Comments on: What Is The Best Way To Teach A Preschooler Their Abcs, 123s, Colors, Shapes, Etc?

By: angelbab

angelbab — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:53:36 +0000

through playing. Candyland Castle is a great game for colors and shapes.
Cranium Cariboo is my favorite game, it teaches counting, colors and letter recognition. As a therapist, it is my most used toy.
Build block toys and count blocks. Count favorite toys like cars.
Leapfrog toys are simply awesome for letter recognition.

By: speechy

speechy — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:53:36 +0000

Just talk constantly while you are doing things….like when outside talk about how the sky is blue, the grass is green, etc. Also when say putting things on a plate count as you are putting it there…like, one chicken finger, two chicken fingers, etc. My daughter learned left from right while watching Notre Dame football with her dad…they would do a cheer and say “lean to the left, lean to the right”….just everyday things they can relate to teaches them.

By: ShreekyDaStonerLette 420

ShreekyDaStonerLette 420 — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:53:36 +0000

Repitition is the best way – that’s how they learn everything.
To point out those things even while going about everyday activities, until they know them on their own.

By: Ontario_

Ontario_ — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:53:36 +0000

Believe it or not my 4 yr old learned her ABC’s by playing with a toy of hers that she had since she was 2.Its that leap frog Callipilter(sorry cant spell it) it says the ABC’s,sings,Counts,even helps a kid pronounce letters.She knew how to say her ABC’s when she was little over 3.Now since she is in preschool is she reconizing her letters.The numbers,she learned to count to 10 and her colors from watching Dora when she was almost 3.She learned her shapes in preschool.its hard to get her to sit down with me but yet she will in preschool.So i thank leap frog toys and Nick JR’s shows and Preschool…if it wasnt for them she wouldn’t known nothing cause she will not sit still long enough for me to teach her anything.She has threw away her learning cards that i got her when she was 3…..I guess she likes to learn at school is there is other kids there doing the same thing and she likes copying others anyways

By: Tracy M

Tracy M — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:53:36 +0000

Young children learn best through play. The best way to teach simple shapes, colors, letters, and numbers is by incorporating them into every day play and conversations.
When you are reading a book point out that the table on the page looks like a brown square. When you are eating pizza point out that the pizza is a red circle. When you do art make collages of pink triangles to glue onto the paper and so forth.
A great learning toy for numbers and letters is the Leap Frog ABC refrigerator magnets. They are fun and have helped my son immensely. And don’t forget about singing your ABCs…I like to do it while we do art and I draw the letters as I sing them for my son.
Just make it fun and be creative. And repetition is a great thing…stick with one ‘theme’ for a week then move on to another rather than trying to teach 101 things at once.

By: Beth S

Beth S — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:53:36 +0000

I’ve learned that it could possibly be by incorporating it into everyday life as you’re trying to teach it. For example: look at the blue ball, you have on a nice red shirt, etc. Same with shapes (your plate is a circle, that book is a rectangle) They seem to pick up on those little adjectives and think that it’s a game.

By: HUh?!?

HUh?!? — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:53:36 +0000

repeat it over and over. Make it fun. When me and my son were learning our colors we would have a TOTAL “Green Day” we would wear green cloths, colors with just green, eat green things for snake, and so on. as far as counting and the abc’s we would just sing them over and over again. Mainly whenever we got in the car, like instead of listening to the radio, We would sing them over and over. Good Luck!

By: mickeyid

mickeyid — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:53:36 +0000

Hooked on phonics is great. You can also make it a game. My daugher is 2 although she can only count up to ten she knows the ABC’s song like the back of her hand. Make it a memory game. With colors choose the colors on their clothes that way they know its always a new color. With shapes you can make people of of them Like circle for head, triangle for a little girls body rectangle for legs etc. Try something such as the old cartoon on disney rollie pollie ollie. Numbers are tough but that can be a memory game also. 1 number a week.

By: lala

lala — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:53:36 +0000

It should be taught through hands – on ways that are not imposed on the child. He or she should never be pressured to look. Go to http://www.montessorimom.com for some great ideas. Good luck and have fun!

By: BoSox27

BoSox27 — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:53:36 +0000

i think the best way is in a song they also have music videos like the baby Einstein videos are good

By: Rosie

Rosie — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:53:36 +0000

Send them to the very best academic-based preschool you can, the one with the longest waiting list. Keep in mind, the cognitive things you list account for about 20% of what they’ll need to know before kindergarten. They’ll also need good fine motor and gross motor skills, playing well in the sandbox, etc.