Learning alphabet and numbers for a 3 year old
November 19, 2014 9:51 AM Subscribe
I'd like to find some games (or other techniques) to play with my 3 year old in order to learn alphabet and numbers. From experience, learning through fun is much better for everyone involved, but may not necessarily be the case here. Please point me in the right direction so I can try some things to see what actually works.
My son learned his letters and numbers using foam bath letters like these.. We'd play with them and spell things when he was taking a bath.
posted by ShooBoo at 10:25 AM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by ShooBoo at 10:25 AM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
There are lots of block sets that have numbers and letters on them which, even if the kiddo is just stacking them will familiarize them with the symbols.
posted by vapidave at 10:29 AM on November 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by vapidave at 10:29 AM on November 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions, please them coming. I'm looking for a something a little more structured for me. I have the blocks and the bath letters, but I can't seem to keep my son interested. I'd like to avoid the TV if I can because that just mesmerizes the child instead of teaching him things.
posted by aeighty at 10:38 AM on November 19, 2014
posted by aeighty at 10:38 AM on November 19, 2014
At this age just pointing out letters and numbers on things in your world and having blocks and stuff is fine. If you hope your kid will be a reader, read to him. 3 year olds do not need to know numbers and letters per se.
posted by k8t at 10:42 AM on November 19, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by k8t at 10:42 AM on November 19, 2014 [4 favorites]
We did a lot of numbers, counting, addition, and subtraction at meals.
Let's count how many blueberries are on your plate!
1-2-3-4-5.
OK, now eat one. Let's see how many are left!
1-2-3-4.
Hey, we just subtracted! 5 minus 1 is 4!
What happens if I put 3 more blueberries on your plate?
1-2-3-4-5-6-7.
That's called adding! We had some and we put some more and we added!
You can start talking about adding and subtracting in concrete terms even if he can't count yet - they're just new vocabulary words like any other. He'll absorb it over time.
Go ahead and talk about dividing too - we talk about sharing 4 cookies between 2 people, and I've mentioned fractions a few times by asking how you'd share a pizza and looking baffled because there's only one of it. All this will help him relate numbers to the world.
For letters, he had leapfrog fridge phonics and letter dinosaur. I gotta be honest, I wanted to murder both of them, but he did love them and they definitely taught him phonics.
We never got as much mileage as I thought we should out of alphabet blocks. Our son did love these ABC cards, though. They're really thick and sturdy and you can talk about letters under the guise of identifying the animals.
Also, go on a walk and identify letters and numbers on signs. That sort of thing.
posted by telepanda at 10:52 AM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
Let's count how many blueberries are on your plate!
1-2-3-4-5.
OK, now eat one. Let's see how many are left!
1-2-3-4.
Hey, we just subtracted! 5 minus 1 is 4!
What happens if I put 3 more blueberries on your plate?
1-2-3-4-5-6-7.
That's called adding! We had some and we put some more and we added!
You can start talking about adding and subtracting in concrete terms even if he can't count yet - they're just new vocabulary words like any other. He'll absorb it over time.
Go ahead and talk about dividing too - we talk about sharing 4 cookies between 2 people, and I've mentioned fractions a few times by asking how you'd share a pizza and looking baffled because there's only one of it. All this will help him relate numbers to the world.
For letters, he had leapfrog fridge phonics and letter dinosaur. I gotta be honest, I wanted to murder both of them, but he did love them and they definitely taught him phonics.
We never got as much mileage as I thought we should out of alphabet blocks. Our son did love these ABC cards, though. They're really thick and sturdy and you can talk about letters under the guise of identifying the animals.
Also, go on a walk and identify letters and numbers on signs. That sort of thing.
posted by telepanda at 10:52 AM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
Does he like jumping? When I was learning to read as a toddler, Mum cut out stepping-stone shapes from sturdy cardboard (old boxes, I'd guess) and wrote words out on them; if I read the word correctly I was allowed to jump on it. Maybe he'd enjoy the same game with letters and numbers.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 11:02 AM on November 19, 2014
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 11:02 AM on November 19, 2014
I'd like to avoid the TV if I can because that just mesmerizes the child instead of teaching him things.
Our 2 1/2 year-old can (creepily) recognize all 26 letters by name and count to ten just from watching Leap Frog.
I say "just" because we read to her and sound out words, spot numbers, etc., but we've never sat down with her in any programmatic fashion specifically to teach her or even played letter or number 'games' with her. We aren't big on TV either but just FYI that show did exactly what you're asking for at our house. Older girl is the same way, she just didn't pick it up as early as her younger sister has.
posted by resurrexit at 11:02 AM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
Our 2 1/2 year-old can (creepily) recognize all 26 letters by name and count to ten just from watching Leap Frog.
I say "just" because we read to her and sound out words, spot numbers, etc., but we've never sat down with her in any programmatic fashion specifically to teach her or even played letter or number 'games' with her. We aren't big on TV either but just FYI that show did exactly what you're asking for at our house. Older girl is the same way, she just didn't pick it up as early as her younger sister has.
posted by resurrexit at 11:02 AM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
Sing songs. Pick a random fun tune (Twinkle Twinkle, Wheels on the Bus, Grand Old Duke of York), and start singing numbers or letters to it. Works great for things like days of the week, months of the year, colours, etc., too. Keep it silly.
posted by clawsoon at 11:34 AM on November 19, 2014
posted by clawsoon at 11:34 AM on November 19, 2014
There are a bunch of different concepts here that you can teach in stages. One is knowing the names for symbols (example: The "M" shape is called "Em" when it is turned this way and "double U" when turned upside down). Next is the idea that each shape has a sound that goes with it "M" = emm, "W" goes "whhuh". There is a different idea that bunches of letter can make words that mean things. Kids can often recognize the pattern of words before they know all the letters. (My daughter was so excited when she figured out "EXIT" mean exit that she had to tell us about every single exit sign she saw.
Three is a good age to start with the ideas of letter but I wouldn't worry about drilling them. Pick one or two significant letters (usually ones in their name) and start pointing the out all of the place. if you read a book with special words, point to the word and let your kid "read it" (he shouts out the right thing because he has it memorized but it gives him the idea that the marks on paper telly you what to say.) Candyland is good because it teaches the idea of matching (colors which are easier) as well as taking turns. Concentration with age appropriate pictures would be good - start out dealing the cards face up and just trying to find the matches.
Bottom line is that research shows that reading to your child is absolutely the best way to get them to be good students when they are older. There is a developmental piece in this - kids won't learn until they are ready. You want to give them opportunity and encouragement but stay mellow if they aren't picking it up - it will go faster when they are ready.
posted by metahawk at 11:54 AM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
Three is a good age to start with the ideas of letter but I wouldn't worry about drilling them. Pick one or two significant letters (usually ones in their name) and start pointing the out all of the place. if you read a book with special words, point to the word and let your kid "read it" (he shouts out the right thing because he has it memorized but it gives him the idea that the marks on paper telly you what to say.) Candyland is good because it teaches the idea of matching (colors which are easier) as well as taking turns. Concentration with age appropriate pictures would be good - start out dealing the cards face up and just trying to find the matches.
Bottom line is that research shows that reading to your child is absolutely the best way to get them to be good students when they are older. There is a developmental piece in this - kids won't learn until they are ready. You want to give them opportunity and encouragement but stay mellow if they aren't picking it up - it will go faster when they are ready.
posted by metahawk at 11:54 AM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
This is going to sound crazy, but Wheel of Fortune. My dad would watch this with me as a 3 year old tot in the late 70s and it works. It's repetitive, has spinning wheels, ding dong sound effects and PRIZES. And it's a short program and doesn't seem like work. PEOPLE GET EXCITED OVER LETTERS.
It wasn't the only way I learned reading at that age, but I remember it being super fun.
posted by asockpuppet at 1:07 PM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
It wasn't the only way I learned reading at that age, but I remember it being super fun.
posted by asockpuppet at 1:07 PM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
If you have an iOS device, Endless Numbers is very engaging.
posted by pennypiper at 1:20 PM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by pennypiper at 1:20 PM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
3 is a good age for wooden puzzles - most of letter and number recognition is just memorizing, which is why videos work so well, but doing an alphabet or number puzzle with you saying the letter or the number is also a perfect way to learn. Try to get ones where the letter / number is illustrated with or reveals a picture underneath (7 objects under the number 7, a balloon under B, etc).
There are also really fun books that are just alphabet- or number- focused. Our son adored Dr. Seuss's ABC book (the big one linked, NOT the board book, which is missing huge chunks) and The Very Hungry Caterpillar for numbers, loved Doggies and A-Z by Sandra Boynton. But we also got silly with books like Hockey ABC ("O is for Ovechkin!").
posted by Mchelly at 1:49 PM on November 19, 2014
There are also really fun books that are just alphabet- or number- focused. Our son adored Dr. Seuss's ABC book (the big one linked, NOT the board book, which is missing huge chunks) and The Very Hungry Caterpillar for numbers, loved Doggies and A-Z by Sandra Boynton. But we also got silly with books like Hockey ABC ("O is for Ovechkin!").
posted by Mchelly at 1:49 PM on November 19, 2014
There's an iOS app called Letter School that my kid really enjoys, and it has both numbers and letters, but it is designed more for learning to make the shapes than just to recognize them, so it might be better as a follow-up to Endless Numbers and Endless Alphabet.
posted by acm at 1:56 PM on November 19, 2014
posted by acm at 1:56 PM on November 19, 2014
Yes, if you have an iPad or what have you, there are excellent, excellent apps for this. Endless Numbers was mentioned upthread, but there is also Endless Alphabet and my daughter learned all of her letter sounds from there. Pop ABCs is also pretty good for letter recognition.
posted by kitcat at 3:32 PM on November 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by kitcat at 3:32 PM on November 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
As far as books go, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is nearly essential. And I'm fond of Grover's Own Alphabet - especially because I get to read it in a Grover voice.
My aunt has recommended writing letters in pudding for tactile kids.
I think I got things rolling with my daughter by taking the first letter of her name and asking "What else starts with M?" And then I'd slowly list things off. The sillier, the better. We'd do this for a minute or so every couple of days and in about a month she was able to come up with ones on her own.
She also like to hold the grocery list and pretend to read it - if you involve him in the writing of the list and the reading it while shopping, that might get the curiosity going...
posted by kitcat at 3:49 PM on November 19, 2014
My aunt has recommended writing letters in pudding for tactile kids.
I think I got things rolling with my daughter by taking the first letter of her name and asking "What else starts with M?" And then I'd slowly list things off. The sillier, the better. We'd do this for a minute or so every couple of days and in about a month she was able to come up with ones on her own.
She also like to hold the grocery list and pretend to read it - if you involve him in the writing of the list and the reading it while shopping, that might get the curiosity going...
posted by kitcat at 3:49 PM on November 19, 2014
Kate Nonesuch's free e-book Family Math Fun has lots of suggestions for structured and unstructured activities. I've used it with my niece and nephew, and the activities were simple and fun for all of us.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 4:01 PM on November 19, 2014
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 4:01 PM on November 19, 2014
Full disclosure: I'm building this.
I have a 2.5 year old and have been building an iPad/iPhone app exactly for this.
I also felt that the wheel of fortune mentioned above is a fun way to learn, so there are 7 spinners covering the alphabet, animals, numbers, colours etc. Kids can spin the wheel and hear the letters that result. There is also a question game where kids have to match the letter with the spoken sound.
Our app (Little Spinner) should be on the App Store in a couple of weeks, but if you (or anyone else) wants to try it in the meantime, drop me a note via the mefi jobs post listed, or via my profile, and I'll send you an invite to the Beta testing.
posted by Gomez_in_the_South at 5:41 PM on November 19, 2014
I have a 2.5 year old and have been building an iPad/iPhone app exactly for this.
I also felt that the wheel of fortune mentioned above is a fun way to learn, so there are 7 spinners covering the alphabet, animals, numbers, colours etc. Kids can spin the wheel and hear the letters that result. There is also a question game where kids have to match the letter with the spoken sound.
Our app (Little Spinner) should be on the App Store in a couple of weeks, but if you (or anyone else) wants to try it in the meantime, drop me a note via the mefi jobs post listed, or via my profile, and I'll send you an invite to the Beta testing.
posted by Gomez_in_the_South at 5:41 PM on November 19, 2014
My son's school uses the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum, and from what I've seen it involves a lot of A: shape awareness, knowing all the little pieces that compose letters (big curve, little curve, that kind of thing), B: phonemic awareness, rhymes, syllables, showing in a million ways that words are made up of sounds, C: learning letter forms in lots of media--tracing in the air and writing on sand and finger paints, D: tracing over letters written by teachers (on a school topic or of the child's choosing; my kid knows the letter X thanks to writing X Wing Fighters several dozen times) E: a lot of encouraging pre-reading activities like telling the teacher a story based on a picture.
None of those are "what letter is this", but the idea as far as I can tell is to give them all the skills to jump from that to meaningful reading and writing once they're ready. They're all things that have been easy to build into our days, whether it's rhyming games on the bus or writing his name in the new snow with his boots.
posted by tchemgrrl at 7:18 PM on November 19, 2014
None of those are "what letter is this", but the idea as far as I can tell is to give them all the skills to jump from that to meaningful reading and writing once they're ready. They're all things that have been easy to build into our days, whether it's rhyming games on the bus or writing his name in the new snow with his boots.
posted by tchemgrrl at 7:18 PM on November 19, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by thatone at 10:08 AM on November 19, 2014