Kinda shocked, kinda scared, VERY proud!

[BabelFish]

So DD and I were drawing before. I wrote her name in big letters and, as I was doing it, she said `O' and then `P' and then `Y' (her name is Poppy).

I was a bit shocked so I said `what does this word say darling?'. She didn't answer, so I pointed to the letter 'Y' and said `what is this letter?'. She said `Y!'. So then I did the same with `P' and she got that too. Then I said the same with the 'O' but she said `circle!' (still right!!).

Anyway, I got up to get her a drink and she looked again and said `Poppy!!!'.

She is 20 months old.

I'm really very proud of her and I'm really very stoked ... but I'm also really shocked! We haven't taught her to read or recognise any letters at all, except for informally in play.

On further testing, she knew `B', `T' and 'Z', and also the letters '2' and '5'. (She can count to ten, but I don't think she knows what it means).

The only thing we do regularly is when we are reading her a story that she knows well, we leave off the last word of the sentence and she says it. This is how my Mum taught us to read, but we were older, and Poppy thinks it's a great game.

Um ..... :eek:

[brogeybear]

Holy Cow! That is pretty amazing for 20 months! DS is learning ABC - he just turned 2 and he is pretty advanced in a lot of areas but he certainly cant recognise letters!

[BabelFish]

Yes I almost wet my pants.

:laughing:

[sweetsugardumplin']

We haven't taught her to read or recognise any letters at all, except for informally in play.



And that's how ch'n learn....when it's fun and meaningful!

Yeah :yelclap: for your beautiful girl, with a gorgeous name!

[GabberQueeN83]

What a clever girl!!!!!:yelclap::D

[jaq]

Congratulations - that's wonderful!

It's amazing the little things that creep up on you and how they learn from games ... for us it was the foam letters in the bath.

Reading like that is a perfect start - children with good memories are often good readers. Just keep doing what you are doing!

[BabelFish]

Actually jaq that's it! She has a really big foam playmat with the alphabet - one letter per square. The letters come out and we always tell her which one she's pulled out.

We do teach her a lot of stuff just informally as we don't want to put pressure on her. I never thought she'd remember some things so early though, but she does have an excellent memory. Yay!! :D

[TurnedBatty]

Awww, sounds like my son at that age. It's pretty scary. :) At three my son was counting out numbers, and he got to 1300 before I stopped him and had to walk
out of the room shaking with shock!!! Just take some deep breaths. And maybe eat some more icecream. Your daughter should have a great love of books. :)

[BabelFish]

She does. Reading is her favourite favourite favourite thing. Mine too! :D

We are big readers and have read to both our kids from the day they were born and before.

My cousin told me that to foster a love of reading your children need to read three books a day (or have you read to them, obviously). She would get five times that at least! She just loves her books. 'Book' was her fifth word.

Some of my fondest memories of childhood were the books I loved. I still have them all. They are in Poppy's room.

Cazza, your son sounds like my eldest brother. When he was two this is a conversation he had with our uncle;

Brother: 'Guess what Uncle Rupert! I can say the alphabet!'

Uncle: 'Really Paul? That's wonderful!'

Brother: 'Backwards!'

Uncle: :eek:

[MelandBen]

Thats awesome!! I was also like that as a child (i don't think as early though) and it was because my mum loved reading to me.

Keep it up! Books are a great release for children to be able to go off into a fantasy world!

[kuddles]

Wow that is wonderful. You have every reason to be proud! :)

[Pina Colada]

:yelclap: that really is wonderful :D Some children have really wonderful memories.

DD1 got me a good one too, around 18 months, and it really is a moment you'll never forget. She counted to 10....and then backwards to 0 :eek:

[BabelFish]

Woah!!!!!

[~ElectricPink~]

Wow!! That's pretty amazing! :yelclap:

If she loves reading the alphabet, I highly recommend buying Dr. Suess's ABC. That's where my sons love for letters began! :D

[TurnedBatty]

Lol, I would be very shocked at a kid of age two saying the alphabet backwards, good on your brother I say!

And yup, it's recommended that you read three books a day minimum. We follow those guidelines too. It's all set out in a book called 'reading magic' by mem fox. It also talks about makng books fun to prevent kids finding it as a chore later in life.