What should I be doing with a 3 year old at home?

[dinny]

In terms of learning letters/numbers etc, to help her at nursery (she has just turned 3). I read to her all the time, do colouring, some Galt workbooks, talk about numbers, letters, colours, days, seasons...everything really. Any suggestions for any sit-down activities I could be doing with her? Thanks Dinny

Hello Dinny, My DD is 3 tommorrow - yours didn't wake you up at this unearly hour did she??
My DD loves copying letters - she wrote 'to grandma' and signed her name on mum's birthday card by watching me write the letters on a piece of paper. I started teching DD using letterland books and the 'dotty letters' for DD to practice forming the shapes.
letterland
dotty letters

We also have magnetic letters and a board which she loves playing with.

I don't want to force DD to learn, I think learning through play is best when they are 3, and if DD gets bored or doesn't want to do something we move on to something that is just fun (like yesterday when we chased the dog round the garden blowing bubbles!!)

My twin girls are 4 on the 31st August and start full time School the next day!!!

They go to Pre School and do olots of numbers, letter etc there.

I have tried to do lots of fun things, taken them to indoor play areas, parks, toddler groups etc so they can mix with others.

Of course there is no harm buying a few books were it helps you do letters and counting etc

I do these sometimes and they enjoy them. I just don't do it everyday

I really wouldnt worry about doing too much, she will do enough 'learning' stuff at Nursey.

It sounds like you are doing enough, well done!!!!!!

no, gingerbear, my 10-month-old did
thanks for the advice - wow, your dd is doing well. my dd does dotty letters at nursery. worried as have done not much with her at home (mainly due to ds's arrival)

are you two bears related?

I know that you've asked about letters/numbers etc, but ds's schools requests that their main priority for pre-school learning is

• that they can dress themselves as far as possible, but especially shoes and coats
• that they can take turns
• that they can toilet independently
• that they can use a knife and fork

For the pre-reading and maths skills they recommend

• teaching them colours and shapes (using books/pegboards/shape sorters
• using as many nursery rhymes as possible
• teaching the children to count, but to also count our things (eg counting out apples or sweets, not just reciting a list of numbers)

thanks, Ladymuck - very helpful at dd's nursery she is already learning to write name and I feel it's quite young (she is 3 and 1 month). don't want to push her but equally I want to help her keep up.