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Relax! She is only 4! As a mom of an 18 year old with autism, I do not think that the "regression" in skills you are describing are assoicated with that.
Focus on her having good manners, making friends, playing cooperatively rather than the academic skills. You want to have a child who loves learning, not one who is the earliest to learn things. Developmentally she sounds like she's way ahead of the game so ease off on the pushing the "skills" and work on the softer, more subtle skills that will carry her through so many situations in her school and life.

Ok, my first answer is...she is 4. It sounds like she is gifted to be able to write as well as she is doing but that sounds kind of advanced to me. Keeping that in mind she is in preschool with other children that may not be at her level and she may be taking a step back because of this. Also, when home she is in a safe and quiet environment which may make it easier for her to concentrate and do a better job. Some kiddos have sensitivities to background noise or may be easily distracted by others which can take away from the way in which they are able to learn. I wouldn't worry too much and just watch to be sure she is progressing. You can also bring this up with her teacher to see if she has any insight as to why there is such a difference in her performance.

Good Luck!
VillageMom
www.ittakesavillagedallas.com

Your daughter is 4. She may be acting this way wanting to be "taught" at school like the other kids. She may see that she knows things the other kids don't and just wants to be like them.
I wouldn't worry.
You know what she is capable of.
I would continue to encourage her without pressure to be perfect about things and let her kind of go with the flow at school for the time being. She may not even be aware that she just wants to be like everyone else.
If she is gifted in any way, there will be a time that she won't allow herself to hold back, but for now, she's only 4.

Stay in close touch with her teachers and I think she'll be all right.

Just my opinion.

Best wishes.

I agree w/Joanna J.....relax! She has plenty more years to learn all the academics! After school she should be running around outside & playing, not sitting at the table practicing her writing. Again, she'll have homework for many more years to come. By starting this early, you could cause her to lose interest in what she's already learned & turn it into a battle. Let it go. If she asks to do work, then let her but don't make her do it. I'm concerned by the phrase 'scored good in the school.' What is she being scored on in preschool? Preschool is a time to learn social skills, make friends, develop independence. Yes, we want our kids to be academically ready for K but what's also very important & really looked at by K teachers is their social & emotional maturity. How well they get along w/their peers, how well they can express themselves, be separated from you & deal w/conflicts themselves. Make sure she's getting an even balance of all of these things to ensure her success once she starts K.

In response to the previous poster, symptoms of autism often appear before 2 years of age. I don't think your four year old has autism by your description. I suspect she tries to go with the flow and doesn't want to appear more advanced than her schoolmates. If she is advanced, she should not be held back, or at least not be uncomfortable showing it.

Perhaps she isn't really coping well being in school, away from you. This may be her way of getting her message across. Or. She could be bored, and is just experimenting with this. I would not make her practice more at home. She's only 4. It really isn't that important that she be perfect.
Another thought I had because you said she is emotional is perhaps she is developing a gluten intollerance. Are there any other symptoms? Does she have dark circles under her eyes? Watch her reaction after she eats bread or pasta or other wheat items to see how she does. Does it exasperate her?

As a mother of a 1st and 4th grader, I suggest letting it go for now. Believe me, they have enough pressure once they hit the upper grades in elementary school. If you take a laid back approach now, I'm sure she will come around. You know she has the ability to do these tasks, so it could be a matter of her testing the teacher or adjusting to school.

I'm no expert.... just my opinion. :)

I would say not to worry about it right now. She is already ahead of the curve for Kindergarten next year. From what I have heard preschoolers are just not ready in many ways emotionally or whatever to be pushed academically. I would just have her focus on play-based activities and social situations and not worry about numbers and letters. Next year in Kindergarten she will be working on this every day and she will probably be doing great!

Instead of practicing letters and numbers at home, encourage her creativity -- have her verbally tell stories. You can help her write them down and she can and illustrate them. Have her practice counting as she helps you at the grocery store and cooking.

Preschool is also a place where she is learnign so much other "stuff". How to sit quietly, share with other kids, listen to a different adult than you.. A little regression is to be expected. Her gross motor skills are developing by leaps and bounds this year and she may just not have the attention to the small details she once had.
Does she get any attention at school for her neatness? If she isn't getting any attention and the other kids are getting a lot from the teacher for messiness she may have picked up on that too. Smart little cookie you have.
By the time she is in Kindergarten I'm sure she will be reading and writing just fine.

I think she is showing social and educational skills far beyond her age. I think she is doing exactly what the teacher is asking her to do, and just exactly what the other children are doing. This is a good thing. My son is also advanced, and he is always upset and frustrated because he can't do what your little girl is already doing, and that is adapting to her surroundings and expectations. She is very intuitive and you should be very proud.

If you want to correct this, and you have a daughter that is this intuitive, it should be easy to point out to her what your concerns are. Say "is this what the teacher asked you to do?" or "does one of your friends write like this?". I would just let it alone, and sit back with pride that your daughter is so smart.

Please do NOT join the masses in this epidemic of diagnosis of autism and ADD and ADHD and blah blah. She is very smart. Dont let anyone tell you otherwise.

My guess is there's a lot more going on at pre-school than there is at your kitchen table! LOL
She's most likely fine. Don't worry so much. Speak to O. of the teachers if you think you need to.

she's only 4! she may get burned out if she is pressured to be academic at such a young age. make things fun, like a game - she'll learn more when she's "playing" than when she's "practicing."
good luck!

Regression of learned skills is a sign of autism. Please let your healthcare provider know. We all hope that it isn't, but if it is, early intervention and treatment makes a world of difference. Best of luck!