Learning Letters

M.,
I am a Montessori school teacher, grades 1-3.

Usually kids can trace them by 1st grade, some time sooner. It depends on the child. However, they don't usually pay attention to the arrows and instructions until at least 1st grade. If the child is not tracing in the correct direction, I would demonstrate for them. You mgiht have to show them that the letters start here, then they go all the way up to that dotted line, then all the way back down, or whatever the letter calls for. Sometimes, they just perceive things different than we think they should. It is okay, and it is also okay for you to patiently show them again and again. I hope this helps

I am not a teacher but I believe they start teaching children how to use letter sheets in Kindergarten (about 5 yrs. old)

I taught ages 3-5 for Head Start for over 5 years plus raised 3 of my own. Usually around age 4 it really depends on the child. Some kids arent ready until are almost 5 some are ready at 3. Dont force them because then they will never try it. First start off with solid A's to trace and then when they have done that then go to the dotted A's. The solid A's make it easier for them to see how it is done and then work towards just using 3 dots. It will take awhile but they will get the hang of it. Also give Nathanael paper and pencil with adult supervison so that he dosen't feel left out and it might get him on the learning track faster. Also start working with them on thier first, last name and then work on phone number then address. Only teach them part of the address at a time. Teach it to both James and Nathanael. You will be supriesed that they both can learn it. My daughter knew her whole name, address, town, state, and phone number by the time she was 2 1/2. Hope this helps.

A.

I have an early childhood degree and have taught pre-k and kindergarten for years, and the normal age is usually 4, but like letter recognition and reading, it sometimes, not usually happens earlier. If your child shows the interest and it is fun activity, encourage it for sure. If he resists, don't push it. You want learning to be FUN and enjoyable, not a chore.

It's a great thing to teach them letter familiarity when they're three, but they probably won't have the fine motor control to trace letters until they're at least four. A better thing for younger kids is to find big block letters they can color or to give them pictures of things that start with different letters - with the letter they start with printed on the page as well - and let them color that. You can even have the letter that is printed on the page be the dotted letters so that as they are comfortable they can start trying to trace.

Lead and they will follow. Your 3 year old is ready to begin but do not worry if he has not started yet. When possible sit down with the 3 and 2 year old at the table or better still on the floor and just get them interested. Plain paper and crayons work, just write the alphabet in large letters and as you do, sing the song, make it fun!

First of all CONGRATULATIONS on your adoption!!! I know what a huge adjustment it is to suddenly add three children to your family. My husband and I have 2 bio. children and 6 adopted. Our second adoption was a sibling group of four. We went from a family of 5 to a family of 9 overnight. But what a blessing!!!
I wouldn't be worried about your 3 year old tracing letters unless he is really interested in it. Adopted children may need a litte more time. Right now what they need most is love and hugs and cuddling. I don't know how long they've been with you but the first year they are with you, the number one priority should be bonding. If they feel loved and safe the rest will come in time.

Hi M.,, Wow, you have your hands full now. However, I know you will be blessed.
I am a retired Kindergarten teacher and as long as you make the letter-tracing fun the little three year old can begin to play around with it. However, please, don't make it a chore.
Good luck,
M. G.

Hi M.
I think that it has alot to do with the child his self. some children advance more than others and want to learn. I taught my oldest child aroung 3 years and had the little workbooks from walmart that we did some in each night before bed. He loved it. However, my youngest son, wanted no part of it at that age... he waited until kindergarden, each child is different. Good luck, being a mom is great isnt it!!

in our local school district (Lexington area) that is something that is touched on in pre-k, about age 4. but kids are expected to be competently writing most letters before kindergarten. my almost five year old can write almost all letters, but she actually seems to be ahead of many in her class. we will be working all summer to really secure this skill.

Quite honestly, some kids don't start tracing letters until kindergarten. My best friend has a son in kindergarten this year and he does that everyday. Now, he could actually do that when he was four and there is some debate about how advanced schools should be, but in general I believe it is developmentally appropriate around the age of four or five, unless you have a very bright child. My daughter is 3. She recognizes her letters and can even tell you some of their sounds, but she doesn't want to trace them. She is more interested in coming up with her own designs. God bless you in your new endeavor of parenthood. It's definitely never dull, and I only have one! :-)

At barely 3 years old, James should be coloring and learning to hold a crayon. At this age he is still probably going back and forth between left and right hands, which is normal. He probably won't be able to trace on straight lines for letters or shapes until 4. If you are worried about his development, though, find out if your state has early intervention services that you might be able to use. I know in Tennessee it is Tennessee Early Intervention Services (TEIS).

Dear M. M,

I'm new to Mamasource & haven't ever responded to a question (maybe because I have so many of my own!!) but felt compelled to reach out to you. I, too, have 3 children -2 biol. (9.5 & 8) & one 6.5 yr old adopted at 3. Although not a psychologist, professional child educator, pede, etc., I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night so therefore am an expert at all things for this one day.
Seriously, I don't think there's 'normal' for any skill at any age. Certainly there are milestones children should be reaching by certain ages, and your pede can wisely guide you on these matters. I do believe expecting a 3 year old to be able to trace letters is a little above & beyond, though certainly some 3 yr. olds can even write their own name. None of mine could at that age, & my two oldest now read 3-4 grade levels above their peers & my youngest is learning to read in K & still writing some letters backward (expected through 2nd grade!!!)
With all three of mine we focused on modeling the skills we wanted them to learn - reading, writing, social engagement, etc. - in the most fun ways we could. Keep a stack of paper on the kitchen table and a cup of crayons, pencils, markers (washable!!!) at all times. While you're cooking, feeding Coop, whatever, encourage James & Nathanael to color you a picture, or Daddy, or Grandma, whoever. Then PUT IT UP on the fridge, your bathroom mirror, etc. We have a bulletin board for each child going up our staircase where we display their work - art, math test, whatever. Kind of their own 'brag board'. My s-i-l, mom of 3 & pede nurse always thought coloring books didn't promote as much creativity as plain paper but I think the development of fine motor skills that 'coloring between the lines' prompts is as necessary as free expression. You can also have N draw something & J color it in. Anything you do with them they'll want to do even more of - read to them, paint with them, give them a bucket of water, paintbrushes & go paint the side of the house or driveway with them. Wash the car, focusing on swirling to the right or left, only washing the top half of the door, etc.
The most important thing, to me, is relax. ENJOY them, because before you know it ... And especially parenting 3 so close in age, & so suddenly, is going to challenge every fiber of your being at times. But it's so worth it. Pay close attention to Nathanael so he doesn't feel lost between the 'boss' and the 'baby'. There's a great book by Gary Chapman titled The Five Love Languages of Children which helps you determine how best to reach each child individually, whether the language that best communicates your love for them is gifts, time spent together, words of affirmation, etc. This will help while you figure out each child, as well. Other resources I found very helpful were Touchpoints by Brazelton & anything by Dr. James Dobson, esp. on raising boys.
Be well & God bless you in this most wonderful of journeys. I'm a little envious -- 3 gorgeous boys for you. How fabulous.
-S.

Hi M., you have gotten some really good advice here. If there is a reason that you feel the kids may not be hitting the correct milestones because of their past, the best place to start is with your peditrician. He/she can recommend a good way to have the kids tested and tell you if you should be concerned.

Many public schools have a headstart program that helps the kids learn and get to the level they need to be before school starts.

Congrats on the adoption and the boys!! You are going to have your hands full!!!

Congrats on the adoption of your children. That is fantastic! You will have your hands full, but your life will be so fulfilled! Boys are wonderful. I have 3 children 23, 15, & 6! My middle child is a girl. I miss them being babies!!

In answer to your question, I taught preschool for 10 years. We started having them trace letters at age 3. Their fine motor skills are still developing, so younger than that is not recommended for holding pencils, tracing etc. They can color w/fat crayons with supervision @ 2 yrs. Supervision is required so that they don't eat them or color all over everything but the paper!! lol
God bless you with your new role of motherhood!!

I worked in a daycare with preschoolers for about two years and I would have circle time with all of them from ages 2-5 years. I would work on one letter and one number or shape each week and made my own worksheets for them to color and get familiar with the shapes of each letter and how they sounded. I found that between the ages of 3 and 4 was when they began to trace the letters very well, depending on their individual development. At 4 years old I would let them start using pencils instead of just crayons to trace the letters. The best thing you can do in encourage and praise them when they show any type of effort. Children do best when they are in a loving and nurturing enviornment which I am sure you are proving or else you wouldn't have taken on this great but wounderful opportunity of being their Mom. Good luck and you will do great. Bye.

First congrats to you and your husband for taking on such a responsiblity.
Learning skills very with the child.Alot has to do with there learning invirement and the teacher.Some children in kindergarten have a hard time tracing letters or even keeping inside the lines when they color. Keep working with them as a group and as individuals.You can't expect the same from the youngest as you can the oldest.So if you work with all 3 at the same time keep that in mind.I have 12 Grandchildren and they all are doing great.Just be there and answer the questions that are asked as true as you know.Good luck and relax all will be good

Hi M..
I'm not sure you can really pinpoint what the "normal" age is, because all kids learn at a different pace. I assume you are referring to James when you are speaking about tracing letters?
Is he holding a pencil yet? I would not rush it. He just turned
3. I would wait closer to four, before introducing the concept, unless he shows signs around 3 1/2. Sounds like you want to be really proactive with learning..I understand that fully. I was with my son also. Now is a great time to constantly read to all of them. Trust me, everything else will fall into place. Congrats on the new additions to your family. May God continue to richly bless your family.

My oldest daughter started around 3 and by age 4 could write her name by herself and the entire alphabet without having to trace it. My youngest daughter would have nothing to do with learning to write, even at 4 years old. I would try to make her write and she would get so upset. I was worried that she would be behind when she started to school. To my surprise, as soon as she went to school that all changed and now she is my straight "A" student. If they are interested in writing, encourage them. If they don't have interest in it right now, it will come. Every child is different.

Hi M.,

I agree with Ingrid. Also, just because on of your kids might do it at 3, it doesn't mean they all will. Especially with boys, they will sometimes master the fine motor skill (for holding a pencil and tracing) and little later than girls. Congrats on your boys!!

Good luck!

I just wanted to say WOW! And tell you how amazing you are. Adoption is a beautiful thing and to have adopted 3 brothers is so amazing! What a woman! What a family! Congratulations on your new family. And in regards to your question, it varies to some degree for every child. Try taking a look at some websites like pbsparents.org for some guidlines and age appropriate language activities. I also know how to create this great puzzle/game where you build the letters to help in understanding the basic shapes and structures.(You are welcome to e-mail me for instructions if you are interested-- ____@____.com --please put your name in the subject line so I don't delete it.) My thought is that they are ready as soon as they take an interest. One early trick--too--is to teach him to hold the pencil/crayon properly and from there...begin with shape tracing rather than letters, then you can go from there and the little muscles in their hands are better prepared for writing and letter tracing.

Wishing you the best~
S

The tracing letters are offered in prekindergarten books and can help with getting them ready for school. Boys usually enjoy developing large motor skills, like riding bikes, throwing balls, racing cars, etc. They are less likely to do small motor skills that involve tracing, coloring, and writing legibly early. Try those kinds of skills, but do not be discouraged if they aren't enjoying them right away. Writing their first name might be the first thing they could learn. The kindergarten teachers want you to teach them with a capital letter to start their name and lower case letters for the rest of their name.

All kids are different. I'd say somewhere between 3 and 6 yrs old.

M.,
if you are worried, i would contact the local school district about the three year old. have them do what is called a psychoeducational evaluation. that will tell you if your little one is on track. My 5 year old just learned how to write her letters. She does very well. Hope this helps

First let me say, what an amazing thing you have done by adopting three little boys. I agree that it really depends on the child. But all the research says that kids have an absorbant mind like a sponge between the ages of birth and 6 so the more they are exposed to the more likely they are to learn. I don't necessarily agree with those who have said that kids don't have the fine motor skills to write until age 4. My daughter is 4 and she writes all of her letters (some still backwards), knows their sounds and sounds out words to make up stories. I always read to her, pointed out letter sounds, etc. Then she started tracing sandpaper letters. These are cards where the cursive letter is cut out of sand paper so the child can feel the letter as he trace with his fingers in a standard pencil grip. To work on dexterity and control, and something fun for them to do, is to trace a shape on a piece of paper, then give the kids BIG push pins to punch holes in the paper around the lines. Put a piece of cork board underneath the paper so the pin goes through the paper easily. This helps them learn to trace and also helps them develop good pencil grip (which is really important for learning how to write without getting hand cramps). I also teach my kids letters according to the sound as opposed to the letter name. When it comes time to read, it doesn't help to know A, B, C, but if they know the sounds like "ah" then then they can sound out words to read and spell. The best thing you can do for all of them is to expose them to books and letters and talk to them.

I use to homeschool my children and when I was schooling our youngest, at that preschool age, I used letteroftheweek.com off the internet. It is wonderful, so easy to use, fun and free. They have a preparatory curriculum for ages 2-4 that sounds like something you could use. Here is the link.. http://letteroftheweek.com/Preparatory.html It suggests printing out a big letter "A", for instance, to color, then having them trace an A with their finger, then use something like pudding to trace in, sounds like fun!

Anyway, I loved this curriculum. I set aside a set time each day to do it with him and he loved it! It has a suggested theme, vocabulary word, shape/color, letter, number and nursery rhyme each week and it's all laid out for you. It's so much fun and easy to use, makes me wish I had a little one at home to use it again!!

Check it out and what a wonderful gift to have those precious boys!!

Congratulations! It is beautiful to keep a family together. And kids always keep you smiling. Now, tracing letters...if they are developing in a pattern that can be described as 'normal' then about 3 they should be able to trace letters. But don't expect it to be perfect everytime. Sometimes they lose interest.

My 3-1/2 yr old can write her letters, they are not perfect. Her 's' lays down, her small 'a' looks like the letter 'q' and her 'r' is backwards. Her teacher says that she's doing well considering her age group.

I must say you are wonderful for taking on the task of motherhood all at once. And you're taking the time to learn about them.