DS (3) is interested in letters/numbers. Ideas to help please?

[PandaOrLion]

At the beach yesterday, DS (3 last week) wrote about ten letters in the sand with a stick. He’s had pens/paper available but just scribbled so I assumed he didn’t know how to do it. MIL gave him some white board pens and activity books but had no interest in them.

He loves playing I spy, reading numbers on buses and houses, books about numbers and the alphabet and can apparently write them when he wants. He can read the alphabet and has some alphabet and number jigsaws.

any suggestions of games he might like? I strongly don’t want to push him, but whilst it’s got him interest I’d like to encourage him. Just nothing with a pen it seems!

Can he read the letter names of the alphabet or can he read them phonetically?

Does he say 'a' as 'ay' or 'ah'? 😊

Use letter sounds not names, and say them properly. Look at alphablocks on cbeebies/YouTube.

Any board game that involves following a numbered track should interest him, there are lots of them. Most Snakes and Ladders will do that. I had Sorry! as a child which I loved, I’m not sure that was numbered but I liked counting out the spaces I was moving.

What about card games? You could try Old Maid and Snap at his pave. He may start to get UNO as well.

Rules of Old Maid https://bicyclecards.com/how-to-play/old-maid

He might enjoy chess - the very strong visual/numerical side will please him perhaps. Have an unpressured go at showing him how it’s set up and how the different pieces move around the board, particularly if anyone in the family plays properly (I don’t but still had a little go with ds, my late Dh did a bit with him but struggled to adapt to playing with someone who’s too young to play a proper match. It can be a great grandparent activity).

@PermanentTemporary
Sorry! Doesn't have numbered spaces but is an excellent game. Really age 5/6 upwards though I think from an emotional maturity point of view.

He can do both. He learnt the letter names from the alphabet songs but does the sounds when playing I spy.

Magnetic letters/numbers on the fridge or a magnetic whiteboard.

Simple track games like snakes and ladders.

Make some subitising cards up to 3 at first. That’s a card with a dot or stamp on it. You show them the card and they look rather than count.

You could try some simple phonics eg a an apple or b b boot mmmmm mountain if he enjoys. But make sure you knows the sounds. No ay bee etc.

A baking tray or sand to use a finger to write letters or numbers.

(I teach early years) otherwise talking about numbers you see when you’re out, how many apples are we buying, sharing into two groups- does one have more? All great ways to introduce the language.

Thanks, old maid is a good shout. I played that as a child. We’ve tried snakes ans ladders and some of the orchard games but they don’t hold his attention for long, or he wants to create new rules “if we do X instead then maybe Y happens”. We’ve got some of the haba games too but none have letters/numbers which he seems to really like.

Phonics he’s okay with - can play I spy and think of 3-4 words that begin with the sounds I’ve given (as long as they’re not ch/sh/th). I’m sure we have some magnetic letters and we have lots of sand so I’ll go with those.

I forgot but DH taught him the concepts of addition and subtraction a while ago with an ice cream toy we were given. I’ll get that back out again

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Galt-Toys-1105575-Learn-Maths/dp/B083X4G5KW

OP my son is the same and completely loved that aged 3 ish

We had foam letters and numbers for in the bath that were a big hit.

He would LOVE those. We always need new bath toys!

Just let him learn read, he's plenty old enough. It's a combination of word recognition, building into phonetics that all kids could do, when they are ready. Read the Biff and Chip, or whatever you have nowadays and let him join in when he wants.

Also proper counting and number bonds, using fingers. it's base 10 for a reason. Don't let him count out loud to 20 and think it's clever. Show him the numbers: Why is eleven two number 1s?

Let him try and change established rules that work for games. It's important that he learns to fail, thereby understanding that it's OK to innovate and take risks, but there are some basic tenets of society and the universe that he has to abide by.

It's important that he becomes his own teacher by exploring, critiqueing and innovating. You may find he plateaus after a couple of years and appears to turn back into a real child, but if he has the gift of teaching himself, he will excel later on.

No foam numbers, or equals signs. You don't need symbols for maths, like you need symbols to read. Just fingers and objects to start with. Base 10 is everything.

I've picked up a number of Orchard Toys games in charity shops, a lot have numbers or first words.
Numberblocks (cbeebies) is a massive hit here & they also watch it occasionally at DS's nursery (at local primary school). Not so interested in letters yet but will watch Alphablocks a bit too especially for letters in his name.
We like finding numbers/letters when out and about - reading door numbers/signs/numberplates, can you find a "m", how many red cars can you see etc.

An abacus. Magnetic numbers and letters. Mathslink cubes. Money. Snakes and ladders. Measuring in baking.

But honestly just do what you're doing - counting and using fingers to add and take away. My daughter loved watching Blaze and the Monster Machines at that age too and I think the maths and other STEM concepts in it was one of the reasons - she was (and is) also big on numbers.