Any ideas out there to better stimulate a very smart 2-year old girl? My daughter can talk in...?

Question

full sentences, knows the alaphabet and numbers 1-20 written and the can say them, colors, animals, shapes are all not a problem...she does the puzzles with 20+ pieces...I am running out of ideas. Please dont get the idea that I am a pushy mum cause my daughter spends plenty of time out doors on her playground, playing with playdoh, drawing and painting with all kinds of things. I am a stay at home mom and have plenty of time to spend with her so I do things with her all day but we are just running out of ideas. Should I be taking the next step and getting teaching her to read and write properly? She already recognises 20+ words and Im not sure if she has just memorised the book but she read a few sentences recently. Any ideas or comments (constructive please!) would be very helpful...

I should have mentioned that she does attend "school" twice a week...this is daycare so she has time to socialise with other kids and other adults...she loves it!

Answer 1

That's great! I'd continue with the reading and writing, but don't push her too much if she doesn't take to it right away. Since she is learning socialization skills at preschool twice a week, I'd let her try some projects that involve cutting and pasting, to help with the development of her motor skills. It's summertime, so don't hesitate to go outside and have her write her name on the sidewalk with chalk. Best of luck to you.

Answer 2

I read through all the responses and I think you got some great ones. I started reading at age 3 and it really made elementary school a breeze. I was able to "help" other kids - which further instills the basics of reading and writing skills. Here are a couple of things that I've done with my son: Attend Kindermusik class if there is one. Summer Reading Program at the library & museums. Videotape her telling a story or singing. Replay it for more fun and she'll learn from the viewing, too. Nature walks and savings leaves and flowers. Get her to help you with scrapbooking. I remember having a fascination with cutting out pictures from catalogs to create scenes. (safety scissors now - of course, none then but close supervision :) ) ... Does she have a pet? She sounds mature enough to have one if desired by mommy. A fish, if not ready for a kitten. Summer is perfect for attending plays - outdoor concerts, local theatre, vacation bible school, and the performances done by kids in summer theatre workshops. I remember doing so many of these things with my own Mother, who was also a teacher for 30+ years and was a pioneer in education of the academically gifted here in Eastern NC. Treasure these times, because soon she will find some special friends and you will share your level of interaction with others. Enjoy!

Answer 3

Wow, what a blessing and a bit hard to keep up with, I'd imagine. Well, sounds like your doing great already, but you could try a few other things to change things up:

1.Have her practice writing her letters by copying you, if she's interested.
2. You could start her on an instrument, something very simple, tambourine or the like, music is very important.
3. there are tons of arts and crafts you can do with her, go to your library and pick up a couple of books. You can do projects based on the seasons or holidays.
4. you could also get a book on preschool curriculum, that way you'd have a 'plan' to go by.

Anyway, good luck and enjoy your little sweety. Sometimes the best thing to teach our children is how to relax, do quiet play, do 'nothing', to be quiet, calm, and listen to ones self.

Answer 4

books are always a good choice and my personal favorite, if she is bright, read alternate sentences to each other or playact the book. crafts are excellent for smart kids and also for moms to be involved, the internet is full of crafts sites ... try tie & dye projects, move on to paper crafts ... make stuff for her room together - even a simple thing like a macaroni picture frame. I do crafts all the time and I cant wait for my 6 month old daughter to be old enough to help me out. another great way to channels a kids curiousity is dance/instruments/sports ... so check out what classes are available nearby and start her on an activity in the next year or so. I was a very hyper child, I learnt dance from ages 4-11 and then vocal music and finally tennis, I was busy through my childhood.

Answer 5

Early learning must come naturally to her, and probably always will. But, don't let her forget that she is also still a child. The older clever kids get the more they are left out by kids of their own age because their 'play' is too advanced.

Get her into physical play at a toddler group where she can interact. She'll probably love that.

My 3 year old daughter is quite advanced for her years. She visits pre-school twice a week, but on the other days she is completely bored. I take her to a place called the 'Mad House'. It has a soft play area and also a massive jungle gym for older kids. It's her opportunity to let it all out and she loves it!

Answer 6

I have a son that was like that in the same age as your daughter. They are called gifted children. My son and I go to libraries and take out as many books and audio tapes as they will allow. They love you to read them and they will even memorized the whole book from cover to cover!. I took him to travels overseas, went to many museums, we take long walks everywhere by the beach, parks, even shopping malls. The variety will feed his knowledge on vocabulary and interests. We sign up for Yamaha Junior Classes, Gymboree, etc. At home we have toys that has purpose, there are many website where you can get these, they are called manipulatives. Having a gifted child is not easy it is as hard as having a child with disability the only difference is if your child has a disability there are many government help you can seek but for a gifted child you are on your own. Enjoy the process, and have fun with your daughter. The challenge will begin when your daughter goes to school, and you have to prepare yourself for that and make a wise decision for your daughter and her development. Always remember in a child's development it is not just the being intelligent, their body need to be nurtured too such her fine and gross motor and also to teach her social skills

Answer 7

i know where you're coming from............my daughter just turned 2 and she also does most of the things mentioned above. she prefers doing activities using her mind rather than playing with toys. my daughter has memorized books......but she does not read them. she pretends to read the books to her favorite toys, mixing up sentences she's memorized from other books. she learned to recognize the alphabet by associating a familiar word with that letter so those words are the ones i've started spelling out. she names each letter as i write it out. so she's on her way to reading and writing. if your daughter is interested go for it, why hold back a curious mind !!!! my daughter has been curious about money and clocks. she loves music of any kind...nursery rhymes to hard rock and all in between. she has 4 or 5 nursery rhymes she can recite. she will sing and dance when my favorite song comes on. so i suggest music. singing, dancing, playing instruments etc. , i also suggest computer games(you can find age appropriate games online. one good beginner site with lots of learning activities is : www.fisher-price.com. , here is a couple of my daughters favorite sites: www.treehousetv.com, www.nickjr.com. Enjoy!!!

Answer 8

Just always be sure she's being challenged physically and mentally, and that she's being nurtured emotionally and socially. Make sure she learns naturally through play and not 'lessons', which is not age appropriate. If she does 20 piece puzzles, and loves puzzles, then get her more..etc. If she has mastered knob ones, then get her interlocking, sequencing, seriating types, etc. There's always a next step. Most of all, be sure she's having fun.

Answer 9

When i was very young, I was taught to read. I was taught the basics and provided with the books to stimulate my thought.
As a preschooler, she will be well served by learning ahead of time to read. Do your best to instill a sense of accomplishment and encourage her to discover and be curious of what the book contains. This head start and some guidance will always serve her well. Good luck.

Answer 10

I think it would be great to help with her reading skills.

I was an early reader, and the thing that helped me was as my parents read to me, they followed the words with their fingers. They read things not necessarily "age appropriate"; Kipling's Jungle Book was one of my favorites when I was 3.

Congrats on having such a smart kid!