Help 4yr DD to write and recognize numbers

[EthansMom]

DS4 loves the BrainQuest cards (avail. at Walmart, near children's books, and sometimes at Costco, also at bookstores near children's learning materials). The cards teach children lots of different age-appropriate concepts at once -- very low stress and doesn't take much patience or time.

We also teach numbers as we come across a need to use the numbers. If DS wants to watch a cartoon, I'll tell him, "It's on channel 13" and he has to flip the channels until he finds channel 13. And if DS wants to know when he can play computer, I'll tell him, "Two O'Clock" and he has to tell me when it's 2 O'Clock.

We also count to 100 most mornings on our drive to preschool. It gives us something to do and doesn't take any extra effort or time on my part.

So far, DS hasn't shown an interest in writing his letters or numbers much. But at 4.5, he's reading at a first grade level and counts into the 30s on his own.

Good Luck!

 

[janette]

I also used a Leapster with my DD, there were several versions and the one I had repeated the letters and had a place to write them also.

Something they used with my DD was multisensory techniques. Wood letters and sand paper letters that she could feel and trace. You could probably get them from a school supply.

Don't push too much with a 4yo, if it's not fun they won't be interested and you can slow them down more than help them. Some kids just aren't ready.

 

[MagicalMom]

MY 4yo son also attends pre-school. When I attended his parent - teacher conference in Nov. I was told that he was behind in his numbers, letter & wiritng. So, for Christmas he received a leap pad w/ writing, leapster, fridge phonics, and a really cool learning desk that has a My Fist Leap Pad attached to it. Now just a few months later, forget letters & numbers, he's starting to read! Every penny we spent on those Leap Pad products was worth it.

 

[hopesmommy]

I wanted to thank everyone with all of their great suggestions. My DD has had a LeapPad for over a year (which I think helped with the letters). She now has the LeapPad Writing (about two weeks). We also have the FridgePhonics from LeapPad. I wish they had one for numbers. We play games like Uno and Junior Monopoly and others that use numbers to play. To tell you how frustrated I am...I spent almost an hour working on writing two numbers (Homework) after DD got home. After dinner, DH ask DD what she learned at school (usual questions). She said she had homework, but could not tell DH what it was. So I told her to show him what we wrote. She could not or would not do it even after I showed her how to do it. If my hand was on hers, she would write them. But the minute, I removed my hand, she said she could not do it.

I am trying to keep it positive, but I am concerned I am pushing her. That is why I need workbooks that she can do.

Thank you again! Oh DD has a November birthday, so she won't start Kindergarten until Fall of 2007 (almost 6).


ADDED: I wanted to let everyone know...We did not just sit down for an hour writing one number have the other. The homework was fun. We were working on 8 and 9 so we wrote circles and straight lines and the numbers. She did not give up until towards the end.

Also she is only in school from 9 to 12 then eats lunch at school and I get her about 12:45. In the school time, they have language, math/art, snack outside time/computer, and gross motor. So it is not like she is in school ALL day and then I made her come home and forced the homework on her. She wanted to do her homework.

 

[becka]

This is just my opinion but an hour seems like a really long time for a 4 year old to concentrate on something like that. DS usually can only really focus on something for 15 minutes or so before he is ready to quit. He may continue working with me but he is not really absorbing anything more and I think it would make my DS really not want to work on that anymore.

I really think you may be pushing her too hard. Kids are hardwired to learn and while you certainly want to provide opportunities to learn forcing them to sit down and do rote work at this age can only backfire in my opinion. Spend 10-15 minutes actually doing a worksheet or something and then do something fun where she can still learn like paly Leappad or read a book about numbers (Chicka Chicka Boom Boom) or make up a silly number song, etc.. I really belive that kids learn by playing and you have to make it fun for her.

Don't expect total mastery right away and even when you think she has something don't always expect her to retain it a week later. For example, my DS was spelling and writing most of his name 2 months ago but in the last 2 weeks or so the letter 'A' has apparently dropped out of his head and his name! I am not worried I just remind him he does have an 'A' in his name (in fact he has two) and we go on. I am sure sometime in the next few weeks the 'A' will be back but he will forget something else. I don't think it is something to stress about especially at this age.

 

[Disney_1derland]

I wanted to thank everyone with all of their great suggestions. My DD has had a LeapPad for over a year (which I think helped with the letters). She now has the LeapPad Writing (about two weeks). We also have the FridgePhonics from LeapPad. I wish they had one for numbers. We play games like Uno and Junior Monopoly and others that use numbers to play. To tell you how frustrated I am...I spent almost an hour working on writing two numbers (Homework) after DD got home. After dinner, DH ask DD what she learned at school (usual questions). She said she had homework, but could not tell DH what it was. So I told her to show him what we wrote. She could not or would not do it even after I showed her how to do it. If my hand was on hers, she would write them. But the minute, I removed my hand, she said she could not do it.

I am trying to keep it positive, but I am concerned I am pushing her. That is why I need workbooks that she can do.

Thank you again! Oh DD has a November birthday, so she won't start Kindergarten until Fall of 2007 (almost 6).

Don't be so hard on yourself! I totally understand your frustration but this is not a failure for either of you. We have noticed that my dd (nearly 6) learns things in spurts. She goes for a while where she will ONLY do reading type stuff, then she goes for a while where she'll only do physical stuff. Then she goes through a while where numbers are her thing. During these periods she makes great leaps and bounds and masters a bunch of new stuff then really slacks off like she's absorbed all she can possibly handle and needs to put it down and do something new. Once we figured this out, things went so much smoother for her. We buy a lot of workbooks at the dollar store of various skill levels from pre-k to 2nd grade and we utilize the internet. Some days she just wants to do the easy stuff and some days she's begging for something harder. It just depends. I also think that being in a school setting all day she gets tired and just needs to rest at the end of the day. We let her set her own pace and other than getting her to do her homework that she has to do for school, we've really slowed down on pushing it and let her take the lead. She has really taken off since we've quit stressing so much.

 

[Tinijocaro]

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..

ITA!!

Please don't make your dd do flashcards, worksheets- she's 4!! Learning at this age should be natural and fun, not forced. The above post is a great way- it's how I've done it with all four of my kids. Never sat down and said "now we will learn numbers" Just worked it into their lives every so often during the course of the day. Same with letters. DD just told me last week that the word "poop" has two p's. I was so thrilled for her!

Jackie

 

[Beth76]

If she's not starting K until next year, I wouldn't even be concerned with it. My son is almost 5 and will start K in the fall. While he's been able to recognize numbers for a couple of years now, he's only been able to write them in the last few months. While they're recognizable, they're by no means "perfect". And it's not even required for K. This is just what he does in pre-k.

I also agree that sitting down for an hour doing "homework" is excessive. You're likely to turn her off the subject. If you really feel you want her to work on it, I would do it for 10 minutes, tops.

ETA: (just re-read your last post) Actually, I really wouldn't work on it. I would continue with the games and maybe get some books with counting in it. Where the counting is part of a story. It sounds like she's frustrated and doesn't want to do it. You should not be forcing her hand to write numbers. She has PLENTY of time to grasp this stuff.

 

[janette]

I agree that 1hr is excessive for a 4yo. My youngest DD is dyslexic and she had a really hard time learning her letters & numbers. If I'd tried to work on them for an hour she'd have just shut down completely.

Most kids pick it up with no problems at all, I don't even remember my older DD learning them because she learned them pretty naturally during pre-school.

If a 4yo is in pre-school that is plenty for the day. Have educational type toys or games on the computer available but don't make it a chore.

 

[XantheFan]

I agree, I wouldn't worry too much.

If you want to make the worksheets fun, there is a website with some number worksheets that are WDW related. We are bringing them in the car for my 4 year old when we head to Disney in June. It is at the website "themouseforless" in the For The Kids section under Disney Homework pages. Go to the bottom of the page and you will see "go to Numbers 1-10". I would list the URL but I have not posted enough to be able to include URL's yet. Let me know if you have trouble finding it.

 

[hopesmommy]

I just want to thank everyone that is making me feel so much better about this situation. I came here for support. If you think I would FORCE my DD to do homework after (in other's opinions) a LONG day of school, you really must think I am an awful mother.

As I stated before, my DD did not give up working with me until the end of the hour. If it was not fun for her, I would not do it. This is why I came here...I needed information of things to give her for fun other than what I already have. The idea of everyday things helping her works for the alphabet, but I have found there are not that many numbers that four year olds come into contact with. I have even cooked things just so she could see the numbers in the receipes.

I understand my DD is only 4, but if there is a problem I want to know about it now. The only way to know is to continue to work with her. I have a very good friend who is a dsylexia specialist and 2 sisters that are teachers. They all have stated she is very intelligent to just keep working with her. When it comes to the alphabet she is doing great. She also knows her colors, shapes (past the basic circle, square, triangle), and animals. Counting for DD is not a problem either. This is why I am working with her on the recognition and writing.

I like the websites that I have been referred to. Thank you.

 

[In a hurry]

1st grade teacher here. Some kids just aren't developmentally ready, or interested in ABC's etc. at 4. When we wait for the child to be ready, it becomes a painless procedure, rather than a no-win situation. I had 2 early starters, and 1 that was about a year behind for a couple of years. When he was ready, he excelled and surpassed all of the others!

It doesn't give a child long-term benefits to push at a younger age, because kids tend to even out around 4th grade regardless of when they started.