At what age do they recognize numbers and letters?

[Shadowy Lady]

Hi guys,

My LO is 18 months this coming Monday and I noticed that she recognizes numbers 1 through 10 and also a few letters (like O, P, T and S). I haven't actually tried to teach her; she just points at things and asks what they are. I tell her and she always remembers.

Is this an indication I can go ahead and teach her the rest of the alphabet? I'm not trying to rush/confuse her so I thought I ask here first. What age did you ladies teach your LO's the alphabet? Or did you just wait until they started pre-school?

TIA

 

[freckleonear]

Any age between about 18 months and 5 years! I wouldn't actively teach the alphabet at that age as other vocabulary is far more important, but it's fine to follow her interests as you've already been doing. If you are in the UK you might want to teach the phonetic sounds rather than the letter names to avoid confusing her later on.

 

[Button#]

I think carry on as you are, showing her things and telling her what they are as she asks. My LO has only just started to recognise numbers from playing with a toy remote control and he has started to ask about letters. We have a lovely toddler book with the alphabet and numbers in as well as shapes and colours which he really likes. He also has an excellent memory and knows the titles and first line of all his books!

 

[Shadowy Lady]

Any age between about 18 months and 5 years! I wouldn't actively teach the alphabet at that age as other vocabulary is far more important, but it's fine to follow her interests as you've already been doing. If you are in the UK you might want to teach the phonetic sounds rather than the letter names to avoid confusing her later on.

Thank you, I'm in Canada I always thought they recognized letters later so I was surprised. I will continue teaching her when she asks

 

[deafgal]

I agree vocabulary is important. But if your LO wants to know, excellent. Tell her

 

[Sour_Skittle]

By 18 months my oldest knew every alphabet letter, except 1 or 2 she would have mixed up, but now at the age of 3.5 she still can't recognize numbers, but can count.

My youngest who is 18 months old now can't even talk let alone know letters. She is quite behind! So each child is different

 

[Shadowy Lady]

By 18 months my oldest knew every alphabet letter, except 1 or 2 she would have mixed up, but now at the age of 3.5 she still can't recognize numbers, but can count.

My youngest who is 18 months old now can't even talk let alone know letters. She is quite behind! So each child is different [/QUOTE]

That's just it, and that's why I didn't want to push mine. She can count from 1 to 5 but recognizes the rest of the numbers (up to 10). Same with random letters. She points at them on the clock, in random books, magazine, pictures...

I asked my mom and she said I was 3 before I could count 1-10...I guess my daughter is smarter than me

 

[AngelofTroy]

Micah recognises the numbers 1,7 and 8 for some reason! And match them all up to 10. He knows "M for Micah" and can find M in his alphabet puzzle, he's starting to recognise a few others too,. He has a number puzzle and an alphabet one which I've found have really got him interested.

 

[rainbowskin]

By 18 months my oldest knew every alphabet letter, except 1 or 2 she would have mixed up, but now at the age of 3.5 she still can't recognize numbers, but can count.

My youngest who is 18 months old now can't even talk let alone know letters. She is quite behind! So each child is different

Not knowing the letters of the alphabet by 18 months is not "behind"

 

[emma4g63]

There's such a wide spectrum for kids as some will excel in knowing numbers and letters but not so much on say motor skills like jumping etc.. My little girl is 23 months and can count to 15 - knows all the alphabet and recognises all numbers 1-15 and letters to and even knows the phonics to them and can read small words - and although we have taught her small bits dome of it she just picked up alone off tv etc... She still jumps with only one foot tho -0!!

 

[Tigerlilyb]

By 18 months my oldest knew every alphabet letter, except 1 or 2 she would have mixed up, but now at the age of 3.5 she still can't recognize numbers, but can count.

My youngest who is 18 months old now can't even talk let alone know letters. She is quite behind! So each child is different

Not knowing the letters of the alphabet by 18 months is not "behind"

I think she just meant behind her first child, not in general.

At 21 months my girl knows a handful of letters from her fridge magnets, if she's curious I'll just tell her. But when it comes to her foam bath numbers she doesn't give a hoot She just wants me to sing the numbers song from sesame street so she can dance.

 

[Thurinius]

So true they all develop differently. My lo at 2 could put numbers in order up to 10 and point to numbers if you asked him to.
I was shocked when I realised he could recognise his name and spell it and several other words too. We hadn't consciously taught him anything.
On the other hand, aged 3 he still doesn't talk I think maybe he's over compensating...

 

[Bevziibubble]

I would think there was such a wide age range. My friend whose toddler is the same age as mine knows the whole alphabet, but Holly doesn't recognise any letters yet, although she will repeat a lot of them after me. She enjoys using her alphabet peg puzzle. I think something like this is a fun way to begin to learn letters

 

[lollipop92]

Perfectly fine to carry on teaching if she is interested. My little girl just turned two, knows her whole alphabet, the sounds the letters make, recognises them, can tell you a word beginning with each letter, spells her full name. She can count to 22 and is now starting to recognise numbers and count things. If they are interested, indulge them! They are like sponges at this age xx

 

[jd83]

My son learned to count 1-10 around age 2, and alphabet song around age 2. He didn't show any interest before then, but once we started singing the songs, he became obsessed, lol. Sang them all throughout stores while getting groceries, in the car, in the house, everywhere.

I have just started working on actual recognition of letters and numbers in written form. I never wanted to rush it because, to me, I just wanted him to enjoy being a toddler. There's so much time for that. I am sure he will learn all of this in preschool next year, but I'm just working on slowly introducing it now.

If your daughter is actually interested and asking about things, I'd still tell her though.

 

[SazzleR]

DS is heading towards 3 & only recently started recognising numbers & letters. He's better at numbers but then that's no surprise as DH is a maths teacher do desperately wants him to be a maths genius I'm not pushing either tbh. School need to teach him something after all

 

[Natsku]

I think there's a huge age range in this. Maria is not interested and doesn't recognise letters and numbers (briefly she did but she lost interest).
If she's interested then teach her. I think its always good to follow their interests when it comes to teaching them things. I'm sure they must naturally become interested in something when they are ready to learn it.

 

[Zephram]

My 15 month old recognizes some letters already. He knows 'C' and 'Q' and the letters of his name 'L E O'. I think he might recognize number '2' as well. I would hazard a guess that he recognizes more than that but isn't verbalizing it yet.

We have alphabet flash cards that he is completely obsessed with and one of his favourite things to do is sit on my lap and go through the cards.

 

[mammy2oaklen]

My 3 year old can recognise most numbers ans count to 20 but as for alphabet hes not interested at all he can recognise a few letter but thats it.

 

[Shadowy Lady]

Thanks guys! I think I will get her some alphabet flash cards, that's a great idea. Yesterday i realized she actually recognizes S, O, F, I and A....I think she's learning to spell her own name (probably learned it at daycare)