At what age to toddlers start to recognise and point out numbers? Because....

[ilikeyoursleeves]

...my sister asked if my DS (1.5 years) can press certain numbers on the phone if I ask him to, and I said 'no he is only 1.5 years old!' to which she replied that her 7 month old DD can do it when asked to (ie to point out number 1, 2 etc on the phone)!

Is she talking crap or is my DS way too slow????!!! (I know what option I'm going for but just wanted to check!)

7 months ?!!! Haven't they just learnt to sit up unaided by then? If they don't have the ability to do gross motor skills like crawling (as most don't until about 8 months?) then they certainly won't have the fine motor skills needed to press individual buttons.

3.1 year old dd often recognises the numbers up to ten, but certainly couldn't enter them into my phone.

DS coming up 21 months and knows 1 to 10 and most letters. It takes an age to walk down the street, looking at house numbers and car registrations . But 7 months I find hard to believe. I agree with the others - ask for a demo! And smugly cite the latest research on doing more playing and less academic stuff!

I think it's luck if she's pointed to the numbers when asked. Blimey, if either of my kids had done this, I'd have taken them to MENSA

Don't be too hard on her - she is probably sub-consiously leading her DS.

DS1 is a Thomas obsessive, so could recognise numbers from about 22mo or so (from spending so much time playing with the engines!)

Ds was 13 months, he's always been a very bright lad. Don't hate me

I've never heard of a 7 month old doing this though.

I apparently did this at 18 months, ds was doing it just after he turned 2, but he has some mild ASD traits so it could well be something to do with that.. I was just weirdly precocious with reading skills, am no genius now!!

fluffy - 13 months is easily believable 7 months isn't.

Ds2 recognised numbers and letters super-early, but has an asc too, kettlechip. Does go together sometimes.

But even he wasn't 7 months

She needs to video it and post it on you-tube.

I think you are probably in for a lifetime of what this amazing DC can do! I would resolve to not get upset by it-just feel sorry for her DC!

Noooo

People believe all sorts of their firstborns though. I know I did. Possibly still do.

You know, early ability is very seldom an indicator of future prowess, IME. Because a lot of these tricks are one-shot things. You learn to count. Great. Doesn't much matter if you do that at 2 (can just about believe a 2 yo might manage counting without cueing) or at 6. Once you can do it you can do it. Ditto reading and all the rest. Counting and reciting letters and so on are really memory jobs for a lot of young kids, they often don't show any real understanding, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5," is like saying "the wheels on the bus go round and round" to them. Except nursery rhymes probably have more educational value.

Don't forget too that kids who aren't doing these tricks are not sitting around staring into space. They are learning other things which often allow them to shoot into the lead (lol) in the future.

Also, you know, mothers quite often lie about their offspring's abilities.