If my 4 1/2 year old can't say his ABC's or count to 10 what do I need to do to help him catch up?

Question

If my 4 1/2 year old can't say his ABC's or count to 10 what do I need to do to help him catch up?

Answer 1

Repeating the alphabet and counting are just memorization. It's recognizing letters in print that matters. Singing the abc's is a good basis but point out letters while you're out and about. Environmental print is a great stepping stone---M in McD's. Same goes for numbers fabulous you can count out loud but work on counting objects....3 scoops of flour go into the cookies. Every day things can help teach your child.

Answer 2

first of all READ TO HIM any time any  place!!!!!!!!  Allow him to see you and other adults and children reading.  read signs to him, and package labels to him, that creates interest in letters and words.  count objects with him and have him count with you. expose him to  words in the home put labels on  things and he will become interested in what they  say.

Answer 3

Well,that's a very smart and considerate question.

First of all since he is 4 and a half your going to have to do something about him,because if you don't WHO WILL?

And yes,you do have to help him catch up.

I would try buying Barney tapes and Barney will teach him different things he will need to know in school.

My youngest brother is 4 years old and knows his ABC's and 123's.

He got all of this from Barney and his pre-school teacher says them out-loud and he listens and repeats.

I would try singing the  alphabet song with him.

You could also buy a dry-erase board and dry-erase markers and he could practice on the board.

My brother knows how to read the letters and write them.

Try reading Dr.Suess books and make sure that once you point to a letter he should know what it is.

This is a very important part in life when it comes to his future.

If you don't hold on to him right now he won't start school the way most children start.

I know someone that was sorta like you but she thought he could still succeed so she just left him on his own.

Today this boy is in special ED's and is in 6th grade and can barely read.

I really think you don't want your son ending up like that.

So which path do you chose?

*Hope this helped*

                                                                 -Marissa.C <3

Answer 4

My children learned a lot from watching Sesame Street, but one thing we did was read to our children, they love just spending time with us, but try and make it a learning experience at the same time.  

When you are reading to them, point out numbers, colors, or animals or ask "how many".  One good book for learning counting, I think it is a Dr. Seuss book, is "10 Apples up on Top".   All my children enjoyed that one.  When you are reading, show him the letter A, then on the next page, just casually ask, "Where is the A?  Or, point out the page numbers and ask "What page is this?"

Then, the next time you read the same book, ask the same questions and praise him when he says the right answers.   Soon, he will want to read the book just to show you all he knows in it.  

The "Step into Learning" books for preschoolers are very good.  You can find them for a good price in lots on eBay.

Answer 5

Keep repeating them to him, sing the ABC with him. Also get some ABC tapes/CDs and play them in the car. You learn by repeating something over and over again. So just play the CD over and over again. Isnt that how you learn the words to a song? Your in the car with the radio on, next thing you know you're singing the words to songs you dont even like. Im in the same boat with my 5 year old. He knows his ABC's he can count to 10. But he wont identify the numbers or letters.

Answer 6

Make your own Flash Cards,and go over them with him,every couple of hours..

Answer 7

i  have a  1yr old sis.im teaching her her numbers by starting like this,

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10, then i go  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 and wait for her to say 10. then, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 and she says 9 10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 and she says 8 9 10 do until u get to the end, when u get to the end tell her to say everything again, by then she should have memoriezed her numbers and b going 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10.

HOPE I HELPED!!

        

Answer 8

I would get alphabet flashcards. Use objects that are easy to identify, such as A is for apple etc. Baby Einstein has a great set of videos out to help teach your child. Personally I wouldn't use CD's as a learning tool because it will not show him objects to identify the letter with. (if that makes sense).

Flash cards work great for learning numbers, shapes, and colors too.

Reading to him will help him too because then he will get excited about the letters and the words and the stories and he will want to learn how to read.

The only way to get him caught up is to work with him everyday don't force him to learn when he is tired of it or is getting frustrated stop and try again later. Try and make everyday activities learning experiences for him.

I hope some of this helps I did all of this and more for my child but, I started when she was 6mos so I know that it works. My daughter knew her abc's and could count to ten by the time she was 1 1/2.Good Luck in your endeavor.

Answer 9

Just work with him when you get a chance- not so much that he gets frustrated with it, but a little here and there and try to make it fun. We use flash cards, the computer (Jump Start games are great), ABC/123 posters, counting games, etc. The counting will probably be the easiest to work with- count how many steps to the mailbox, car, bedroom, restroom, etc, count how many dishes you need for a meal, fingers & toes. You can sing ABCs any time also. He'll catch up before you know it!

Answer 10

Someone suggested singing the ABC's.  This is a good starter step but at this point in your son's life, he should be learning what the letters look like.  I would suggest using flashcards.  At the same time as you are reviewing the letters and what they look like, practice the sounds of the letters.  If your son loves birds or animals or food, I would put a picture of an animal/ food/ whatever along with the letter.  Children learn through different ways.  Also, your son is a boy.  It has been my experience that boys will be boys & they develop on their own schedule.  What he doesn't express today, he may show you tomorrow.  That's another situation: he may know what you are talking about but doesn't feel comfortable showing you his knowledge.  Yes, they can be shy with the person they are usually the most comfortable with.  The most important thing is to be patient with him!  

Some websites to peruse:

www.starfall.com

www.abcteach.com

www.pbs.org

Anecdotal: I had a boy in Kindergarten who on the first day, his mother told me he did not know his abc's or how to count.  The very next day when I quizzed him on his prior knowledge, he was able to identify 22 out of 26 letters!  However, even at Christmas break, he was not able to   recite the ABC song with the rest of the class.

I had another boy that same year in Kindergarten, who could not write his name, could not name the letters in his name, but could say the ABC's.  I moved to a different state after that year and I heard that he didn't make progress in his alphabet studies until the last quarter of first grade.  Thats right, he went on to first grade because my principal did not believe in holding that boy back because he has older siblings.

Answer 11

Dont make him do anything more! Teaching him the alphabet song is teaching a SONG! It means nothing. Learning the alphabet is hard work for little tackers - it involves letter and sound recognition and recognition of the grapheme (what the letter looks like) - then to complicate things we have digraphs like ph that say 'f'. He will learn these at school. Boys are often behind girls in literacy and especially at this young age. Let him enjoy his early pre school years.

Lots can be done to give him a hand thru play. When you fo out - read number plates on cars - find letters in his name, get him to find letters he knows in  a favourite book - praise and praise for his attempts.

Numbers are easier - there are numbers everywhere - make it relevant - get him helping you with things like "when the long hand is on the 5 (show him 5) remind mummy to....

Make it all fun and totally relevant - boys like to see the point.

Answer 12

My 20 month old grand daughter came to visit me in India from the USA. She would count to three and then jump to six ten and so on. We all played with her almost all her waking hours with numbers, shapes, animals and so on. In  India one gets to see animals like camels, bulls, cows, lambs and so on right at the door step brought by owners for rides entertainment and such.

She has gone back with so much inputs. Tomorrow she will be two. She counts to twenty five, identifies many geometric shapes, identifies various animals and birds and calls myriad uncles and aunts by name.

In my opinion it is only the amount of prime time we give them that counts. Even corporate entities in India recognize the need for this and they let us have a flexible schedule for work so that we can spend time with visiting kids.