscotland · 19/10/2006 16:02

Quite, GQM, just don't say that too loudly .

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