Shapes and Colours

[Weegle]

I've tried to word this about 10 times but however I write it, it sounds like I'm looking for "oh wow that's young" and I'm genuinely not, I'm just interested if this is early and I'm too scared to ask my mum friends in case they think the above of me... so here goes...

At what age are kids generally able to identify shapes and colours?

And I do realise that even if my DS is early it means nothing in terms of future intelligence, but it will give me a glimmer of hope that behind his loopy tendencies might be hiding a brain of sorts

Even if you are after praise for your DS you shouldn't feel embarrassed. I keep looking for hints that the my DS - 17 months - is the next ' Beckham / Da Vinci /Shakespeare/ johnny depp' - would make the current biting, stratching, hair pulling etc worthwhile . At moment he may just be the next Hannnibal Lecter.

Seriously though I think they can sort things by colour and/or shape at 18 months on. My DS has just started to do this now.

thank you! he's not that young then - he's 21 months but he just freaked me out last week by pointing out loads of shapes in different settings and this week he's been bringing me blocks telling me their different colours. He's just picked these things up and it's surprised me! DH nearly choked when he heard DS say "hexagon"!

Wow ; hexagon - now that is impressive- it does sound advanced to me. My nephew is 3 and is just learning more complex shapes now.

My ds was 14 months. He could also name all of the letters of the alphabet and read them out of sequence. By 15 months he could name all of the Mr Men out of sequence. As a sign of things to come, he could read at 3 and a half, he's 8 now and is 2 years ahead of his peers. I hope this helps.

DS knew his shapes before he could talk - at around 16 or 17 months he could point to a circle, triangle, square, rectangle, diamond. Then at 18 months circle and rectangle ('recticle') were two of his first words. It seemed to take people by suprise when he pointed out a 'circle' so I guess it was earlyish. Now at 20 months he can name lots of letters and a few numbers. I think he's just good at shapes. He doesn't get colours though - all cars are 'red cars' and all stars are 'gold stars' and everything else is purple.

what I don't get is that your DS didn't learn the word hexagon by himself. You must have repeated it to him! Don't act suprised if you are teaching these things to your children very young and they learn it!!! That always makes me laugh...

when my ds was v young, must have been 24 months or so, he made a friend gulp on her tea when he went up to her and said very seriously "I must tell you, petrol is inflammable".

It's just cute when they learn stuff when they're little dots, isn't it

Enjoy it and celebrate it I say, yes your little one is a bright spark and they're doing well to identify hexagon at this age

BlueberryPancake - I didn't! But he does go to nursery with bigger children, and various groups, so maybe he picked it up there - he said it in the context of a sticker picture we were doing and has repeated it since. Glad your assumption of me made you laugh though

Thanks everyone, I really am just genuinely intrigued by their little minds and what they pick up and what they choose to claim ignorance over

It's funny really, we are amazed that they can recognise shapes like circles, hexagons, etc., yet expect them all to be able to spot animals which are much more complicated.

I couldn't understand how DS could recognise dogs, rabbits etc., when you get toy ones, cartoon ones, real ones, all the different breeds and colours; yet most toddlers can recognise a cat and dog of almost any style. And elephants, monkeys etc.

Even before they can speak or know the words, they can recognise a lot of shapes.

very true choppypig - hadn't looked at it that way but animals in their different forms are much more complex and most toddler's first words seem to be animal sounds.

choccypig even, sorry

My DD is 17 months and has known some shapes for about 2 months. She isn't so great at pronouncing them but can recognise them. But she is a strange child who goes around constantly naming everything in sight!!

Her first two were "heart" and "star" she had a wonderful time around valentine's day shouting "heart heart" all the time!

To avoid sounding like I am showing off I must point out she cant walk yet

My ds has a shape sorter which has a hexagon, pentagon and trapezium in it, he's had it since about 12 months. Consequently, once he started talking he would attempt to say "geckagon" and "peewee". He's being saying "purple" and "yellow" for ages too, but has only recently got the hang of red and blue!

I guess she knows a kite shape too, she keeps pointing at a diamond shape on my top and saying "kite", don't know where she got that from!

Note to BlueberryPancake - she spends time every week with other relatives so I am allowed to "act surprised" that she knows it!