20 November 2009
3-year-old’s development: V is for Vai
Category : Kids & Kids, School Permalink
[Trying to give his biggest smile without showing any teeth!]
At 3 years old, Vai knows his alphabets (all capital letters and almost all small letters) but he’s not that enthusiastic about learning to write.
He can write simple alphabets like ‘O’, ‘I’, ‘U’, ‘V’, and ‘Q’, but when asked to sit down, hold a pencil and learn how to write simple alphabet strokes with me by his side, the whole session can be over in less than 3 minutes! (He prefers to go off, jump around, and play with his cars).
And in responding to this, I know I have at least two choices.
I can choose :
… to be angry and impatient with him for not showing better interest in learning how to write
or
… to acknowledge that every child has different strengths, interests and learning styles, and scolding him for his ‘lack of interest’ in doing worksheets won’t do him any good.
(Anyway, isn’t it supposed to be absolutely normal for 3yo kids to NOT know how to write the alphabets yet?)
So I tell myself, I should just follow his pace and play along.
[Not quite sure where he got these moves from, hehe]
Since he’s more into play than doing worksheet stuff, here’s one idea I personally implement:
- I give him a piece of paper to scribble and draw for a while, then I show him how to write a particular alphabet by holding his hand while writing it out
- For example, after writing the letter ‘C’ together a few times, I then draw some dots and ask him to join the dots himself to make the letter ‘C’ (letting him choose whichever crayons / coloured pencils he’d like to use makes writing more interesting for him)
- Then I’ll play ‘Guess what I’m drawing’, where I’ll draw things that begin with the letter ‘C’ (eg. ‘cat’, ‘cow’, ‘comb’), ask him to guess what it is, and once he’s guessed it correctly, I’ll write the word out. If he’s keen, he can then have another go in writing out the letter ‘C’ again on the drawing paper
And if he wants to end the session and move on to something else … I let him and we continue with the alphabet session some other time (read: a day or even a week later).
…
If you ask me, I totally have no idea how things will be like for Vai when he starts his nursery school next January.
Because I know, unlike Anya, he’s not quite the type who can sit down for a long time and ‘do work’ (read: Many / most schools here in Singapore, unfortunately, put much heavier emphasis on worksheets than play)
I really do hope he enjoys his formal learning days though.
Because I believe that one learns and remembers more when one enjoys the whole process of learning itself too.
…
[Photos]
We had some shoots done at home these past couple of days. With studio lights and all. And these are some of our captured shots, as photographed by Daddy.
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Posted by Siska
20 November 2009 @ 5:57 am
wah, anya les balet, vai kudu les kungfu nih kliatannya hahaha. gaya kungfunya meyakinkan tuh.
JL jg bukan tipe yg bs duduk dan tulis. gw jg pas dia coret2 baru nyelipin ’session menulis’ biasa cuma bbrp hurup doang. then it’ll be all over.
Posted by Karen Yee
20 November 2009 @ 8:52 am
HI Leonny
YOu are not alone. My boy is not interested in writing either. I don’t believe in forcing him to do phonics or writing etc everyday for 15 mins like some parents insist. Unless the child is truly interested (esp at such a young age), I would rather go with his interest and allow him to learn according to his pace.
While I have read many blogs and forums about Singapore preschoolers knowing how to read, the entire phonics and even write at 2 to 3 yrs old, I must always remind myself that Ethan is an unique individual and he will pick up all these as soon as he is ready. Perhaps not at 3 yrs old for him:)
Posted by Gwen
20 November 2009 @ 11:26 am
Hi, I share your same sentiments. Isn’t it funny though how although we tell ourselves that it’ll be great if they could read and write by 3, deep inside we also know that it really shouldn’t matter so very much that we get all het up about it.
Thank you for the reminder that every child has been given different strengths and aptitudes by God…and may this always help us to regain our focus that parenting and childhood is a journey to be enjoyed, not stressed over.
Posted by Rachel
20 November 2009 @ 9:59 pm
It is just us asians who like to fast-track everything for our kids. When I read about this 2 or 3 year old that can read, I think it is a little too early that the child be spending so much time with their heads buried in a book. Afterall he/she will have the next 18 years or more in school to do that regardless of whether they enjoy it or not.
I think it is perfectly normal for a 3 year old not want/be able to write the alphabet. Play is good for them, there are so many other skills that can be learnt through play. Great job that u are doing to make learning fun for Vai. I realised that it can get more challenging to teach most boys vs girls, they are more likely to learn when actively engaged, whereas girls are more compliant when it comes to seat work.
Posted by Little Prince’s mummy
24 November 2009 @ 1:16 pm
Nice pose!