Advice History

Letters and numbers are everywhere. Many children's toys have letters or numbers on them; such as Thomas the Tank Engine. Every train has a number on it and as children play with these trains, they are learning the numbers associated with each train. This type of developmental learning is great because numbers and letters are learned by exposure, not pressure.  When children learn this way, they also begin to associate the letters, numbers and even colors to other things around them. For instance, Thomas is train No. 1 and he is blue. Kids who play with these trains will soon be associating things that start with a 'T' to Thomas, like tree, towel and toothbrush.  You will be surprised at how quickly they learn from this type of toy and  it's a great way to learn without stressing out a toddler.

My son is 5 going on 6 and has sill been unable to  learn all of the alphabet and numbers, i am worried, i know that he will get it in time,but i just want him to be caught up, its totally different from when my daughter was small, she knew it all by the time she was 3, i used to think that she was a genius, she is vey gifted, and now at the age of 11 she is still very intellegent, its a 380 from how my son is, does anyone have any advice for me, and yes i know that all children are different, and that everyone learns at there own pace.

Yes, it's true all children are different and learn at their own pace. If you're concerned about your son's abilities, you might want to ask your pediatrician for advice. I looked at the American Academy of Pediatrics web site, and they have a list of developmental milestones most kids should reach by 4 to 5 years of age.