Dot to Dot letters - writing and tracing

[whatwillbex]

So my DD was ill last week so we were doing some crafting and drawing as you do.
So we did some dots for her name and the number 3 for her to join up. Just for a bit of fun, DD enjoyed doing it and was proud that she wrote her name and age and wanted to show her preschool teacher. So off it went in her book bag then yesterday my DD come home and said her teacher grunted put her picture on the side and DD told me she didn't like it. I didn't think too much about it just felt bit sad for DD thought she may of misunderstood the situation.
Today the preschool teacher approached me and said to not do them as they learn nothing from it as they could be writing anything and they will be covering letters in a week's time. Bit of a telling off haha
Felt so stupid, DD enjoys doing dot to dot letters but for fun. Surely it's all good holding the pen practice and why do all the learning books etc have them in.
Just frustrated as I felt a bit judged to be a pushy parent
I didn't realise preschool was so strict..

 

[Bevziibubble]

That's so sad I can understand that the preschool may see it as not being important to them learning their letters by tracing them, but I do think that she could have been a bit more positive and grateful for it especially as your daughter was so proud of it and wanted to show it to her teacher

 

[whatwillbex]

Yeah, I thought so too. I felt they sort of missed the point. She's only 3. Silly I had to hold back the tears when I walked away. :/

 

[Bevziibubble]

Aww I would've cried too. That's such a disappointment for a small child

 

[DJJ]

The attitude of the teacher is really sad.i did the same with my boy when he was in nursery and wanted to take it to school and the teacher actually attached it to his work book and put a big smiley face on it.he is now in reception and has completed a work sheet with dot to dot letter on and then a line to write them independently. If she enjoys it I can't see any harm with it.

 

[Gym knickers]

That's awful!! Sorry she made you feel like that. It's a good fine motor skill and something lots of nurserys do to aid hand eye co- ordination. My DD loved doing it at home and when they did it at nursery they were so impressed with her pen control etc and said they could tell she'd had practice. She's now able to write her name etc but still finds new shapes hard. Her name was one we overwrote a lot and it's definitely helped her! Its the step before phonological awareness etc which I think they have missed the point!

 

[Eleanor ace]

Aw hun . I would have felt really upset too. Possibly she thought that you wouldn't know the proper formation (where to start, which direction to go for each letter) and that your LO would be confused when it came to learning her letters, but she could have just explained it nicely.
My DD1 has some writing books which she uses to play schools with and they have dotty letters to write over and I let her do those and I'm a teacher, so I'd probably get a real scolding from your LO's teacher!

 

[SarahBear]

That is not a teacher I would send my kid to.

 

[Inoue]

^^ Ditto.

What a mean thing for her to say! My daughter is nearly 4 and is quite confident in writing her name now, but mainly because we did dot to dot for her and she learned it day to day to the point where she doesnt need the dots anymore. Sod what she says, learning is learning, its hardly coursework for a masters degree, just simple ABC and number learning .

Carry on and be chuffed of yours and your LO hard work xx

 

[whatwillbex]

So relieved its not just me. I think she has got a bee in her bonet. A few times now she has approached me about some really random things and its left me questioning her. I think I need to mum up and speak up next time. Thanks peeps xxx

 

[BunnyN]

Fasions and opinions about teaching methods are constantly changing. Probably it was something the teacher was taught not to do. I think there is rarely only one right way but even if it was 'wrong' it is way more important not to crush a kids enthusiasm for something the way she did. Some teachers seem to feel threatened by anything like that done outside of school. Maybe she took it (in her head) as a dig that she should be doing the same thing?

I can say that I did dotted Ls one day for my DDs name. She did 2 or 3 of them and the next day totally surprised me by producing an L that she had written all by herself. Then my mum started writing her name in dots on a chalk board every time she goes. After a few time she started writing the second letter of her name. She now signs all her pictures with the first 2 letters of her name. Addmitedly she gets them backwards sometimes but she is only 3.5. Point being they have worked for us.

 

[_Meep_]

Oh my God. You're her mother! YOU are her teacher, first and foremost, and if you want to trace letters and numbers together, then it's nothing to do with her!

Jesus Christ, I would be SEETHING.

I have home footage of myself as an 18-month-old reading little flash cards and picking out different shapes with my mother - I'd love to know what this idiot would have said to her.

Never did me any harm, by the way. Always did well at school. Still like reading. Now a qualified proofreader. Lol.

 

[CaptainMummy]

Doesn't matter what you are 'teaching' her. I feel awful that she didn't show enthusiasm about something your daughter was excited to show her.
My 3yr old takes drawings into her nursery pretty much weekly (and has done for a while. She insists!) and even though Im sure her keyworker is sick to the back teeth of it, she still tells my daughter that she is very happy to see it, how great it is and usually puts it on the wall. She has been able to write her name for a few months now (she was about 2y 9m) and her nursery leader pretty much said this was part of the reason she got moved rooms early. I cant imagine being told not to do it (although I just showed her how to write her name and she remembered, we never did the tracing thing)

Well done to your daughter, and shame on the teacher!

 

[c1403]

I would love it if my DD wanted to do her letters. I know pre schools don't usually teach them which is fine but I wanted to give her a head start before school, she isn't interested one bit.
If I were you I would still do them with her, praise her and encourage (but don't force). What you do with her at home has nothing to do with the pre school and I'd actually be angry in the way they responded. You're dd should get praise for writing her name or doing a scribble it doesn't matter . Well done to her. X