Is a 2year and 10month old suppose to know colors, all abc's, and count to 10?

Question

My dtr is in preschool and she always answers I don't know when it comes to "what color is tha?t" She gets some right, like yellow and pink. She can sing her abc's with help and barely knows her numbers. She happens to be very small 25 pounds, and 10% in her height. She wasn't born premature. She was suppose to be born in Jan 05 but she was a c-section baby and born in Dec 04. I am not sure if the kids in her class are just older and she is a bit behind. I know, I know, it's only preschool, but I have no idea, what an average 2-3 year old should know by now. The teachers aren't exactly great.

Answer 1

Some parents just love to brag on how much their children know. I have found it very dangerous to compare my daughter to other children of the same age.

Kids develop at a different rate, in different areas. You daughter may not know the things you talked about. But, there is a good chance she may know other things better.

Just keep working with her. But, at the same time don't push her. She is right up to speed!!!! So, don't worry about it at all.

Answer 2

She wasn't premature, you say? You said she was due in January, but born in December. "Premature" means EARLY. So, that's why she's smaller, most likely.

Well, I don't know if 2 year, 10 month olds are SUPPOSED to know all those things, but my niece is 2 and 8 months and knows this much:

Colors --- blue, green, pink, red, orange, yellow, purple, black, white, and brown --- and can distinguish one from the other and can point out objects around her when asked to find a color.

ABCs --- needs help to sing the song, but can fumble through about half on her own

Numbers --- up to 10 on her own, forwards but only 5 to 1 backwards

If you are worried about her, take her to the doctor and see. Or, ask your child's preschool teacher if she thinks your daughter is behind.

Work with her at home. With my niece, we constantly count EVERYTHING with her, forwards and backwards, and we are always asking what color is where or what color is this. Before she gets anything she asks for, she either has to count it, or say its color.

She doesn't realize she's learning though. We do it in a fun way. For example, she will usually ask for 3 cookies and milk. So, I open the jar and bring it down to her and tell her "show me three cookies in your bowl". So she counts out 3 and proudly shows me before I let her go. Sometimes she likes to say the number 2 twice so that she actually gets 4, but only "counts" 3. She knows then that she has to count again, put one back, and count once more to be sure she has only 3.

Answer 3

No child is the same. I have four daughters, my oldest could talk in full sentences and identify colors and do her abc's by 2, then my second oldest didn't seem to have interest, in fact she didn't even talk clearly til after her second birthday, I was really worried but learned that she was fine and eventually as she got older she began to develope at a more average pace. Preschool is the place where she will learn these things, though I kept my kids home and taught them, but thats the age. Some kids have a tough time grasping color and counting. My five year old still sometimes gets numbers mixed up, but shes learning. You have to let her progress at her own rate, with your encouragement she will learn, what your doing is great by asking her what color things are, help her learn to count by finding her counting songs, or teaching her to count her fingers. In time they it will become easier for her.

Answer 4

My daughter will be 3 in January so pretty much the same age as your daughter. She doesn't go to preschool and is only taught by me and my sis-in-law who watches her 3 days a week. She knows all of her colors and she's even learning gold, silver, and brown now besides all the colors of the rainbow and black and white. She won't sing her ABC's on her own but she knows all of her letters and can pick them out (she wooden letters that she plays with), she can count to 10 although she prefers 1, 6, and 9. She counts her toys. She is also very petite and weighs a little over 25 pounds finally. She was also below the scales in her height and just now started wearing 2 year old clothes and is finally on the scale almost up to 40%. Every child is different but I thought giving you my daughter's details might help. Does she speak well? My daughter speaks in sentences now all the time and has her own opinions. I would check with her pediatrician to make sure there is nothing to worry about. Good luck!

Answer 5

She would know all that only if she was gifted or if you were pushing her too hard to learn it. Kids generally are not expected to learn any of that until preschool which is around 4 for most kids. If they know a few colors or numbers here and there that's great, but make it fun. She will learn when she gets older. In the meantime, help her by allowing her to engage in pretend play and coloring which are things that will get her mind ready for learning the other things in the future.

Answer 6

She sounds like she's doing just fine. She's probably just not interested in "academic" pursuits yet, which is perfectly fine for a kid who's not even 3! Kids are pressured so much to learn academics so early. The healthiest and most productive ways of learning at this age are not reciting ABC's and being quizzed constantly on colors and numbers, but instead "play" skills. Some examples are: engaging in pretend play, filling/emptying containers, building with Legos or blocks, and drawing pictures. And don't be so sure her teachers aren't great-- the trademarks of a good preschool are not how early they are drilling kids on their ABC's, numbers, etc, but instead achieving the perfect balance of free play and social interaction with developmentally appropriate toys and activities. Give your daughter some time- she'll be just fine! :)

Answer 7

Well, all children are different but my 3 year old knew that stuff at that age without preschool. I wouldn't worry too much though, like you said, the teachers aren't exactly great.

Answer 8

I believe that each child is different in how they learn. My daughter was 18 months when she knew all of this, but then again I have a neice that just turned 4 and STILL does not know any of these things! It just all depends on the child. I would personally consider just teaching her these things yourself, because you just cannot rely on teachers to do these things when they are stressed out from taking care of so many children that age!

Katie

Answer 9

There's nothing wrong with a 2.5 year old who doesn't know her colors.

You should know that parents brag shamelessly and so if you compare the child you know well to the children your friends "improve upon"...yours will always come up short.

Let her be. Einstein's parents were told he'd never amount to anything - and he's probably smarter than your kid (or mine).

Oh, at this point, that one month early is meaningless.

Answer 10

All kids learn at different rates. Most kids don't even start pre-school before they are 3, so your daughter is way ahead of the game and will learn lots jost by being in pre-school. Don't stress about is, she'll learn what she needs before school starts. Some kids in kindergarten don't know their abc's, colors and numbers.