This is an old thread, but now i have ** BROADBAND ** I feel like replying to everything !

Debbie you're lucky you are a teacher and have the background and the interest and the inclination to do that. What is it about a childs first five years and their brain and formation and stuff, all the groundwork is done before they get to school. My sister is a teacher and has had kids whos parents have never read to them, who dont know how to hold a book.

About everyday educaction - I give Cait 10 cents at the milk bar and she finds a lolly with 10cents on the front and we talk about two 5cent lollies being the same price. Years back we used to count food - nuggets, peas, smarties. We have a lot of those basic alphabet books with a letter to a page and we also made one and cut pictures out of magazines. Shapes and street signs. We also have a few seasme street books with numbers, colours and shapes. The cardboard page books that have been thru the mill. Most books and puzzles come from school fetes and op shops. Friends are going to DK parties at the moment paying top dollar for books that do the same as my 50 cent ones.

The calendar - more use this year since she turned four - going through the months and writing in birthdays and stuff and doing countdowns until good events like parties or going out.

Anything with shapes, colours, numbers, letters on it can be used. Price tickets on things, letter boxes, counting steps. With the clock - I tell Cait she can put the TV on at 3 when the kids shows are on and instead of nagging me for when its 3 oclock, she looks at the oven clock now.

I just had a thought - it's just like play school in real life, 14 hours a day !

Barbs brag moment - Cait can count to 182 before she gets bored and wants to stop and has known her full name, mine and nicks name, address and phone number since she was 3. She can recognise and write about 20 words including - I love Fry. (I didnt know futurama had that impact !)