https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:33:31 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-start-teaching-abcs-amp-numbers#post-2610098 Wed, 24 Aug 2016 15:46:01 +0000 honeybear 2610098@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>First, resist the temptation to freak out. I know that's hard to do because education stuff feels like such a big deal, but really, don’t. Your child is not "behind," and very likely the other child is not "ahead" in any meaningful sense. </p> <p>I didn't see the point of deliberately teaching LO (who is 6 and can read and do math) the alphabet song at 2, but I did think there was a benefit to expanding his vocabulary, so I read to him a lot. I'm convinced that it's much easier to learn to read if you've got a huge vocabulary to draw from. I know it's possible to spend time reading and also do alphabet/number activities, but everyone has a limited amount of time. I'd spend almost all of that limited time on reading to the child. </p> <p>Second, I wouldn't put much emphasis on the name of the letter or the order of the alphabet. I mean, go ahead and mention the names and maybe recite the order a few times because those things are good to know, but I wouldn’t prioritize them. When you decide to start teaching letters, teach the sounds, short vowels first. And for counting, I'd work on the concept before the numeral. For example, I'd get out a bunch of little toys or blocks and show one and say "one," and then show two and say "two," etc. Or use an abacus to do the same thing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-start-teaching-abcs-amp-numbers#post-2610030 Wed, 24 Aug 2016 14:12:27 +0000 SweetiePie 2610030@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lamariniere: yes that too! Any time he has something like blueberries, Cheerios, goldfish, etc I count them out for him. So now in addition to reciting numbers, he actually gets counting items. He still gets a little confused sometimes and will count something twice. But I really think that this has helped. He'll be two in a couple of weeks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-start-teaching-abcs-amp-numbers#post-2610026 Wed, 24 Aug 2016 14:09:42 +0000 SweetiePie 2610026@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son has known most of the letters and numbers since about 20 months (consistently) and has known quite a few since maybe 18 months.<br /> I credit it greatly to flash cards! My sitter actually suggested them when he was only 6 months old. I thought it was kinda silly but got them for his Easter basket since they are inexpensive and perfect for that sort of thing.<br /> Well she's been doing them with him a couple times a week for 1.5 years now, and she tends to focus on one or two letters and numbers a week so he really learns it and it's not overwhelming. </p> <p>Also, he loves the Sesame Street alphabet kitchen game/app on my iPad.</p> <p>The foam letters and numbers for the bathtub too. He loves finding them and sticking them on the tub. I'll also put maybe 5-10 letters on the side of the tub and ask where's "X", "B", etc and he points them out. He thinks it's so much fun, which I think is hilarious. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-start-teaching-abcs-amp-numbers#post-2610016 Wed, 24 Aug 2016 14:03:27 +0000 MenagerieMama 2610016@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If it makes you feel any better LO didn't know any numbers or letters at that age! She's 23 mo now and knows 4 letters and can count to 10 in a purely half random reciting fashion and no concept of what she's doing. She will say "two" if you ask her how many of something no matter how many there are (and everything is also the color blue). And we basically think she's a genius, ha! I know there are lots of kids ahead of her too at this age but it doesn't bother me. We go with what she's jnterested in. She loves finding letters she knows in things. She's also a major gross motor baby so that's her strength (she can jump and climb ladders and run like the wind!). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-start-teaching-abcs-amp-numbers#post-2610006 Wed, 24 Aug 2016 13:56:15 +0000 lamariniere 2610006@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just did it organically, like counting blueberries or pointing out letters. We sing the ABC song when brushing teeth, so my 2 yo can say the alphabet, but she doesn't actually know very many letters. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-start-teaching-abcs-amp-numbers#post-2610000 Wed, 24 Aug 2016 13:51:39 +0000 LemonJack 2610000@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We read a lot of books to DD and count often in the books (counting the number of objects, etc). We have a few alphabet/number books too, and the biggest hit has been Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. We point to every letter as we go along.</p> <p>PS, your daughter definitely isn't behind! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-start-teaching-abcs-amp-numbers#post-2609979 Wed, 24 Aug 2016 13:29:12 +0000 MrsSRS 2609979@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just chat about them a lot, but the movie The Letter Factory and the apps Endless Alphabet and Endless Numbers are super awesome. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-start-teaching-abcs-amp-numbers#post-2609972 Wed, 24 Aug 2016 13:21:19 +0000 kes18 2609972@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just started doing the 1-10 counting (and holding up fingers). Eventually she just learned it. And we would practice sometimes, like if we were going down the stairs. She did learn the alphabet and could recite it just after 2. But they taught her at daycare so I am assuming they just sang it over and over. She doesn't really recognize too many letters except E (her first name). We have a few things with letters on them and sometimes she'll point to them and ask. She recognizes what letters are (so if we see something with letters/writing she will say "abcd") just not too many individual ones yet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-start-teaching-abcs-amp-numbers#post-2609940 Wed, 24 Aug 2016 12:52:59 +0000 jhd 2609940@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We love this puzzle: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Jumbo-Chunky-Puzzle/dp/B000F49UY8" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Jumbo-Chunky-Puzzle/dp/B000F49UY8</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-start-teaching-abcs-amp-numbers#post-2609938 Wed, 24 Aug 2016 12:47:47 +0000 MamaG 2609938@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For us it's been pretty organic. LO is 21 months and she's trying to sing the ABC's and gets some of them right. The ABC's has long been her calming song. So she's heard it a million times from me, DH and LO (now 5) over her 21 month life. Recently when I was counting at our older child the little one started counting with me. It's when I realized that she knows some of her numbers too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-start-teaching-abcs-amp-numbers#post-2609927 Wed, 24 Aug 2016 12:34:18 +0000 Tanjowen 2609927@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So my 2.5 year old adores his alphabet and numbers. He loved watching Dave &amp; Ava videos on Youtube, which focus on the alphabet with fun songs. We also bought him alphabet stickers and helped him draw out his alphabet with crayons on paper when he asked. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-start-teaching-abcs-amp-numbers#post-2609869 Wed, 24 Aug 2016 11:56:21 +0000 Mrsbells 2609869@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started with singing the ABC song and counting off our fingers. Kids memorize things really quickly but also forget things quickly if you dont practice for a while. she was also in daycare so she learnt a lot there too. last summer when she was 3 she spent a lot of time with my grandparents who were great at giving her sheets of paper with letters for her to trace and then we followed up with the crayola easel and now she knows all her letters, numbers and several sight words from memory </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-start-teaching-abcs-amp-numbers#post-2609839 Wed, 24 Aug 2016 11:18:16 +0000 snowjewelz 2609839@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think she started with watching some YouTube videos, and sometimes certain TV shows will do alphabets/count too, and then we'll talk about it. I recently got DD this magnetic easel that comes with numbers/letters too. She's 20 month; so far we just kinda let her lead. She can count to 4, sometimes 5, and can recognize a few alphabets. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-start-teaching-abcs-amp-numbers#post-2609836 Wed, 24 Aug 2016 11:15:42 +0000 looch 2609836@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@peachykeen: yes, agreed, I think it's one thing to be able to recite, but it's another entirely to understand what they represent. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-start-teaching-abcs-amp-numbers#post-2609833 Wed, 24 Aug 2016 11:13:45 +0000 peachykeen 2609833@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For what it's worth, my just-turned-2 year old has randomly been able to count to 10 since she was 12 months and can now count to 20 BUT she really doesn't understand what those numbers mean. So I wouldn't be too concerned about not understanding 'counting' at this age because it's really just a fun trick for DD at this age I think.</p> <p>We have foam letters in the bathtub (the Munchkin brand ones) that have really helped her associate letters with names, animals, etc (can you find M for Mommy? what is this letter for?). </p> <p>For numbers, we have a few board books and some "fun" flash cards (we let her play with them - we don't quiz her) with numbers and items to count and we also help her count things in everyday life. She will start counting and even point to the items but just keep counting because she likes to count. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-start-teaching-abcs-amp-numbers#post-2609829 Wed, 24 Aug 2016 11:10:14 +0000 looch 2609829@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son is a tactile learner, he needs to manipulate things in order to understand. So, for things like letters and numbers, I had a set of letter molds and he used them with his kinetic sand. For numbers, we had an abacus that I liked a lot, for the concept of what the numbers stand for. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-start-teaching-abcs-amp-numbers#post-2609828 Wed, 24 Aug 2016 11:10:01 +0000 Adira 2609828@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Xander could recite the alphabet at 2.5 (which I think is advanced). We read him Chicka Chicka Boom Boom a lot, and also watched this video, which he LOVED. As for counting to 10, I think he learned that because he had to have his inhaler every day, morning and night, and we would count to 10 while giving it to him.</p> <p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEYcmNhz7Uc" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEYcmNhz7Uc</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-start-teaching-abcs-amp-numbers#post-2609825 Wed, 24 Aug 2016 11:05:32 +0000 Meowkers 2609825@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LBee: Thank you! Great suggestions. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-start-teaching-abcs-amp-numbers#post-2609818 Wed, 24 Aug 2016 10:50:50 +0000 LBee 2609818@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son knows the alphabet and can count to 10 (he started around 22 months). He learned it fairly organically - I think it just interested him! We've found that when we try to push him to learn stuff that it doesn't happen as quickly than when we let him learn it on his own timetable. We read a lot of counting and alphabet books, which I think makes the most difference. I actually think Sesame Street taught him the alphabet - in particular the youtube video where the Sesame Street characters sing the alphabet. We also count EVERYTHING - the stairs, etc. We have him tell us how many of something he wants (1, 2, or 3 books tonight?), which encouraged him to learn the order of the numbers and now he often responds with 4! </p> <p>A great book that addresses both counting and the alphabet is "The Best Word Book Ever" by Richard Scarry. We also bought a lot of books just by looking up his interests (dinosaurs, Sesame Street, etc) and the world "alphabet" or "numbers."</p> <p>ETA: Totally forgot that he also learned letters from this toy. He's obsessed with it and now also recognizes letter. @Jape14: recommended it and I think it helped her son learn the alphabet too! </p> <p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sesame-Street-Elmos-Go-Letters/dp/B00PAE805S" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/Sesame-Street-Elmos-Go-Letters/dp/B00PAE805S</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-to-start-teaching-abcs-amp-numbers#post-2609809 Wed, 24 Aug 2016 10:43:09 +0000 Meowkers 2609809@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was reading a post on another mommy group i'm on and the woman said that her 20 month old could count to 10 but would skip 7. My 19 month old only knows one number: 3.</p> <p>After calming down from my initial freak out of "OMG my child is so behind" I started thinking of the best ways to introduce letters and numbers to my DD. She obviously has a lot of toys that sing the ABC song to her and she sort of sings the beginning of it but she doesn't associate those sounds with letters.</p> <p>Does anyone have any great activities, toys, games, books, or apps that they would recommend for introducing toddlers to letters and numbers? </p>