LOL! nanan-chan learned all she knows through singing. she sings all day and always has done, bout 30-40 songs all up i think so to her it is really just another song. she does recognise names when we put them on the chalk board and can recognise a couple of letters but dont forget she has an older brother who thinks doing maths sums  and writing about his favourite x-men is the best fun since sliced bread. both my kids are "book smart" as they say. but logan has difficulity with being independant even at 6 years old. and rhiannon, well she just has not shut up since she was 10 months old!!

RB is doing so well. he has improved with his language  and behaviour so dramaticly in the last twoish years. he is a real little man and i think daycare has done wonders for him. he is by far more socially mature than nanan-chan. i dare say even logan because of it.

so dont worry he is doing well.

Just keep repeating and doing what you are doing.  I have been blessed with a daughter who caught on at an early age.  She has been counting to ten since a little before 2 and has known her abc's since shortly after her 3cd birthday.  She is now 3 and can write her name, all the abc's, and numbers.  I know this may not be of any help; but, she would not have gotten this way if her dad and I had not stayed on top of her learning and getting to know what each and every letter and number is.

My daughters are unusual as they are interested in numbers and letters while they're still two. That's what I've decided anyway. DD2 is nearly 2&3/4 and she can sing the alphabet song (big sister could too) but also thanks to her sisters V-tec toy she can recognise all the letters, which I know big sister couldnt until she was older (ie she didnt know Q until nearly 4). So if you can find a toy or website which he enjoys "playing" on and which teaches him the alphabet (or numbers) then that will help. However, until he starts school he wont really NEED to know, and plenty of kids start school with a few letters of the aphabet still to learn (like Q!). I know my DD1's target on leaving Preschool was to count to 20, so that must be a UK target for 4 year olds. Had to laugh coz at nearly 5 she was most of the way to 100 but the tester hadnt realised that ("counts to 20, tick box, move on"). DD2 thinks numbers are fun and has realised they are everywhere, especially on lamp posts and traffic lights. I think because we talk about them all the time she has had lots of practice, and will now yell out the numbers as we drive past lamp posts on the way to school, which has its disadvantages! If he likes Thomas the Tank engine you could teach him numbers thru that. Just find things that interest him, and if all it involves is counting the balls he kicks or bricks he can build into a wall, that may teach him the point of numbers. But if he doesnt appear interested, dont worry, he will catch up when he's ready I'm sure.

To be honest i wouldent worry sweetie . All kids are differant kylie didnt start putting her alphabet together and counting until she was 4 at 3 she wouldent even give it a go . Yet chloe is just turned 3 and is willing to give t a go and is already remembering 7 letters (a,b,c,e,g,d,p) and 2 numbers (2,4) . He is only 3 he has plenty of time to catch p yet . Keep getting the alphabet and numbers into him and before you know it he wil be off flashing through them x

Hi there,

As everyone else has said there is nothing to worry about at all and Master Ratbag sounds like he is developing just fine. i wouldn't stress too much about your friends daughter because my neice will stand there and sing the alphabet song but if you asked her to say the alphabet or show her a letter she wouldn't be able to tell you what it was and she is 5 weeks older than Josh (almost 4).

With Josh we actually never really taught him to count or say the alphabet but by age 3.5 he could count to 30 unassisted and can tell you any letter of the alphabet and a word with which that letter starts with. People always think that we must have sat him down and taught him all this stuff but i can honestly say that the only thing we did was spent time with our son playing educational games. You sound like you are doing everything right in terms of counting things out with him. Another game that Josh loved was to pair socks up when i was folding the washing, maybe try that one with ratbag.

You are doing a great job.

Love Juzzy xoxoxoxoxoxox

Hey Rhadika from what I remember studying through one of the child development modules, 3-4 year olds can usually count 2-3 objects but have little idea of larger quantities. So your son is doing really well! - Strategies to support this development: Use lots of songs, rhymes that involve counting, for example 5 little monkeys jumping on the bed, five in the bed, johnny works with one hammer, the bee hive, two little dicky birds, 1,2,3,4,5 once I caught a fish alive etc Also simple stories such as the 3 billy goats gruff. As for language by the age of 3-4 years children should be able to start changing tense of verbs from present to past. This usually involved just adding "ed" to everything such as "I catched the ball" instead of "I caught the ball." Strategies for development: Lots of conversation, lots of stories, model correct pronunciation, repeat what the child has said back to them.. for example the child may say "I catched the ball" you would say "Yes that's right darling, you caught the ball didn't you?"

What a clever boy you have!

 You have been given some good advice but sweet you have nothing to be concerned about your son, he  is doing just fine and hey he is only 3. Everything you do with him, play with his cars, count, learning a few letters, reading books....he is learning and more importantly having fun while he is learning.

Stop worrying.

Mum xxxx

bug is very clever and smart and has a mum that home schools so she is advanced for her age. mr ratbag is fine at where he is.

Charlie just got her school report for sem 1 and it has as criteria that she knows her ABC's and can count to 10 using objects and pointing. they learn all this at school. knowing it before hand is just ease on teachers.

Honestly the best thing to do with kids is read to them daily and point to letters and words. count things as you pic them up like making a sandwhich, 2 slices of bread 3 peices of cheese 5 olives etc. talking about daily things too helps their speach.

you are doing a fantastic job hun and ratbag is fine, if he wasnt day care would say something.

At 3 their focusing skills are still developing and actually it is hard for them to look at words, written numbers letters etc and see them individually. They gradually develop this as they get to school starting age. So wouldnt worry took much about that side of it but it is great to count out loud and sing a,b,c etc.

Another good maths exercise is to get a pile of a certain object like ,blocks or matchbox cars etc and count them into groups. So for example count 10 blocks, then divide them into groups of 2, or 5 and just gets that idea in their head that 10 can be divided up.  And just make sure its fun. Also could get him to pass you clothes pegs and count them as he passes, the possibilites are endless.

The best way to get him to love reading is to read him loads of books at this age.

I agree that some parents just concentrate on things more than others and it all useually pans out in the end that they are the same level anyway lol

My daughter was fairly quick in things like counting but couldnt say the alphabet to save her life lol

I think they expect by age four (kindergarten here) that a child knows how to write their name, knows their shapes and can count to ten?

At three he has plenty of time to pick it up and im sure hes just fine :)

Some kids pick up these sorts of thing really early and quickly..  That does not necessarily mean that the child is gifted.  My oldest knew all about number and could do 20 piece jigsaw's before 2.  My middle on is now 3 and couldn't do a jigsaw to save his life and couldn't care less about numbers other than to occassionally play ball and recite some after us.  However looking back at how they both are in general I would not say one is smarter than the other, they are just simply different.  There are children in my eldests prep class who are still only learning letters now.  I think it is expected that by about 7 their knowledge will be "about" the same...

It also comes down to how much time you devote to numbers and letters verses just playing with your child.  My eldest had grandparents obsessed with teaching him these things..  His grandfather has since passed away and his nanna is still coming to terms with it all 2 years later.  So my second hasn't had the same opportunities..

Don't stress..  Keep giving him the opportunity to learn and he'll pick it up when he's ready.