What is the best way to teach a 3 year old almost 4?

Question

My mother-in-law bought my 3 year old a leapfrog video game for christmas and my wife and i are going to try and teach him letters and numbers. If you have sugestions about how to teach a child that doesnt seen like he wants to learn let us know. Oh and just a few things to add. When you sit down to try and teach him letters he does not seem interested he would rather play and draw on the chalk board. We have tried a few methods but nothing seems to work. (I dont remember what it was like teaching me but i hope i wasnt this hard):) Thanks in advance for all who answers.

Answer 1

Teaching kids letters is like feeding them broccoli. They need it, it's good for them, but there are more appetizing ways to do it then just serving it raw.

For example, if your son is interested in trucks, talk about every kind of truck imaginable. Point them out at construction sites, on the road, etc... Read books about trucks. Ask him what his favorite kind of truck is. Play with him and talk about how the trucks look, move, and what they are used for. Somewhere in the midst of all this truck business, you can insert phrases like "Oh, that is a cool dump truck. D-d-dump truck starts with d." But this is a sidebar- NOT the main force of the conversation. It's like serving the broccoli with gobs of rich cheese or nonchalantly stuffing it inside a pot pie. Your kid still will get the value of learning the letters, but won't have to choke them down in an obligatory way every day.

Oh, and my kids liked those foam bathtub letter. They could chew on them, cover 'em with bubbles, stick 'em to the wall. I think the idea that they could hold them and manipulate them was appealing.

It wasn't until my kids were at least 5 that they had any interest in educational video games.

Answer 2

Well Since You Are ASking Me I Would Have To Say Teach Them Some Things About Right And Wrong Or You Could Teach Them Things That Could Help Them Out In Life I Know They Really Wouldn't Understand What You Say But Its easy For Them To know I Hope You Get What I Am Saying??

Answer 3

If I was almost 4 I would rather play too, so there you go! make it fun for him, Grandma had good intentions but how boring it would be to seat in front of the TV. Make it exciting, buy books that teach the letters so he learns to recognize them, Leap Frog has the magnet game you can put on your fridge(so they can play while the adults cook) and teaches them the letters with music, it comes with individual letters that they can put on and learn the sound, they also have the one with numbers(Wallmart, ToysRus have them). My husband and I used this methods and our 2 year old knows her ABC'S counts to 20 in English and to 10 in Spanish, it is all about fun and spending quality time, I hope it works for you.

Answer 4

This is what I did. I got the leap frog also. The one that teaches the letters and the sound it makes. I would put it on during bed time. My son loves cartoons ( most kids do ) so at bed time he would watch it weather or not he wanted to, sooner or later he would watch it and catch on. In the morning (or afternoon) you can review everything. It took him less then a month to learn all the letters and sounds. If that fails find a way to make learning into a game (all kids like games). Make it seem like its really fun, you have to be really into it or he wont.
Remember at that age fun is what they pay attention to.
Good Luck

Answer 5

I'd leave him alone. I've taught preschooler for thirty years and a child who isn't even four doesn't need to be learning the alphabet unless he's showing an interest. Give him some time. He should be learning through play right now..

Answer 6

OLD HI~TECH WAS TO SET THE KIDS UP WITH LEARNING VIDEOS THAT CAN BE GOTTEN FROM THE LIBRARIES TO RUN ALL DAY WHEN THERE ALONE TO GIVE THEM INPUT..THESE WERE THE VERY FIRST OF THE HEAD START PROGRAMS DESIGNED BY THE ACHIEVERS OF THEIR DAY1962 WAS LOST TO THE KENNEDY ASSASSINATION AND MOST ELSE WAS LOST, ANY SELF INSTRUCTIONAL LEARNING BY VIEWING FROM THE ATTITUDE THE QUALITIES U WANT IN THEM HAVE TO BE LEARNED SOME WHERE AND EARLY COGNITIVES ARE VISUALLY STEPPING STONES

Answer 7

If he likes to draw on the chalkboard, then draw letters on the chalkboard and say the names of the letters.

Whatever he is doing, point out the colors, shapes, letters, numbers, or other features of whatever he is looking at.

Answer 8

In song, rythm is assoc with memory, which will aid in the retention of new ideas and concepts

Answer 9

Let the kid learn at school....

Let the kid be a kid.

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