Trying to teach Charlotte some basics...

in writing, reading etc, but I'm a bit stuck as to how to go about it.

My friend bought her a Fifi and the flower tots, learn the alphabet book, which she loves and there is letters to trace and little exercises to do. She seems to be strugging with things and losing interest or not taking things in as easy as i thought.

She has been learning at nursery to write her name but she was struggling to write the letters free hand, so I decided to try and show her how to write her letters correctly but its as though she can't click onto what I'm explaining (probably because I'm doing it badly LOL). She can do it if there is something to trace over but left to do it herself, she can't. She gets fustrated and then says she can't do it, and sulks and gives up. I'm giving her loads of praise and started doing a sticker chart but it still isn't giving her the incentive.

I've started from the alphabet again and trying to help her learn the sounds i.e. a for apple etc and she can recognise the letters for the sounds but she will come out with something a bit random sometimes, so I encourage her to try again but its like she thinks she can't do it then and gives up

Am I trying to get her to learn this too soon? I don't want her to think she's no good, or am I just going about it the wrong way?? She recognises her name when its written down and she knows it begins with curly c, and points out curly c's if she sees them.

Does she want to learn? or do you think she should?

If she wants to learn these things then encourage her but if it is because you think she should be then don't push her you might scare her off, she will pick it up when she is ready.

If she wants to then:

teach her the letter sounds like a is for apple and s is for snake, not the letter name (I hate the ABC song because kids are taught the sound not the name). Take 1 sound at a time and play games with it- treasure hunt to find things in the house that start with that sound, I- spy kinda thing (and throw in a few things that are completly wrong and different so she can hear the sounds). Also encourage her to hold her pencil properly

For reading, just read lots with her, point to words so she can see we read left to right, talk about the pictures, point to the title, auther and use the words author, illustrator etc. show her how to hold a book properly (all the things I am sure she does) I always get Joseph to sit with me if I am writing cards so he can see the name of who the card is for and who it is from (they pick up things quickly from that and begin to recognise the names)

For writing her name- go to word and comic scans is probably the font you have closet to how children are taught to write. fill the page , landscape, with her name the biggest size you can, go to the font menu and outline her name. When you print it of put BIG dots where to start each letter and little arrows showing her how to form then correctly, if you have access to a laminator then laminate it if not you will need several copies.

Also want to add, you will be surprised how much of this is being covered at nursery aswell without her knowing.

Hope that helps.

Aaralyn was writing her name but in all upper case letters at about age 4... she didn't start using upper and lower case letters (which ever appropriate) until about age 5. She can now copy any letters, upper or lower if I write something out or she can write a letter down if I tell her which letter to put.. ie: when she asks me how to spell something, I verbally tell her and then she writes the words.

I wouldn't worry too much at Charlotte's age, now that she's in full time school (did she start yet?) she will be coming along with her letters in leaps and bounds I bet!

She did ask tonight to do some more of her Fifi book and she traced some of the letters again, and did a couple of excersises.

I like the sounds of the treasure hunt game, that will be a bit more fun for her, if she wants.

She sings the ABC song LOL, but I don't think she realises its letters.

She starts reception in a couple of weeks, she's counting down the days LOL! I honestly don't remember learning to write my name until reception and i always wrote my s back-to-front LOL and didn't understand why the h was needed!! She loves me reading her stories so I will continue doing that.

WHSmiths have a great range of 'teaching' books where you trace letters, numbers etc.

My mum used to give us these to do during the summer holidays if we got bored, but she didn't give them to us as an activity to do.

How about a small break and then try again?

I was totally the same about my son at nursery i just thought they wernt teaching him anything as anything i did at home with him, he didnt understand.

But then i bought him some work books with activities in, like one's from WHsmith's. theydo them in ages, the books. and they just have lots for them to do.

I used to write on paper, a word. say "dog" and then underneath it, write the word with dots, instead of lines. if that makes sense, so then my son could fill in the word by writing it over the dots.

I just thought as you said she can trace things, this may help, and the more she can do, then do the dots a bit fainter each time.

They learn so much through play at school/nursery without even realising it. their brains are like sponges they soak up so much info!

She will do just fine, just do fun things like "I spy" using the Sound of the letters like- A is ah, B is Buh, C is curly Kuh, D is Duh etc... that is how they get taught it at school it is alot easier for them. damn that ABC song!!! it confused my son!!
she'll be fine!

I suppose I worry as I know how hard it was for my hubby and my brothers as they all have dyslexia and I'm worried the school are going to ignore it if she has problems like they had (my mum had to fight to get them tested and I know Mart only had any support when he started working).

I've always been pretty good at english and things so I thought if I tried to give her a head start she would be OK, but Alex you've brought up a good point that I'm going to end up scaring her off. Bad mummy

You are not bad hun, so many parents try to encourage their kids when they just don't want to know yet. As for the dyslexia, it is a more commonly accepted thing these days and it is picked up so much earlier than when we were younger and the appropriate measures are then put in place to help the child if they need it. If the school know about the family connections they will monitor her and if you have any concerns you MUST talk to them.

candgsmum said:
I suppose I worry as I know how hard it was for my hubby and my brothers as they all have dyslexia and I'm worried the school are going to ignore it if she has problems like they had (my mum had to fight to get them tested and I know Mart only had any support when he started working).

I've always been pretty good at english and things so I thought if I tried to give her a head start she would be OK, but Alex you've brought up a good point that I'm going to end up scaring her off. Bad mummy

You ARE NOT a bad mummy!!!! I think Aaralyn may have ADD but I'm not going to worry about it at this point unless her teacher seems to think it's a problem. I know I have it, I fit the symptoms to a T!

Sarah! You're doing a great job I know it!

hapydazy said:
I know I have it, I fit the symptoms to a T!

LOL, me too.

If I had been a child today I would be on ritalin for ADHD!!! I could never sit still and I never walked anywhere!!!!

Just wanted to agree with the others. You are most definitely not a bad mother. You are doing everything right by the sounds of it and the fact that you were worrying about scaring her off shows you know exactly how far you should or shouldn't go. As the others have said, at her age if she wants to learn she will and if she asks to do some writing/reading help her out then when she's had enough let her go play with something else and come back to it later. If she can trace things and she knows curly c etc then it sounds to me like she is doing well already. I'm sure there are lots of kids that don't have a clue with anything when they start school so she will have a headstart on them already! You are doing a fab job hun!
Oh and i love the treasure hunt idea - sounds like great fun. Xx

Thanks everyone

I don't want to turn out like a pushy mum LOL. Charlotte has a really good attention span, but she's good at letting you know when she's had enough too

Charlotte was tracing over her name when she started school, by the end of the first term she could write her name by herself - at lotties school children are taught to write cursive writing so lottie gets annoyed when i dont write like that LOL!