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At what age should toddlers be able to write their own name, write and also count ?
How much should Kimberley be able to do at nearly 4 years old ?
It was her last day at little kindy yesterday and when picking up her work for the year it showed what she was able to do. It had a cross by write her own name and for counting she could only do 1-3 but she can count she just doesn't do it in the right order all the time.
When she writes she always does the letter T thinking she is writing.
Michelle, Erin was 4 in the middle of October and she only learnt to write her name just before that. She still can't write anything other than her name, but she can verbally count to 20 and recite the alphabet, but then she has an older brother who she copies all the time, so that may have helped her development in that area. What is she like with her drawings? is she drawing recognisable objects yet, like people houses etc? some children won't get the whole proper writing thing until they are nearly ready to start school and others get it a whole lot earlier kwim? It is also in the last few months that Erin's drawings are real drawings and not just scribble anymore - so she has started all at once sort of thing, like it has jsut clicked with her.
Sherie she can draw people and tries to draw other things it's one thing she loves to do is draw and paint. I'm just worried she will be behind some of the other kids when she starts big kindy in a few months.
When Kameron started kindy (at age 4) he could count to 10 easily and the teachers were quite impressed. I was told most kids can't even get to 5 at the start of kindy age. He couldn't write his own name, but now a year later can write his own name and that of his friends, and count to 30
Love
All kids are different. Paris has never been big on letters but is great with number she can easily count to 100 and easily recognise any number, 100's or 1000's and I've never sat down and taught her its just something she's been good at.
Letters we helped her out with and she can write her name easily (although we've been teaching her lower case after being advised to do so by school, apparently thats what they want the kids to know not upper case *oops*).
She started writing her name just before or just after her fourth birthday but was counting fantastically before that. But as I said in my other post it really doesn't matter, all kids are different some can write their names easily some can count to a hundred some are wonderful artists and some are great at sports :)
There is a little girl at our kinder who has been able to read since she was 3, she gets on her computer at home types out stories and prints them off and when her mother checks the spelling its all correct. She's a very clever girl and hilarious to talk to. Once again her mother never taught her its just something she's picked up being the youngest with a large age gap between her and her brothers.
*hugs*
Cailin
Thanks everyone for your replies it's made me feel heaps better.
Cailin thanks for the tip on lower case I've always shown Kimberley in upper case and some books do also.
Michelle, I read once that even being able to draw pictures of recognisable objects is the starting point for being able to learn to write - the writing of words will follow as a progression of the drawing kwim? I really do think that she is on the right track, and if you want to coach her a little and get her more familiar with letters and numbers, then that is great too. I strongly believe that personality has a lot to do with the way kids learn. Erin and Lindsay are like chalk and cheese and Erin is nowhere near to doing what Lindsay was at the same age because their interests are different.
Michelle I wouldnt be too concernd. In the west Australian curriculum......Writing the name legibly is a Level 1 outcome, which is usually reached between the middle of pre-primary and the middle of year 1. "writing" is considered as putting shapes or symbols onto a page and indicating that this represents writing. Also counting 1-10 in sequence is a level 1 objective so is reached between the same time frame as writing of the name.
Here is a few excerpts from the Outcomes and Standards Framework for level 1 which as I said is generally achieved any between halfway through preprimary- to half way through year 1.
Level 1 Writing- The student recognises that writing conveys information, produces written symbols with the intention of conveying a message and demonstrates an emerging awarenes of the conventions of writing.
-Students Produce written symbols with the intention of conveying an idea or message
-In Producing written symbols, students use known letters and approximation of letters, including a mixture of letters and symbols
Maths Number Level 1- The student reads, writes and says small whole numbers, using them to say how many things there are, makes collections of a given size and describes order.
My daughter will be 4 in Christmas Day, she can write her first name but has some problems to write her second name(Rebbekah), she's very advanced for her age, she can count 1-100 in English and Portuguese and from 1-50 in Dutch and just from 1-20 in Swedish, but waht else can I ask for at her age? She really surprise me everyday, she's a drawer, but she can only write her name
Thanks everyone.
Since posting this i have been watching Kimberley and she loves to draw and the other day she drew us all including baby in the tummy. She even thinking writing what looks like a T is her letters.
Silvia - thats amazing ! Apparently its the best itme to teach/learn a second language, in the first few years. I wish I knew a second language. I don't think swearing counts, does it ?
At Caits kinda their aim for the kids was to be able to recongise their name in print and count by rote from 1-10. I don't know if all pre schools in Victoria are like that. She could write her name at 3 1/2. She's just turned five, can count to about 180 before getting bored, reads about 80% of the words in her books and writes small sentences. She has a friend who has just started counting to 20 and when he heard her count, he freaked right out !! Like he didn't know there were numbers after 20. But then, he rides a bike and a skateboard and Cait doesn't.
A friend was telling me about childrens first drawings - they're called sun people - just a circle with sticks for arms and legs and a smile on the head.