we just got custody of my four year old step son and we want to put him in preschool but he does not know any of his colors letters numbers and even his shapes. we have a seven year old a 18month old and a four month old and i was lucky to have gotten to work with my daughter at a very young age that she learned all this before the age of four but we didn't get to have the chance to work with our four year old because he lived with his mother for all that time and she didn't do anything with him. know we are trying to get him to learn his colors, numbers ,shapes, etc. someone please help us it would mean alot!
2006-11-15 06:45:07 · 20 answers · asked by Jenn 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Preschool
Read, read, read, read, read. Play, play, play - but try to do it together. You can even include your other kids and spouse.
My son loved books and never got enough. My partner typically spends 30-60 minutes right before bedtime with both kids. He learned everything at a very young age. He also enjoys a lot of the leap-pad, leap-frog, etc educational learning toys and videos.
My niece had the same problem, where the father was non-existant and didn't really care, and the mother was "too busy". But that didn't mean that she wasn't interested, and on the rare holidays would love the attention we would lavish on her reading books and explaining things like how planets moved and why there were seasons.
Undoubtedly, anything you do, so long as you show an interest should appeal to your step son, who probably is not used to the attention, and would welcome some interaction. Just make sure too to have patience with the understanding that he didn't get the benefits that your other kids have had at a young age.
2006-11-15 06:54:30 · answer #1 · answered by Gina S 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are some great color books that teach colors, numbers and all that- I bought some at the Family Dollar store- very inexpensive- also if you type in preschool- you will find all kinds of fun stuff to do to learn online- do you remember how you taught your 7 year old?? It probably started very young- make it fun- and games to learn- that will help=even blocks and shapes- D
2006-11-15 06:50:33 · answer #2 · answered by Debby B 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was a full time live in grandma for a while so I had the joy of getting to work with three of my grandchildren. I made sure we always had colors and play dough (they are older now and they STILL think I should always have these, lol). We talked about their pictures and the things they made..."that is a lovely RED worm, does he eat RED roses". I also included them in what I was doing...cooking is one of the best..."can I have 3 orange carrots". Any opportunity to count, talk about colors, letters, etc., I turned to their advantage. I find this combination of play and learning and of practical application of what was learned created three very enthusiastic and intelligent little ones who were more than ready when school began.
2006-11-15 07:26:32 · answer #3 · answered by Dust in the Wind 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I personally believe that the drive to accomplish these milestones is a bit overemphasized. I mean, isn't is more important to know how to paint a picture then the names of colors.
That being said, ordinary life is probably the best way to teach young children, particularly boys, who in my experience do not have a strong desire to sit down and learn to count. My older son learned his letters by writing them with sidewalk chalk. My younger son learned to count, add, and subtract all at the same time, when I played with him with his food.
If I were you I would just relax. They are four for ths tiny bit of time, and in school for what feels like forever. In just 10 or 11 years you will have no idea how to help with math homework...I know I can't. :-)
2006-11-15 06:53:34 · answer #4 · answered by emilynackenson 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I sat down with both of my children and taught them colors, letters and numbers. My son could write small words by the time he was 4 and my daughter did the same. I was constant with them. I made a game of everything, like what was the first letter of their favorite cereal, how many colors did the fruit loops have, what were they?
2006-11-15 06:51:46 · answer #5 · answered by greylady 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It probably wont be as easy as before. A 4 year old just coming into you home is probably more interested in doing his own thing. It sounds like thats what he did before. Go slow at first. His attention span isn't going to last that long. Make it fun & show him you're excited about him learning new things. Make reward sheets with stickers to motivate him. Most of all be patient.
2006-11-15 06:54:24 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Putting magazine cutouts on index cards with bright pictures worked great for my four girls. My 2 year old already can count to ten and knows most of the colors because we sat down with her and these cards a lot.
2006-11-15 06:53:19 · answer #7 · answered by Bard's Babe 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We use objects, number them by the alphabets. Elementary stuff. A for apple, b for ball etc; but a number behind the item and let him put them in order. Your have two learning processes going on at once, then work on colors.
2006-11-15 06:49:34 · answer #8 · answered by Cajun Boy 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should look into getting Leap Pad books for those things, your child will learn quickly. Along with that, try getting some solid things like those letter magnets that you can put on your refrigerator and tell him to repeat after you after you say the letter/number/shape and point to it. Keep doing that every day until he can say it himself.
2006-11-15 06:49:11 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The videos Little Einstein teach kids all you want. If you watch it with him and do some of the activities you saw, he will catch on quickly. There are also many kids games that teach and you can find them at all the stores like Wallmart or Target, etc.
Kids learn by seeing more than hearing.
God bless you for your caring.
2006-11-15 06:51:37 · answer #10 · answered by jfm67 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋