Help with teaching letter recognition to my 4 year old???

Don't worry about teaching too much academics. Your son will be learning these things in kindergarten. You wouldn't learn German before you took a German class right? A lot of parents worry about this. They feel their child should know the curriculum before they enter kindergarten to give them a "one up." These children usually end up bored. Social and emotional readiness is more important than academic readiness. If your son does not have a lot of exposure to other children (one on one and in small groups several times a week), consider enrolling him in preschool (no more than 4 days a week and no more than 3 hours per day). If you cannot do this, do whatever you can to get him exposed to other children as much as possible. It will really help prepare him for kindergarten.

He should learn just a few letter sounds and numbers (every state is different when is comes to how high children should count. Some say to 6 and others say to 20. Check out the requirements for you area). You want him to have the basic knowledge that a given symbol represents a given sound or number. You can play games like "I spy" with him. "I spy in my little eye something that starts with the letter "mmmmm." Teach him lower case letters! His teacher will expect him to learn lower case first since these letters are in most of our writing. You can have a flash card with the symbol for him to recognize as well as object for him to match the card to. Play some counting games with him as well. Count how many cars go by, count the blocks, or count out how many forks you will need for dinner. Keep it fun. If he feels you are trying to teach him, he may resist.

These are some basic skills that you son should have before starting school: hold a pencil in an orthodox way, recognize his name, write his name (upper case first letter followed by lower case), know 8 basic colors, no his address and phone number, cut with scissors, dress himself, open his lunch without help, and take care of ALL bathroom needs. Here is a link to some more readiness skills http://www.srvusd.k12.ca.us/schools/REGISTRATION_I...

Here is another great site!

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/

Relax and good luck!

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Usually their ABC's, tying shoes, and counting to atleast 50, things like that.

Try teaching him while he's moving and out and about. And teach him all the time, passively. Always on your lips.

When youre out driving ask him to find an "A" on a sign, and tell you its color. When you're in the store let him look over the packages and point to the letters and tell him what they are, ask him to find a certain letter. When you're at home, read to him and point out the different letters.

Some children learn better in real life than from books or sit down lessons. Others learn better (especially boys) when their bodies are in motion.

Whatever you do, dont make is a serious thing, you'll burn him out on it. He will catch on on his own. If he doesnt have it completely down by school time they will be able to help him catch up.

It will click for him, and you. Dont worry. Teaching happens every waking moment of the day, not at the table with a book or pencil. :) You're on the right path and doing a great job.

erinjl123 has all the info listed that your little one needs to know for Kindergarten.

Two points I want to make from what Ive noticed with my kids is that when they are ready to learn, they learn. I went to college with a lady who had no interest in reading whatsoever until she was 9. At 9 she picked up a book and is now an avid reader & one of the smartest people I know! She went to the Waldorf School so her rebellion in choosing not to read was not a crisis.

The other thing is, both of my kids missed the cut off to start kindergarden and allthough I was really disappointed at first I have come to be a big fan of having older kids start kindergarden. I have observed that the younger children in my kids classes are predominatley in the lower reading groups & unless they are really gifted they are always working twice as hard to learn at grade level. My best advice is to not put him in kindergarden at 5, wait til he is 6. He will do better & rather than being one of the smaller boys he will be one of the bigger boys - that matters.

You are obviously a great mom! Whatever you do or decide, for you little one will be the best!

Worksheets do not help the 4 year old. What you need to do with your child is READ, READ, READ. When he hears you read and follow along with the story, he will start to understand speech patterns and then the letter recognition will come soon after. Point out letters in his name, store signs, etc......Make it fun. Did you like flashcards when YOU were little? Good Luck.

Signed, a future reading teacher

They have these ABC sponges I taught my son his ABC's in the bathtub. I would stick the sponges on the bathtub and make a statement like A is for Alligator I would have him repeat after me

then go to the next letter. When we were riding down the road I would ask him where the letter A was and he could point it out in a sign. They also have videos that go over all that stuff that are very helpful. As far as kindergarden they will have to be able to write their name, know their address and telephone number, how to tie their shoes. All their colors . Right now is the best time to teach him these things because whether you think they are paying attention they are. But you've gotta make it fun.

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Should be able to say the alphabet,

count to twenty,

should know some of the ABC by looking at them

write first name

basic shapes

colors

I would just work with him a little each day. Do things to support 1 letter at a time. Don't worry if he does not get it just yet. He has a whole year to get ready.

I used to put the cards up along the wall and had them go get the letter.....after a few days they were able to pick the right cards......I figured just sitting there and making them stare at cards was boring....I even made a game out of it by having other kids their age race to the right card and pick it up.

Kindergarten expects them to at least know how to write their name.

Did the same with my Grand daughter......she as been in only a couple months now and can read easy books.

Every school in every town and state is different. Go to your school and ask for a print out of what you child will need to know for kindergarten. As far as you helping him. Kids learn with hands on. Make letters out of play doh, pop sticks, rocks, cheerios, cookie dough and stuff like that. When you are out in town point out letters that stick out and make it a game. Read books with him every day. ABC Dr. Suess is great because he can help you read the letters in the book. Also, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Make a game out of it and make it a lot of fun.