My son is having problems knowing his letters and numbers. Pls I need inputs frm fellow nairalanders on how to help my son learn as he is lagging way behind in learning, thanks in anticipation of useful contributions

Lots of patience and creativity is needed.
There are lots of edible stuffs in alphabets and numbers. I suggest you get them and play a game and if he gets to identify them, he gets a treat.

You want three years to identify letters and figure? Cönvince me that you ar serious?

2cato:
You want three years to identify letters and figure? Cönvince me that you ar serious?

Exactly, it is too early.
Why the hurry?

As the fella above said, patience on your part is key. You must not give him any impression that he's not trying or that you are frustrated/disappointed else, you might just discourage him altogether.

One easy way to teach him, is to use fanciful things. Kids are attracted to bright coloured things so you can get him those alphabet/number play set with each letter coloured differently from the other; same with the alphabets. That works a lot.

Learning workbooks with pictorial representation of these numbers and alphabets is also a way to catch his attention and arouse curiousity in him.

He will come around, he's 3 but you must not push him beyond his strength: if it will take him a week to learn just a letter, follow him at that pace his mind is only expanding to accomodate new information.

Don't be pressured by the progress other kids of his age are making. He's just 3. He deserves nothing but play. It's just sad many parents don't know kids learn a lot through play. In your own interest, don't rush the guy. As a Psychologist, there is what is called Individual differences. #Peace.

Since you are in a hurry for him to grow up, there are ipad for kids in a toy form. I don't know if it is in Nigeria.
It mentions letters and figures when the kids press it.

Also there are toys that looks like scrabble. It has different figures and letters.

carefreewannabe:


Exactly, it is too early.
Why the hurry?

too early? no. my 3yr son can identify n write letters n numbers correctly. there are othr kids that are beta than him. its not easy. you need to equip him with educational toys n devote quality time for him. prayer changes things. it is well.

eripecs:
too early? no. my 3yr son can identify n write letters n numbers correctly. there are othr kids that are beta than him. its not easy. you need to equip him with educational toys n devote quality time for him. prayer changes things. it is well.

I am sure he will write a book by the age of five.

Dictionary sef
Nigerian mothers and their high Level of ignorance
And after all dis My one year old can read,my 2 year old can give a speech
where is naija?

carefreewannabe:


I am sure he will write a book by the age of five.

carefreewannabe:


Exactly, it is too early.
Why the hurry?

Are you guys serious? Too early? My 3 year old can write 1-20 and a-m. Not just identify, write it too.

My son could read 2 letter words at 4 years old.

Please put the boy in a good school, he will learn.

rolled:
Dictionary sef
Nigerian mothers and their high Level of ignorance
And after all dis My one year old can read,my 2 year old can give a speech
where is naija?

At the age of 3-4 children start to understand the concept of counting. It is possible to teach them how to count to 10 or 20 and to teach them to write a few capital letters but there should be no pressure. There is so much they have to learn at this stage and pressure will destroy their natural need to discover their environment, to learn to name colors, run more confidently, sort objects by shape and color, dress and und*ress without help and much much more. There is a reason why children do not go to school before the age of 6-7 in many countries.

Many mothers are insecure because they hear from other mums how their kids discovered a new planet.

Stimulate your kids in a gentle way and believe in them so that they will believe in themselves.
No need to exaggerate.

Thanks to you all for all your contributions. Actually, in Nigeria, kids go to sch much earlier and are grouped in classes by age too so kids of his age knw stuff like that. I'm a knowledgeable mother and I know kids learn at different pace but wen ur child's pace continually fall short of expectation, one tends to be bothered. He has many of these detachable alphabets with board, english learner toy, he listens to phonics cd dt teaches alphabeth yet, he still cannot identify any.

carefreewannabe:


Exactly, it is too early.
Why the hurry?

Thanks a lot, not dt I'm in a hurry but I don't know maybe u can understand if ure d mother of that child dt has been lagging behind since nursery class, now, he's in Kg. I just want to help him learn some more.

Nikkygold4life:
Thanks to you all for all your contributions. Actually, in Nigeria, kids go to sch much earlier and are grouped in classes by age too so kids of him age knw stuff like that. I'm a knowledgeable mother and I know kids learn at different pace but wen ur child's pace continually fall short of expectation, one tends to be bothered. He has many of these detachable alphabets with board, english learner toy, he listens to phonics cd dt teaches alphabeth yet, he still cannot identify any.

Try to be patient with him dear mummy..I was like you always setting milestones for my daughter based on my friends kids (mostly in Nigeria by the way ) I was so wound up about it and was always on her nursery teachers neck.You know what she started faring better as soon as I calmed down.Believe me your frustration shows and he can read your body language.

Calm down and continue to work/stimulate him with the educational toys (toddlers learn through play like carefreewannabe said) and quit being wound up about it so he can believe in himself.
You want a well rounded confident child not a recluse who can recite 1-200 by heart at 3.

Oya
Go to Google and type "how to make kids identify numbers or alphabets or phonics(choose your own words)
Click on the images
It brings out so many useful pictures of numbers or what you want
Print them out(easier when you have a printer at home)
I printed lots out and photocopied for my daughter
Now she has really improved but it wasn't Easy sha
Teach him everyday,slowly,no rush.start with numbers 1 then2.
Number 1 is always easier
Before you know it,he is good

Thank u so much for ur love, I think I really need to calm down, I'm taking a deep breath right now. Maybe becos he's my first child, dts why I'm bothered. My son is so wonderful, some times its kind of ironic to me, so eager to learn but dis problem of identification still persist, if I decide, to read him stories, he won't allow me stop, and on his own while playing, he sometimes mention the title of a story. Then anther area is dt, he's easily distracted by his environment which his class teacher also mentioned to me. But, I think, its time to be patient with him as some contributors have suggested.

Lol at good school
You realise kids develop differently? And understand differently too?

Daresh:


Are you guys serious? Too early? My 3 year old can write 1-20 and a-m. Not just identify, write it too.

My son could read 2 letter words at 4 years old.

Please put the boy in a good school, he will learn.

Nikkygold4life:
Thank u so much for ur love, I think I really need to calm down, I'm taking a deep breath right now. Maybe becos he's my first child, dts why I'm bothered. My son is so wonderful, some times its kind of ironic to me, so eager to learn but dis problem of identification still persist, if I decide, to read him stories, he won't allow me stop, and on his own while playing, he sometimes mention the title of a story. Then anther area is dt, he's easily distracted by his environment which his class teacher also mentioned to me. But, I think, its time to be patient with him as some contributors have suggested.

Please don't mind all those people saying you should slow down. Maybe abroad you can afford to slow down but not in Naija. You know where kids his age are and what they are doing.

You can get this Leapfrog's Letter factory not Alphabet factory o. They are different. Letter factory teaches phonics while the other teaches letters. I started playing it for them from when they were 8months. It is so interesting and engaging. For numbers, what i did was to group the numbers into 3. Teach 1-3 for a week. Pull up flash cards and show him. Let him assimilate it. Point out anything that has the numbers on it. Even if it is 31, show him 3 and 1.

If all these don't have an effect, you need to start thinking of learning disabilities inasmuch as no one prays for it. He might have dyslexia. The earlier it is detected, the earlier you can get help for him and enable him fulfill his potential.

The preschohttp://www.babycenter.com/0_learning-milestones-cognitive-skills-ages-3-and-4_72271.bcl

Preschool years aren't about academic learning, but they do lay the foundation for later schooling. Your child will learn the basics of problem solving, observing, and discovering.

Here are some specific cognitive milestones you can expect your 3- to 4-year-old to reach. Keep in mind that children develop at different rates and that every teacher follows a different curriculum, so your child may not do everything on this list.

In preschool, your child will learn to

Solve problems. For example, she may ask another child to trade toys so they can each have a turn.

Observe objects with curiosity and notice differences, such as how some rocks are smooth and others are bumpy.

Explore cause and effect — shaking a jar of water, for instance, and noticing how it creates bubbles.

Use something she already knows to attack a new problem. For instance, after learning to use a computer mouse to navigate around a site, she may test that skill by trying to play a computer game

.Think logically. She'll be able to classify objects by size or likeness, for instance, and to recognize patterns.

Be aware of her own body in space. You may hear her say things like "I'm up high on the slide."

Understand the concept of sequence. For example, she may sort objects from smallest to largest.Use numbers and count


.Understand basic concepts of time, such as "now," "soon," and "late."

Identify six to eight colors and three or more shapes.

Take on pretend roles. For example, she may hold a doll and say, "I'm the mommy" or look in a doll's ear and say, "I'm the doctor." You may also notice that she has a vivid imagination and perhaps even imaginary playmates.

Understand that pictures and objects can symbolize something else. For example, she may tell you that something she's scribbled is a picture of a dog, or she may show you the "house" she built out of blocks.

Complete a six- to eight-piece puzzle.Notice the features of people and animals that make them different. For instance, she may see that rabbits have big, furry ears while people have rounded, hairless ones.

Understand the difference between herself and younger children

.Identify familiar signs and labels, for instance stop signs and her own name.


OP can your son do some of these things?

Checklists and tickboxes sometimes make you anxious but the emphasis for a 3 year old should be cognitive reasoning.

Nikkygold4life:

Thanks a lot, not dt I'm in a hurry but I don't know maybe u can understand if ure d mother of that child dt has been lagging behind since nursery class, now, he's in Kg. I just want to help him learn some more.

I understand your concern. You care about your child and that is very good but every child is different and the fact that he seems to be slower than the other kids today does not mean that he will be slower forever.

Please, do not compare your child with other kids all the time. Every child is different. Make your child's development your reference standard, do not judge your child based on comparisons. Consciously appreciate each of his developmental steps and milestones (not only regarding counting and writing) and you will see that your child develops a lot each week and each month. Appreciate it and you will be both happy.

By the way, the comments on this thread made me understand why there are so many literate illiterates in this country.
They learned to encode letters / signs very early but that early encoding ability didn't help them understand what they are actually reading.

Wish you all the best with your child.

Nikkygold4life:
Thank u so much for ur love, I think I really need to calm down, I'm taking a deep breath right now. Maybe becos he's my first child, dts why I'm bothered. My son is so wonderful, some times its kind of ironic to me, so eager to learn but dis problem of identification still persist, if I decide, to read him stories, he won't allow me stop, and on his own while playing, he sometimes mention the title of a story. Then anther area is dt, he's easily distracted by his environment which his class teacher also mentioned to me. But, I think, its time to be patient with him as some contributors have suggested.

if he is ur first then no problem as it is a common xperience with most of them. he'll naturally pick up at 3. just do ur best n leave d rest.

Blank thanks a lot, I'll continue to get stuffs dt will improve him, and about dyslexia, what age do one start to consider it as a possibility and how can one get help?
Damiso: thanks for ur time, yes, he can do some of these things, though some might not be thorough, since d milestones is btw 3-4, I think I'm positive dt he'll still meet them at his pace. He just clocked 3 early october.
Carefreewannabe: I'm so honoured, I always appreciate his milestones and dt makes him happy. I share ur sentiments in d last paragraph but that's d educational system we have here in Nigeria, and I'm still very much around, one can't do much about it.

You could get learning videos for him. I don't know of any but kids in my church are sharp and when I ask their parents they often talk about some learning video. This is the time to enhance your child's brain, it's never too early to start. And also look out for his talents. Gone are those days where we just rely on academics. If you see a talent in your child, biko enhance it. It might be his money maker.

Oh Nigeria. Hmmm.
I remember going to pick up my nephew in school one day he was just 3 or 4 and he was not done with his class work and the teacher asked the other kids to say "Shame" to him just as I was stepping in.
I called the teacher aside and asked why she would do that, she said he was slowing down her class, he always took his time to finish up while the other kids finish much earlier, so I asked her what in her training was she told to do with a child that is a little different with others, she stood there blank. Meaning she herself had just crammed her training manual to pass exams and remembers nothing. My Nephew on the other hand at that age like me loved to take his time to understand not just cram and reproduce like a robot who wont remember half of what he was taught when he actually nEeds it.

I wrote a letter to the school quoting relevant sections of the teachers guide, wrote to the Primary Education Board and also got my Nephew out of that school before educated Illiterates kill his self esteem. He is a big boy now, confident, strong and smart.

Sadly I dont get how we do education here, its a bloody competition, we dont care about understanding only cramming, we dont care about understanding who our kids are only comparing them with others. Heck why am I shocked some parents are still beating their kids and forcing them to use their right hands when they are clearly left handed.

Poster, stop looking at other kids UNDERSTAND YOUR OWN KID

aisha2:
Oh Nigeria. Hmmm.
I remember going to pick up my nephew in school one day he was just 3 or 4 and he was not done with his class work and the teacher asked the other kids to say "Shame" to him just as I was stepping in.
I called the teacher aside and asked why she would do that, she said he was slowing down her class, he always took his time to finish up while the other kids finish much earlier, so I asked her what in her training was she told to do with a child that is a little different with others, she stood there blank. Meaning she herself had just crammed her training manual to pass exams and remembers nothing. My Nephew on the other hand at that age like me loved to take his time to understand not just cram and reproduce like a robot who wont remember half of what he was taught when he actually nEeds it.

I wrote a letter to the school quoting relevant sections of the teachers guide, wrote to the Primary Education Board and also got my Nephew out of that school before educated Illiterates kill his self esteem. He is a big boy now, confident, strong and smart.

Sadly I dont get how we do education here, its a bloody competition, we dont care about understanding only cramming, we dont care about understanding who our kids are only comparing them with others. Heck why am I shocked some parents are still beating their kids and forcing them to use their right hands when they are clearly left handed.

Poster, stop looking at other kids UNDERSTAND YOUR OWN KID

Thank you so much, I've been enlightened by ur response,

Op...pls, my son is 3 nd he recognises 1-20 already....he can write1-10, knos his colours and his shapes....I got him learning aids and I always take my time to practice with him but once I noticed he's tired, I let him be. Please check www.preschoolprepco.com for relevant materials. We are in d era where kids learn fast now. Dey however needs our encouragemt.

Kingskiddie: Thanks a lot, apart frm all these educational materials, can a montessori school help my child? I don't know much about it, so I need ur contributions, thanks.

Nikkygold4life:
Thank u so much for ur love, I think I really need to calm down, I'm taking a deep breath right now. Maybe becos he's my first child, dts why I'm bothered. My son is so wonderful, some times its kind of ironic to me, so eager to learn but dis problem of identification still persist, if I decide, to read him stories, he won't allow me stop, and on his own while playing, he sometimes mention the title of a story. Then anther area is dt, he's easily distracted by his environment which his class teacher also mentioned to me. But, I think, its time to be patient with him as some contributors have suggested.

How many of those telling you to force your child are experts? As a trained teacher and an educational psychologist, I strongly advise that you have patience. kids grow differently. On the second issue of distraction, take that seriously, it could be ADHD. ADHD is my thesis at Masters. So if you don't mind, I can send you an ADHD assessment scale. Give it to the teacher to fill it and score. That's when you can know his problem. All the best.

Nikkygold4life:
My son is having problems knowing his letters and numbers. Pls I need inputs frm fellow nairalanders on how to help my son learn as he is lagging way behind in learning, thanks in anticipation of useful contributions

He might just be a little bit delayed but you need to see a behavioral specialist ASAP. early intervention is key. Don't wait

NifemiOlu:


How many of those telling you to force your child are experts? As a trained teacher and an educational psychologist, I strongly advise that you have patience. kids grow differently. On the second issue of distraction, take that seriously, it could be ADHD. ADHD is my thesis at Masters. So if you don't mind, I can send you an ADHD assessment scale. Give it to the teacher to fill it and score. That's when you can know his problem. All the best.

Thank you very much. Patience is the key. That's where a lot of parents miss it. Glad the poster pays attention to her kid.

Daresh:


Are you guys serious? Too early? My 3 year old can write 1-20 and a-m. Not just identify, write it too.

My son could read 2 letter words at 4 years old.

Please put the boy in a good school, he will learn.

I'm surprised to hear that a three year old not recognizing their alphabet and numbers is typical