any tips - teaching a lively three year old

[tjamaoe]

My three-year-old DS is lovely and very lively. Have been trying to teach him things like numbers/letters etc but he just doesn't want to sit still and listen. Everyone else's kids seem to love doing puzzles, worksheets, are interested in letters and stuff but not this one. He loves to run around, play with his friends, chatting to us and being read to. Does anyone have any successful strategies for getting info into lively kids who wont sit still?

He sounds like my 3 year old, she won't sit and do puzzles or worksheets ive managed to get her counting by jumping up and down stairs and shouting the number as loud as she can. I have headache constantly but it's her fun way of learning. She will try the alphabet too but skips to X Y Z then runs round pretending to be a bee 😂🤣

Do it whilst they are playing. That's what 3 yo should be doing, not sitting doing worksheets!!

Read lots of books with him if that's what he likes. Get him to find things in the pictures. Maybe he could find words beginning with teh same letter as his name but no need to go further than that.

Count with him - number of steps taken, as you go up stairs, as you serve dinner the number of pieces of carrot, lego pieces, baking, water play etc.

Sing songs and rhymes - action ones are great, but many have numbers etc in them.

Spot things whilst out on a walk.

Do not try and make him sit still to learn - there will be time enough for that when he starts school.

He's 3!!
Leave teaching to his teachers once he's in nursery and school.

The best way for children to learn is through play. Let him play. Read to him. Follow his interests.

Don't try to 'teach' him anything formal. You are not a teacher ( unless you are in which case you should know better! )

Don't compare him to others either. All children are different.

Whether or not a child can recite numbers or the alphabet at 3 has no bearing on their ability to grasp mathematical concepts or learn to read and write later (when they are developmentally ready)

Agree with seeline.

Why on earth are you trying to get a 3 year old to sit still????! Let the kid play!

Look on the 5 minute mum blog.

Where will he be in September? School, school nursery or private nursery? If school nursery or preschool I would not worry about recognising written numbers or letters at all. If he is going to be at a school I would make more of an effort but not worry.

For numbers do lots of actions, show him a 7 can say can you do 7 jumps, 7 hops or whatever and then ask him to collect 7 stones/cars or sweets.

With letters make sure you are teaching phonics not letter names. Find out which system his school will be using - probably either Jolly Phonics or Read, Write, Inc. If he is not at school in September I would just get him used to recognising his name and occasionally put alpha blocks on the TV and get him used to listen for sounds eg birds, cars, building work when out and about.

Thank you all. I am not really trying to compare him to others. Just trying to find strategies that work for him but also because most 'learning toys' do actually require kids to sit still to do them.

Its also not just about his reluctance to sit down. He is also not big on learning how to use his scooter or bike essentially because you have to spend time on it. So while his friends all scoot around, he just runs after them because thats easier rather than use his scooter/bike etc.

Am new to all this and all the other little kids around us seem a lot calmer and pretty studious even for three-year-olds.

Perhaps try bath foam letters and or numbers? If he sits down in the bath? Hope scotch outside for numbers? Counting whilst climbing stairs/being pushed in a swing. Dance to the jolly phonics songs on you tube and do the actions?

Not a chance on earth my 3 year old would sit and do worksheets or puzzles. She is much more interested in running and jumping in puddles and things!

Do you let him use a tablet? If so try the alphablocks and numberblocks games. Mine learned all her letters and numbers from that. I honestly don't try with the educational stuff, she gets that at nursery.

Another thing my 3 year enjoys at the moment is collecting leaves and making patterns with that (it includes sticks). I don’t think formal learning is important at this age but I do think building up concentration is good. So any activity that he likes doing ideally outside would be great.

My youngest DD went to a pretty academic preschool. Normal for them to be starting to read etc. Never saw a worksheet there. It was all learning through play, but with phonics and numeracy session. But it was games.there were pens and paper available, and writing sometimes happened. Bit they weren't worried as about firm, but effort.

Magnetic numbers and letters are great. We sti use them, and DDs are 7 &9. Talks lot, use descriptive language, read books. Also stuff like playdough, strengthens the hands apparently ready for writing.

So many lovely suggestions. He will still be in the nursery next year so school is not till 2022. Guess that I feel like I waste so much money on random books, toys etc for every new stage that he just doesnt care about. His GD can teach him anything using nothing more than spaghetti or any old bits and bobs. But its lockdown so cant just outsource it all to him.