Help Teaching 4-Year Old

I had a friend who's son did the same thing. The Kdg. teacher called her telling her that her son didn't know any of the above things you mentioned when the mother knew very well that he did. She had to go in for a meeting with the boy and the teacher and he finally did it for his mother with the teacher present. After that I don't think she had many more problems. I hope this helps some.
Good Luck. :)

Not to be the opposite story, I wouldn't sweat it yet. I will share that when my son was in preschool, he exhibited similar symptoms in that one of the preschool teachers felt like he was behind the other kids. Turns out he was! Fast forward and he is ADHD and dyslexic.

I wouldn't sweat it yet. Like one of the moms recommended: file the idea away for awhile.

If you don't see any improvement after trying some of the things mentioned by others and by the fall, consider having her tested. It hit so close to home, we opened a business to help our son and people like us. Learn more at www.diaohio.org. In most cases if the issue ends up being dyslexia and it is caught in 1st grade, it can be remediated by 3rd grade with no lasting effect depending on the severity and type.

In your situation I would set up a rewards system for her. Think of the things that she likes. When she answers the flash cards right you can reward her with things that she likes. Like for instance you want her to learn her colors you can start by labeling everything you see in your home and when you are out. Like you can tell her I see the green ball. What color is the ball? If she tries to give the wrong answer you can tell her if you tell me the right answer I will give you a sticker or reward of what she likes. Most children like stickers. You could also use her favorite snack or toy. You can take her to the park or do a special activity with her if she answers the right question that you are asking her. Do not give up. Some children it takes lots of reputation or repeating and repeating the colors and numbers. Does she like to play games? You could get her Leap Frog Bingo. My son is doing well with the leap frog bingo. I have a 3 year old son who is working on his numbers and colors. He knows alot of his colors but I know this helps him. He likes playing games. Maybe if you make it fun for her to learn she will be interested in it. I have used the flash cards my self and I could tell you that my child does not stay interested in the flash cards as long as he does the games. He enjoys the games alot better. The leap frog bingo game has numbers,colors,shapes, and you can work on her adding and subtracting. What I do with my son is I tell him that if he does what I want him to do then he will get the reward right after he does it. That shows your child that you are proud of them and if they answer correctly they will get more rewards.

Don't stress it. You know that she knows it and your daughter's preschool teacher will not be the one writing her college recommendations. Give her time to share it with them at school but if she chooses not to, that's ok too. I wouldn't reward her for answering correctly, this promotes learning for recognition and will only do it if she gets something out of it. Instead, keep exposing her to as much as possible so you can foster a love of learning without pushing. Also, let her "teach" her younger siblings. Let them do flash cards, share a book, or talk about colors/shapes/letters/numbers they may see.

Do take this into consideration in looking for a kindergarten though. Distraction can be something she grows out of or may stay constant. Be sure to find a classroom that is quiet and the children are generally doing the same thing. A centers based curriculum may not be for her.

The best way to find out what she knows is to do it when she doesn't know you are doing it. Take her to the grocery store. Make a grocery list for her with a big "A" then a picture of an apple. Have her find the matching items on her list then you can talk about the letter and find more. Have 5-10 letters or colors each time you go and increase it each time. Have her help you with putting the silverware into the drawer when it is clean. This is a sorting skill in preparation for math. If she can sort the knives and the forks first then the spoons then she can do her basic shapes. Extend the game to the real shapes made out of construction paper. Let her help cut them out - another thing teachers like them to know. Have her stack them in the right groups and talk about what shape they are. Find those shapes at the grocery when you go out. You probably won't be able to take all your kids on this special shopping trip but it would be a fun mommy/daughter date that can end up with an ice cream on the way home! (What shape is the ice cream cone?) Have fun and don't sweat it. She will pick it up very quickly!

Hi! I teach pre-kindergarten and have taught your daughter's age for many years. It is not at all unusual for parents to do conferences with me, only to be shocked that according to the tests, their kids are behind. They will argue that they KNOW their kids knows these things, and I have to answer that I don't doubt it but for purposes of the test, a refusal to answer or a guess given because of lack of focus is seen as a deficit. All you have to remember is that focus is the issue, and her behavior that it is funny to act "dumb". Instead of drilling her so hard on the flash cards, try her in day-to-day situations....like playing I Spy in the grocery store. That way you can see how she applies what she knows from the cards. Plus, most kids your daughter's age are only beginning to recognize letters and numbers. There isn't much pressure for that now in my opinion.

If you are working with her with flashcards, you really shouldn't worry too much. My daughters birthday is in November also, so she had to wait a year for kindergarten. From the 'report cards' that I received from her preschool teacher, I thought I was gonna have to hire a tutor. It really had me stressed out....I was told she only knew a couple letters and didn't recognize numbers. Bottom Line...some kids just take a little longer to be 'ready' to learn. She's now in kindergarten and is doing WONDERFUL. I just would quiz her when we were in the car. I'd ask what letters/numbers were on the billboards & would have her tell me how many tokens it took for games at Chuck E. Cheese. Just find something that interests her & run with it. Good Luck and try not to worry so much! :)

C.,

Unless you think that there are developmental delays in your daughter, if you spend time enriching her envionment at home you are doing enough. If her preschool teachers think that there is something more, then they should refer her to the local school district for an evaluation. Ask them if they think an evaluation is in order, if they say no, then relax until she is in kindergarten and see how she does.

Pack this away as a possible warning for the future, but don't take it out unless you start to see her have trouble with something else later. If you have any other concerns about her development, then have her evaluated yourself.

Children develop at thier own pace, and children who enter kindergarten not knowing thier letters and numbers (who have no other developmental, lerning, or cognitive issues) will catch up with the rest of the children and they will all pretty much even out by the time they enter the 4th grade. That is why gifteness is difficult to identify in young children, becasue for some children, highly enriched enviornments produce a quick response and early learning of skills that cannot be sustained over the long haul.

You are probably better off reading with her everyday, talking to her with a nice vocabulary, and providing her the most enriched enviornment you can than you are using flash cards with her.