He'll get two through ten with no problem, he never learned one very well because we would start him out with one. As soon as he gets to ten he continues thereafter saying "fourteen, fourteen, fourteen until you actually get to fourteen. It's really cute.
Anyways I was flipping through one of the "How to raise a toddler" books in the bathroom during Wesley's bath the other day and came across something that really bugged me. The book was "What to Expect during the Toddler Years" and it is comprised of a bunch of questions that would help out parents during each month of life. I was reading ahead into the 23rd month and one of the questions was:
"Some of the kids my son plays with can recite the alphabet and count. My son doesn't seem interested in learning any of this. Is he going to be behind when he starts school?"
The answer is: "They're counting, saying letters and a few are recognizing words. Is this rampant precocity in today's toddlers a sure sign of giftedness? No. More often, it's a sign that these tots have been watching a lot of television. Most early alphabet reciters and counters owe their premature proficiencies to TV shows, which teach these skills with captivating characters, catchy music and repetition."
I read this and it really made me mad. Sean and I spend a lot of time teaching this kid his basics. I feel this is our job as parents. We read all the time, sing songs, recite the alphabet over and over, learn letters in the tub. And here I read that when our kid finally starts picking up what we spend all of our time teaching him, that is due to him watching too much TV. What a bunch of bull. I can't imagine the hour and a half of Elmo's World a week is teaching him to count our fingers and say his ABC's. I don't know why that got under my skin but it sure did.
Anyways, here is a video of him counting his Easter eggs last weekend. It was pretty busy in that house so I'm not sure he was really into it but you get the idea.
1 comment:
Have been thinking about this one for a few days since I first read it. I think what it boils down to is the bell curve. MOST parents in America use the TV as a babysitter. You are special in the amount of energy you put into raising a smart kid. I'd just ignore these gross generalizations and know that you're doing double-duty on the language/counting skills. You are very lucky to stay home with your kid - and enjoy it as much as you do.
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