DS started school this September & I'm worried that I've not been nurturing his academic learning enough.
I think he's very intelligent, articulate, and has an insane vocab for his age, but I've never really pushed him with reading, maths, writing. We play and talk and he helps me with chores, he loves documentaries & has very specific areas of interest. He can tell you every fact there is to know about Sea Creatures, Planets/Space, Insects and has an amazing understanding of scientific stuff.
But I assumed he'd start off learning slowly at school, I was a bit worried when the other parents were telling me their kids could already read fluently and write, etc.
We've always read ALOT and he remembers stories and 'reads' them to me (not really reading but just memorized the story).
But this week, he's started to come home with reading books, and they are so advanced, I was convinced they were expecting too much of him - he doesn't even know his alphabet - he couldn't do the A-Z song for instance. But he can sound the words out, which I had no idea he could do!
Apparently, he's also very good at maths, I know he knows how to count, but he can add & subtract and other more complicated things.
I feel like a bit of a shit Mom that I had no idea my kid could do these things. It's not that I ever thought he wasn't smart, I know he's a clever chap in that he has a lot of knowledge, but I didn't think he could apply it yet.
So, now that I know that he is capable, should I be pushing him more? Instead of playing random things, should I be getting him to practice writing and doing textbook stuff?
I really don't know.