People whose kids can recite the alphabet before age 2

[newmum234]

And counting from 1-20 too - do you actually do regular sessions teaching your DC how to do this? My DS is 15 months and only says mama and dada. There’s no way he’s even close to learning the alphabet or saying numbers!

My DD had five words at her 2 year check, and mastered counting to 10 the week before she started Reception.

Just finished Yr5, and would be above expectations in Maths if she knew her times tables. Her difficulty in rote learning holds her back a bit.

Child geniuses aside... kids learn at different paces and its not necessarily inductive of anything.

DS could recite and recognise his letters at around 2. We had the book chicka chicka boom boom. It’s a lovely book.

Oh and he was extremely confused and frustrated that 6 is ´nine’ when it’s upside down. So toddler logic says that stairs need number symbols hidden in the pattern somewhere and numbers should go with the same word even when you contort your body into some incredible shape so you are looking at it upside down.

My Mum was a primary school teacher. She always said she couldn't care less if a child could recite the alphabet when the started school, you use sounds not the names of letters to learn to read. She said the most useful skills a child could start school with was to hold a pencil properly and use a pair of scissors.

My cousins son could do all that before 2 and did maths and could read before school. His mother spent all day, everyday teaching him and making it fun.
My own DS just learnt all this at school, I had to go out to work full time and couldn't spend the time doing this.
Now adults they are both at exactly the same place post grad.

I really wouldn't worry about it. Reciting things isn't that great of a skill when you think about it. Just because they have leant to repeat something doesn't mean they understand what it means. My 3 year old can count to 5 and does not know the alphabet. Its fine. He will get there. He can however draw quite well for his age. My dd on the other hand was starting to write at the same age. He just isn't interested in that sort of thing. Much prefers to make up elaborate games involving paw patrol. Kids vary so much when they are little but in a few years you won't be able to tell who could read at 4 and who couldn't read till they were six.

My 18 month old can count to 10, I didn't drill her, but she's picked it from me doing counting in play and lots with my older child. Older child did not count until really late more like 4 years 🙁, hence I'm still trying to get him up to speed with his maths and sums. So yes every child is different, but I did model counting to older one too. Would be things like counting grapes onto their plate or counting toys.

My eldest could do the alphabet and numbers at 2. At four he can fully read and is doing basic math. At first glance people think he is very bright (which he is) but he also has ASD so can read but can’t appropriately interact with peers. So you never know with other people’s kids. My twins are 13 months younger and can’t do numbers 1-20 yet

@SushiGo

Most parents who say this are either a) lying or b) have taught them to say the letter names and not the phonic sounds so it's pretty useless for teaching them to read anyway.

There are lots of elements to teaching children to read - phonics is one part of the whole.

Yes to books and toys. Basic 1-20 Number puzzle. Count things as part of playing. I also sang the alphabet as a song (letter sounds), pointing to the letters on an animal alphabet picture on the wall, as part of bedtime cuddle. Use magnetic numbers and letters just for play - sorting colours, building pictures etc, and name what they are using as they do it - it’s all just familiarity.

Ds could count to 10 at 1 and could count to 20 plus do the alphabet aged 2. But it's just reciting at that point isn't it? I think he probably learn from learning the words to the wiggles!

He is 3 now and can confidently count things accurately up to about 20 (and can glance at something and say eg "there's 3 of those") and read letters to 13 ish. Plus recognises S, J, S, X, P and Q I think. I've never sat down with him and specifically taught him, I just chat to him all day long.

On the other hand his friend is the same age and can read few numbers and does know the alphabet song but only recognises the first letter of their name. But they can sit and focus in craft and draw beautiful recognisable people and faces which ds cannot do/doesn't hold interest to learn. They develop differently. At ds 10 month check with the hc they said I needed to monitor his communication but he's now one of the most eloquent 3 year old I know!

Read numbers up to 13, not letters

Twinkle twinkle and the alphabet have the same tune, being able to sing ABC no more teaches a child to read than understand astronomy.
Counting to ten and conservation of number are completely different it's a rote routine it could be counting in Swahili. I have been an infant teacher for. 21 years and have heard lots of proud parents!
My 3yo is in speech therapy and I was told to forget about colours and numbers etc to concentrate on communication words ; more /again etc

two out of three of mine were like this. i find it odd that some parents don't believe it could be true.
with 3 under 3 i didn't have time to "do" much but sesame street was on at least 3 hours a day the 1980's version no clue what it's like now.

Reciting the alphabet is an utterly pointless skill. The only thing it is useful for is finding words in the dictionary. If you want your child to be clever then read him books, if you want him to be more clever, then read him more books.

DD1 had 'at least age appropriate knowledge of colours' at 4. She has learning difficulties and goes to special school. DD3 was still on red book band in the middle of year 1 and is now in top sets. My point is that children pick up particular things at particular times, but in isolation it really means very little about their overall ability.

I’m a speech therapist.

It’s meaningless, rote learned stuff.

My sisters child recites the alphabet, counts to ten and closes rhymes. He has no meaningful language at all.

Meaningless rote learned stuff. Mine learnt a lot from Peppa bloody Pig. The teachers will teach your children just support them as much as you can.

The best predictor of academic success is the size of a child’s vocabulary.

I think they’re meant to know 50 words by two. My child is now at the top end of the class at 7 and she certainly couldn’t recite the alphabet before 2. Things like this are not what marks a child as clever - it’s about comprehension.

Also some children that are amazing at counting, reciting turn out to be on the autism spectrum.

Thanks for the comments. Is it normal for a 15 month old to only say mama and dada? Should I be worried?

I wouldn’t be worried, as long as he is making other noises/babbling. You can make sure you show him things and say words to him outside of a sentence, so pointing and saying ‘cat’ rather than ‘look, there’s the neighbour’s orange cat.’ For a 1 year old I wouldn’t expect many words.

@newmum234

Thanks for the comments. Is it normal for a 15 month old to only say mama and dada? Should I be worried?

Depends. On its own no but you would look at everything else as well Is he copying and imitating? Does he understand what things are called like ball and book? Can he hear and see ? Does he seem to understand? Does he know his own name? Development is about more than one aspect Did he have any birth issues or reasons to be concerned? Have you asked h v to review him?

If you worried ask hv for a review that s what h v s are for

Dd repeated and remembered everything. She never stopped talking and singing as a toddler.
Ds (4 years younger) rarely opened his mouth.
Both were treated exactly the same.
Both now teens and pretty much equally bright. Made no difference to them.
Though Dd still talks a lot!!

@switswoo81

Twinkle twinkle and the alphabet have the same tune, being able to sing ABC no more teaches a child to read than understand astronomy. Counting to ten and conservation of number are completely different it's a rote routine it could be counting in Swahili. I have been an infant teacher for. 21 years and have heard lots of proud parents! My 3yo is in speech therapy and I was told to forget about colours and numbers etc to concentrate on communication words ; more /again etc

And Baa Baa Black Sheep 🎶