Help 4yr DD to write and recognize numbers

[hopesmommy]

I hope this is the right board to post this.

My DD4 has been going to preschool for almost 2 years now. She did great last year. This year she is having a small problem writing and recognizing her numbers. Up until now, the teachers were not sending home any work to do. However, I honestly am not patient enough. I feel awful saying that. But I know I need to help my DD. My question is what workbooks and/or reading books have you used to help your children recognize numbers and to improve writing? I understand she is only 4, but I don't want her to start feeling left behind in school. She is very intelligent.

This has to be one of the hardest things I have typed. I feel like a BAD parent not being able to help my DD.

TIA,
Dee

 

[mickeyboat]

I hope this is the right board to post this.

My DD4 has been going to preschool for almost 2 years now. She did great last year. This year she is having a small problem writing and recognizing her numbers. Up until now, the teachers were not sending home any work to do. However, I honestly am not patient enough. I feel awful saying that. But I know I need to help my DD. My question is what workbooks and/or reading books have you used to help your children recognize numbers and to improve writing? I understand she is only 4, but I don't want her to start feeling left behind in school. She is very intelligent.

This has to be one of the hardest things I have typed. I feel like a BAD parent not being able to help my DD.

TIA,
Dee

Dee - don't be so hard on yourself. This is definitely something you should not be worrying about.

Our school district only has half-day K, so they don't teach reading until 1st grade. There may be different expectations for your school district. Anyway, when DD's went to pre-school, they were really only expected to recognize the letters in their names before they went to K. They have spent the first part of K writing all of the letters and numbers correctly, and the latter part of the year learning all of the letter sounds.

My girls have been ahead of the game most of the year, but they have learned a lot as well. The biggest thing that helped DD's is to just get them excited about writing. It's what my kids like to play all the time.

Some of the ways we have been practicing are preschool worksheets - here's a link to a google search.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=free+printable+preschool+worksheets&btnG=Google+Search

Another thing is to have plenty of paper and writing implements available for them to use. We also have bath crayons. They love writing all over the bath tub. The classroom has a sand table where the kids can trace letters in the sand. We also like to write letters on one another's backs and guess which letter they are writing.

But really, don't worry! Good luck.

Denae

 

[RangerPooh]

Have you considered buying or making flashcards with the numbers that she is learning on it? I'm sure that you can find some with pictures to help with counting or you can make your own. As for practicing writing them you can write the number on a piece of paper, next to it construct that number out of dots to be connected, next do the same thing with less dots, next fewer dots, next no dots but she fills it in. You can do the same thing with letters if needed. Another item that has numbers on it to practice recognition are blocks.

As for workbooks you might check out a teacher supply store, office supply store like Staples, or even Target as they may have workbooks for various grades in writing/reading/math for various age groups. I know that they make them for Kindergaten but am not sure about preschool.

If your daughter is into games you can create your own memory game out of carstock and clipart by making matching cards where each one has a number and picture on it where she will have to recognize and match them in order to collect the game pieces.

 

[kejoda]

you could print a bunch of numbers and tape them all over the house maybe by her seat at the table, by her bed, and the toilet. Really just put them anywhere and she will soon ge it.

 

[becka]

My son is almost 4 and while I do not have a regimented program in place like flashcards I just try to point out numbers and letters "in their natural environment". For example I may tell DS that dinner will be at six and we look at the clock and I ask him to show me 6 and if he does not know then I will point it out to him. If we see numbers in a book I will ask him what number that is. We do the same with letters. DS make pick out the movie Dinosaur to watch and while we are getting the CD out of the case I may ask what letter does Dinosaur start with and point to the word on the box, etc.. We obviously don't do this for every number and letter we see but we just try to work it into our everyday areas a few times a day.

DS thinks it is a bit of a game and he now points out letters and numbers everywhere he sees them throughout the day. I am just thrilled because he is learning and he seems excited to learn. Learning does not always have to come in the form of a book, worksheet, flash cards, etc..

 

[mtemm]

There are some great workbooks that my 4 year old loves by Kumon. my mil started buying them from barnes and noble a year or 2 ago and he has so much fun with them. there are books for several different ages/abilities.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=br_ss_hs/002-8781165-5949635?search-alias=aps&keywords=kumon

 

[mickeyboat]

Learning does not always have to come in the form of a book, worksheet, flash cards, etc..

You're absolutely right, becka.

One thing I didn't even think to teach my kids is shapes (They knew circle, square and triangle). Preschool report cards came home and said my kids didn't know all of their shapes (oval, diamond, rectabgle). So I started pointing out street signs and other things in their environment in those shapes. They learned it in no time.

Denae

 

[becka]

You're absolutely right, becka.

One thing I didn't even think to teach my kids is shapes (They knew circle, square and triangle). Preschool report cards came home and said my kids didn't know all of their shapes (oval, diamond, rectabgle). So I started pointing out street signs and other things in their environment in those shapes. They learned it in no time.

Denae

I think it really helps kids to relate what they are learning to what they see and do in their world. I know DS picks up stuff much faster by me relating the letters to things and people he knows and cares about. He could care less that 'S' is for sun....No it is better for him that 'S' is for Simba or snakes or for Shay (his cousin), etc..

I also realize I did not address the writing thing. We are really just working on that now and we are mostly focusing on the letters in DS's name but he loves his Magna Doodle and he has me write all kinds of letters and numbers for him on there and them he practices himself. We also practice on his Aqua Doodle but he seems to like the Magna Doodle better. I always try to make it fun and to blend into whatever it is he is interested in at the time.

 

[weluvdisney]

I can totally sympathize w/ you!!! My DD is in Kndg. and this has been a hard concept for her!!!! She gets frustrated very easily and Kndg. is SO different than pre-school and she is just not enjoying it as much as pre-school!!! Just keep an upbeat attitude to everything so she doesn't get discouraged and she will get it w/ time!!! It's alot for those little minds to take in but she will suprise you and one day and just take off!!! and to you and DD!!!

 

[tnkbl]

I hope this is the right board to post this.

My DD4 has been going to preschool for almost 2 years now. She did great last year. This year she is having a small problem writing and recognizing her numbers. Up until now, the teachers were not sending home any work to do. However, I honestly am not patient enough. I feel awful saying that. But I know I need to help my DD. My question is what workbooks and/or reading books have you used to help your children recognize numbers and to improve writing? I understand she is only 4, but I don't want her to start feeling left behind in school. She is very intelligent.

This has to be one of the hardest things I have typed. I feel like a BAD parent not being able to help my DD.

TIA,
Dee

I am a teacher...Before I had a child I had to help with school work, I use to thing that parents who paid to have thier kids tutored were not doing their job! However after having a child of my own, I think those parents were pretty smart!
One think that has helped my daughter is the Leap Frog Leapster. I am not into video games, but it really teaches as they play.
My DD is also 4, her school does not work on writing numbers that often. The school she attends is the one in our area that the Kindergarten teachers say kids are the most prepared for Kindergarten.
I teach second grade and I was asking the K teachers where I teach,this is a Catholic school, and they would love for the kids to come in knowing how to write their name.
IMO, it may be asking a lot for a four year old to write thier numbers, they are hard for second graders when school start. It takes fine motor skills to write and at four they are not always developed.
This is website is a handwriting worksheet generator that you tell it what you want to practice writing. http://www.handwritingworksheets.com/
Good luck, and don't be so hard on yourself, kids can be very difficult to work with, especially when they have been at school and they want to play when they get home.

 

[disneyaggie]

Has your child been tested for dyslexia?

Some of the brightest kiddos have challenges because of this.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

We are playing Crazy Eights (like UNO) and war. These card games are the reward for working on letter sounds and also help with numbers.

 

[Nancyg56]

DGD is 4 and in preschool SHe needs to learn to recognize and write her numbers. Well, she did not seem to get it. DD bought workbooks, and worked with her. Still no way. DD has a SUDOKU puzzle book, and DGD sits with her and gets to write the numbers oin the spaces where her Mom shows her. All the teaching tools she had and doing puzzles with Mom did the trick. Good luck to you!

 

[Disney_1derland]

Honestly, while it's great to want to give her a head start, you may just be expecting too much from her that she is not ready for. It is not uncommon for children to struggle until late in the 5 year with numbers, recognition and especially writing. Definitely work on the recognition first and let the writing come. Does she have a good mastery of her alphabet? Shapes? Colors? Those come first before numbers. My daughters kindergarten class didn't start really working on number recognition and writing until November of kindergarten year because they were working on fundamentals of letter sounds, letters, colors and shapes. There was so much that I NEVER would have thought to teach her. Perhaps it would be best to talk to someone with a child in kindergarten at the school she will attend and ask what order they learned things in and see if that parent or even if the school or teacher will provide you with an outline.

There is a 'kindergarten preparedness' checklist for our school and nowhere on there does it mention anything other than recognizing 1-5 BEFORE kindergarten. I don't remember everything that was on there but some of the things that were important are:

Tying Shoes
Writing first name and last name correctly (Upper case 1st letter, lower case all other letters)
Recognizing all capital letters and beginning to recognize lower case letters
Knowing Letter sounds
Knowing shapes (beyond circle, square, triangle) they learned diamond, oval, rectangle, circle, square, triangle, and are now working on some more advanced shapes.
Knowing colors
recognizing 10 'sight' words.(they gave us a list)
recognizing the numbers 1-5

 

[MerryPoppins]

I have taught preschool and elementary school. I wouldn't worry too much. She doesn't need to get stressed about it and neither do you. Make it fun if you want to work with her. I've often found that kids like writing in pudding, shaving cream, whipped cream, sand, jello dissolved in a little water (something that they can feel). Maybe take one number or letter a week and do fun things with it. For example if you were doing B you might Blow Bubbles, have a Blue day where you dress in blue, have a teddy Bear picnic, Bake and eat Blueberry muffins or pancakes, visit the library to check out Books making sure some are about Bears or Bees, etc. Let her see loads and loads of B's and associate the sounds with the activities. Help her write the letter B in some sort of fun material and maybe cut that letter out of felt or something that she can feel. She might even start helping you come up with ideas.

 

[JoiseyMom]

My DS 4 only wanted to do math homework like his big sister, so I bought him a Jump Start work book. I got him a Pre-K Counting 1-20, and he loves it. I plan on trying to pick up some more for him.

 

[Disney_1derland]

Also, here are some sites we use to print worksheets, I totally understand wanting to keep them busy, our dd has been BEGGING us to teach her since she was 2, it drives us nuts so we just do our best to keep her busy.

http://www.abcteach.com/

http://www.beginningreading.com/Free Workshe.htm

http://www.tlsbooks.com/preschoolworksheets.htm

http://www.handwritingworksheets.com/

we also let her use www.starfall.com for some fun computer time.

 

[Nancyg56]

Honestly, while it's great to want to give her a head start, you may just be expecting too much from her that she is not ready for. It is not uncommon for children to struggle until late in the 5 year with numbers, recognition and especially writing. Definitely work on the recognition first and let the writing come. Does she have a good mastery of her alphabet? Shapes? Colors? Those come first before numbers. My daughters kindergarten class didn't start really working on number recognition and writing until November of kindergarten year because they were working on fundamentals of letter sounds, letters, colors and shapes. There was so much that I NEVER would have thought to teach her. Perhaps it would be best to talk to someone with a child in kindergarten at the school she will attend and ask what order they learned things in and see if that parent or even if the school or teacher will provide you with an outline.

There is a 'kindergarten preparedness' checklist for our school and nowhere on there does it mention anything other than recognizing 1-5 BEFORE kindergarten. I don't remember everything that was on there but some of the things that were important are:

Tying Shoes
Writing first name and last name correctly (Upper case 1st letter, lower case all other letters)
Recognizing all capital letters and beginning to recognize lower case letters
Knowing Letter sounds
Knowing shapes (beyond circle, square, triangle) they learned diamond, oval, rectangle, circle, square, triangle, and are now working on some more advanced shapes.
Knowing colors
recognizing 10 'sight' words.(they gave us a list)
recognizing the numbers 1-5

DD went to the meeting at the school her DD wil be attending and got the list. Letters and numbers are on it. DGD also must know her address and telephone number, and I forget the rest. I agree that meeting with the school and teacher can be beneficial because you then can determine if your child will benefit from a year of Pre-K.

 

[Disney_1derland]

DD went to the meeting at the school her DD wil be attending and got the list. Letters and numbers are on it. DGD also must know her address and telephone number, and I forget the rest. I agree that meeting with the school and teacher can be beneficial because you then can determine if your child will benefit from a year of Pre-K.

Oh yes, I forgot about telephone and address. I find the list can vary a LOT from district to district and even more state to state. It's a basic guideline and I wish we had been given something like this a lot sooner! We got it three weeks before kindy started.

 

[liamandcaili]

I agree with a previous poster that the Leapster is great. My DD, also 4, has this and the LeapPad, and she knows all her letters...upper and lower case...shapes, colors, letter sounds, she can count to 100, and she is reading. www.starfall.com is a great site for beginners and beginning readers.

As for writing, I recently got my DD a workbook from Staples that is eraseable and has all the letters and numbers in it and directions on how to write them. DD has already improved.

However, all children develop at different speeds. DS was in Kindergarten last year and he had children in his class who did not know all their letters. They all figured it out and are in first grade this year. And while DS is in the top level for math and reading, he has some of the worst penmanship in his class and he still is terrible at tying his shoes.