Is anyone working on letters and numbers with their April 2007 babies yet?

Lynnae - posted on 09/23/2009

My daughter Madison born in April 2007 can sing her alphabet with some mistakes ofcourse.. And she can count to ten but I think children do these things when they r ready too... I think it cant do any harm to introduce them to these things just by singing songs n they'll catch on when they r ready

Heather - posted on 09/22/2009

I've started working on numbers with my son Tyson. he can count to three so far. Hes very active and its hard to sit him down and teach him anything. lol.

Hilary - posted on 09/18/2009

Wow. My son learned toddler signs at "school" (his education-based daycare). He learned to sign words before he could say them (more, please, and thank you were his favorites). He loves it when I sing to him, so I sang the alphabet song, using the signs for the letters. He loved it. While he gets mixed up in the middle (from J-O takes only 2 or 3 syllables), he knows that the letters and numbers mean something. My MIL watched him twice a week last school year, and played with letter magnets. He knew that the D meant Daddy, the M meant Mommy, G was for him, and L was his sister. Also, he counts by rote, but usually misses 4.



He loves to name colors and his body parts. And he loves to "lie" about them. He'll point to his nose and say "ear?" with a mischievious look on his face, or say that something green is yellow, knowing that he's being funny. As someone else pointed out, kids are sponges. Give them somthing to learn, and they'll learn it. Just remember that there's more to learn than just letters and numbers; teach your kids about wind blowing, cars moving, and water splashing. Teach them that birds fly, but dogs and people don't. Help them see that the world around them is fun and exciting and something for them to learn about.

Amanda - posted on 09/16/2009

Quoting Mindy:

Thank You all!!! I am feeling very inspired and a little behind...We have the alphabet magnets on the fridge with the leapfrog letter sayer thingie, and they love to play with it...They Jacob and Joseph will repeat a few of the letters if I ask them to, I suppose with some repitition it can be a good learning tool...Thanks again and GOD Bless

The leapfrog letters is a good one, that's how my mother and I got McKenzee to learn how to spell dog and cat. :P

Amanda - posted on 09/16/2009

I say try, they will let you know if they are interested. Some want to learn and others don't. My April 2007 daughter already know all her ABCs and can recognize almost all of them, as well as count to 20 (occassionally missing a number past thirteen), but doesn't care to learn their recognization. She likes shapes and she knows about seven different ones and that is something she enjoys mostly. I think the only reason she works with her letters is because she likes to look at her books and she wants to read. (:



I say give it a shot! You never know.

Melissa - posted on 09/12/2009

Hi Mindy...

Well, I have twins that are two and they both know all their abc's by site and saying the alphabet song. They know their numbers as well up to about 15 and up to 10 in spanish. They also know Octagon, Square, Circle, and Triangle. I guess as a stay at home mom I just started making up my own flash cards when they were babies and just started showing these things to them around 1 yr of age....by 2 they knew them. I notice they just seem to pick up on things quickly and my son talks a LOT!! I would say go for it. I never pushed them I would just, once a day, show them the flash cards I made and sometimes in the beginning it lasted 2 minutes and as time went on it lasted longer. At 2 they should hopefully be a little more interested....start slow. Good Luck.



Melissa :)

Kirsty - posted on 09/12/2009

I have a 4yr old whom is very advanced intellectually,I have started a kindy program at home with him which i was advised by his pre school to do...Huntar my April 07 baby has had many medical problems...from asthma to textural problems so the simplest of tast were hard for him to do or understand sometimes even imposible,since i have had a routine with my older child (regarding learning) i have noticed many advances with Huntar he is wanting to learn all that his brother is learning obviously not to the same degree but i have put in place a routine for him also and in such a short time span he has learnt colours,numbers by sight and to count to ten,the letters used to form his name,animals etc He is very musically orientated so i am looking to further his interest in that field...Teach them all they want to know they will ask question whilst ever you give them feedback that gives them more to think about...they thrive on it!!!

Shannon - posted on 09/09/2009

Don't know if any of you have an iPhone or not, but there are TONS of great apps for toddlers. Lucas (2y 4 mos) has been playing/learning with mine for almost a year (?) now. Kids are so smart it amazes me. He knows his ABC's by site, what sounds most letters make, his shapes, animals, & his colors. We don't have any sort of structured learning time, I just try to incorporate it into whatever we're doing. They're sponges at this point in their lives. Give them all they can handle, just make it fun & they'll soak it up!

Heather - posted on 09/09/2009

I have really enjoyed reading all the replies to this question - good work, Moms!
I have just a little activity to add here...my daugther, Amaya, born April 23, 2007, is currently learning to use the potty. I take the time when she needs to wash her hands after using the potty to introduce her ABC's - while washing our hands, we sing the ABC song! Not only is it a great way to introduce the alphabet but it makes sure her hands are very clean at the end (I forget now where I heard this tip originally!)
Kids are sponges for learning - simply involve them in every day activities and encourage them to ask questions!

Chris - posted on 09/08/2009

yes i agree with kristina i have been teaching my 2 yr old daughter since she was little, she can sing her abc and counting and shapes.its never to early, just treat it as a fun game and they soon catch on

KRISTINA - posted on 09/05/2009

Hi, my daughter knows all of her letters by sight and to sing her ABCs. She knows how to count to 12 and knows them by sight also. She knows all of her shapes by name and sight. I have been working on all if these things slowly since she was under a year and it seems to have paid off, she speaks very well (full sentences). I think every child has their own learning curve, but I would start, never too soon to just introduce things and if it sticks then keep going!!

Dana - posted on 09/05/2009

I am also a teacher, albeit secondary school. My daughter can sing the alphabet song and recite numbers reliably to about 40, but can only count to 4. However, she can recognize all of her letters in print and does understand the basic concept of numbers including zero. As for shapes, just the basics -- circle, square, triangle, and sometime octagon. Colors? The primary, secondary, white, black, brown, and pink.

Still, she's physically slower than many kids her age. She didn't walk until almost 16 months (she'd sit on the floor and tell me "no, no walk"), crawled at about 10 months,rolled over late, and didn't really jump until this summer. She isn't even close to potty trained, and she still needs babyish flatware and takes steps with both feet. I see babies her age climbing and running much better than she does. I think all kids learn different things at their own paces and eventually level out. Mine likes language and numbers, but she's cautious and a little timid. I say put every opportunity out there and just don't push. Read in front of and to your child, and keep a running dialogue about their surroundings even if they seem mundane to you.

Karen - posted on 09/05/2009

As a mom of 3 kids, one of whom is an April 07 baby, I found this question interesting. I am also an early childhood education specialst by trade. I find it admirable that you are working with your young children at home. Parents are the first teachers. However, most 2 yr olds are not cognitively ready to learn letters and numbers in general. I would focus more on colors at this point as well as shapes. Three to four is more age appropriate for letters and numbers. A 2 yr old really doesn't understand the concept of 1 or 3 or any other number. But you know your child, so just do what's best for him. And while planning to home school, don't forget the extreme importance of socialization skills! Kids need to be around other kids their age to learn how to function in society. Good luck!

Andria - posted on 09/02/2009

My daughter can count at least to 10 on her own (no prompting) and to about twenty if she is repeating me (she usually looses interest after that). She gets to about G in the alphabet song, but she can't see a letter or number and tell me what it is yet. We are slowly working on it though through puzzles and toys. We are also working on colors. Some days she does well with colors, others everything is green or purple...even if you tell her otherwise (she will literally tell you that you are wrong when you try to correct her). Every child learns at a different pace...the best we can do is expose them and see what they are able to learn. I am suprised every day by how much she absorbs.

Alyce - posted on 09/02/2009

i think it is ok me and my son were doing numbers wen he turned one he had it down packed in a couple of months 1 to 10 and he is trying hes abc's i think if they can do it than its not a bad thing cause its good for them to learn if they like coping you than its great.

Melissa - posted on 09/02/2009

In my opinion, it's never too early to start teaching your kids! With all 3 of my girls, we started teaching them early. If they are interested in something, go with it! It's really sad, but I took Sarah (my April baby) to visit the local Head Start where my middle daughter was attending and I was singing ABC's with Sarah. I asked some of the other kids to join in and they didn't know all their ABC's! I was shocked! The school works with them, but they don't really "teach" per say, they play with them. You can tell the kids who don't get taught at home. In Kindergarten, some of the kids didn't know how to even hold a pencil. It's so sad to see!
But yeah, work with them as much as possible, I say. :)
Sarah counts to ten on her own, & knows her ABC's. She even knows some of the planets. She loves Neptune at the moment. She talks A LOT for her age as well. I have yet to meet a baby who didn't want to learn.
When my SD had just turned 2, she could count to 30, count to ten in Spanish, knew all her colors, and knew all the planets in order. By 3, she was beginning to read. Nobody pushed her, she just soaked it up like a sponge! lol

Viviana - posted on 09/01/2009

Sebastian is an April 2007 baby and have learned most of the alphabet watching "Super Why" in pbs kids channels, he loves it so much that I got the DVD for him. He can watch it over and over again.

Jessica - posted on 08/31/2009

My son learnt to count to ten in a matter of hours! Once hes confident with counting we will move to the alphabet. He also knows pretty much all the colours thanks to his little toy cars. Hes known them for about 8 months now?

Carol - posted on 08/31/2009

yes, my daughter Bailey is 2 and knows how to count to ten in english and jus recently started pickin up some spanish numbers in thanks to dora lol i say let them watch shows like that. We were shocked the other day when she repeated to six in Spanish with her daddy. She can tell you all her body parts, i started her out early teaching her those, make a fun game of it. As for the ABC's she hasnt been that intrested in them, she jus started singing a lil of the song but mixes twinkle twinkle in with it, im not rushing her she will get the hang of it. All kids learn on different levels.

Lesley - posted on 08/29/2009

Yes, we are. My son Kevin knows most of all the colors and 15 letters. Its always good to start early and work your way up, I wasn't the one who started on them, my son Kevin was, he came in the room and said "MAMA, look this is an "Y" and I cried because he knew what it was.. That's how we started on the numbers and letters and colors..

Mindy - posted on 08/29/2009

Thank You all!!! I am feeling very inspired and a little behind...We have the alphabet magnets on the fridge with the leapfrog letter sayer thingie, and they love to play with it...They Jacob and Joseph will repeat a few of the letters if I ask them to, I suppose with some repitition it can be a good learning tool...Thanks again and GOD Bless

Shannon - posted on 08/29/2009

My 2 year old is learning the aphabet song (sort of) and is working on numbers 1-10.

Josett - posted on 08/28/2009

My daughter turned 2 in April and we are just starting to work on letters with her. I have found that "The Letter Factory" a Leap Frog movie is a huge help. Not only does she love this movie, she is really catching on.

Dana - posted on 08/28/2009

My daughter (Apr baby) knows all of her letters by sight, can recite her numbers to about 40 in English and 10 in Spanish, can count to 5 (depending on the day), and has 4 sight words: Elmo, Maddy, Stop, red.



I say put the info out there, and don't push. You might be surprised what your baby picks up. We are often blown away.