When did your toddler start counting numbers and alphabets?

[sharonkhoo]

Unable or unwilling? My younger girl was a stubborn one - she didn’t see the need to recite things, and I didn’t bother to make her. I could see that her overall comprehension was fine for numbers - she could pick up the right number of items etc. She wasn’t interested in recognising letters although her understanding of speech was fine. She could do addition/subtraction by 5yo, and learnt to read by 6yo (late, I know, but she was very strong in both Maths and Eng/Lit in school). In the end, she has turned out to be a high achiever academically (now in Sec 3). In comparison, my older girl who could recognise letters at 2 and could recite her alphabet and numbers around that time as well, is only average academically. At toddler age, I would judge by their understanding as some just don’t like to recite or be quizzed for no reason (as far as they can see).

[DoraTan]

thanks slmkhoo for your response!

Yes. My girl is VERY stubborn kind. So i guess she is unwilling and not unable?

She seems to know when items go missing. Like if she has 5 items in her hand and 2 go missing, she will hunt for them. she is unwilling to recite numbers and alphabets. Whenever i ask her to repeat after me, she just goes quiet. But other things as well, ask her to repeat words after me, she unwilling too.

She is the quiet type i guess.

I brought her to psychologist early this year who assessed her non-verbal IQ. Turned out to be quite high. But yet she does not want to learn her numbers and alphabets…

quite stressful when the teacher feedback to me…

[sharonkhoo]

She is not even 3yo yet, so I wouldn’t start to worry yet. Some kids at that age don’t see the need to please others. The main things are can she understand your speech? Does she show age-appropriate understanding of things around her? Is she speaking of her own volition? You can count and read letters aloud to her in the course of the day and she will absorb them, even if she doesn’t say them back to you. Eg. Count steps you climb, pieces of fruit as you lay them out etc. Sing those silly songs that count objects. Point out the letters you see on signs and labels. And another thing - some smart kids instinctively realise that reciting numbers and letters is actually quite a meaningless exercise (why would you do that except to impress your teacher or parent?), and they will be more receptive if you count objects and use letters and words meaningfully. Even if she doesn’t say them out loud, it doesn’t mean that she doesn’t know them.


My take is that there’s no need to make every child a model child. Teachers often want to make every child fit into an ideal mould, maybe because they think it’s their job, or they think that’s what parents want. But there is value in letting a child be an individual, especially when they are not being obstructive or inconsiderate to anyone else. As a parent, I decided to pick my battles and not issue instructions or requests when the outcome was not important and in doubt. I was strict in some matters, but reciting numbers and alphabets at age 2 was not one of them. If you keep asking and the child keeps refusing, it becomes disobedience.

[northernstar]

hi Dora,


my 2.5 years old ger can count from 1 to 10 and recite a to z and sing a few baby songs.

[DoraTan]

thanks for your advice, slmkhoo