#3 and LMNOP

[StormySar]

My daughter who is 3 knows her numbers except the #3. She'll count right from 2-4, and if I have her cound 3 items, she tells me that there are only 2 or 4. She jsut had her third birthday, so we've kind of drilled how old she is into her, however, when asked how old she is, she still replies with 2 or when we tell her no that's not right she says 4.

What can i do?ALso, she knows her alphabet... But when it comes to LMNOP it's a jumbled mess, and from L-P the letters are undistinguishable. I've tried showing her with alphabet peices that the letters are seperate letters, have her repeat what I say, sound the letters out, have her repeat them on her own,, we sing from A-that point but as soon as we hit that point it's a jumbled mess again. What can I do to help her?

[MamaRabbit]

There's nothing you can do. Seriously. My daughter did the same, only she skipped #2. She knew when it was 2 of something if we counted "one dog, two dogs, three dogs." But if we just counted, it would be 1-2-4 four dogs.

As for LMNOP, I think it has a lot to do with the song and how they're rushed through.

DD is 3.5 now and finally has the numbers through 10 down and the ABCs are getting better. It just takes time and being consistent when counting and going through the alphabet.

[JessicaTX]

We sign our alphabet when we sing it, i think signing l, m, n, o , p cuts down on the elmopee confusion =D

[aniT]

I remember singing the alphabet with those letters ran together in a mess so yo couldn't understand. I KNEW what I was saying in my head however and that is all that counts.

Yes I can remember as far back as 13 months with bits and pieces of before so I was probably about three or so when I remember singing the song that way.

[TortelliniMama]

When I was teaching, I once had a student who was convinced there were two N's in the alphabet. One in the usual place after M, and one after Y. You know, "...W, X, Y N Z."

[moominmamma]

My eldest was reading at a 4th or 5th grade level before she 'knew' the alphabet in the sense that you're describing. She recognized the letters, and she knew their sounds, and she could use that knowledge to read fluently. At some point, she decided that she wanted to catalog our home library and organize it "like at a real library", so I had to teach her the order of the alphabet to help her alphabetize accurately. She learned it pretty easily at that point. I think she was 5 or 6.

So don't worry, knowing how to say or sing the alphabet in order is not a necessary pre-reading skill. It's just a cultural thing. We've been led to think it's an important pre-academic benchmark. Just let it go, I say. No worries.

As for counting, here the order of the elements is crucial. But she's only three. It'll come. Find a counting book that she enjoys and read it frequently. Remind her that "three comes after two, because you were two last year and now you're three." I was told once by someone very wise "if learning isn't sticking, it's because the place it's supposed to stick isn't there yet."

Miranda

[Lillian J]

I wouldn't bother to give it another thought. She'll eventually learn about "3" - promise - and it will probably be on her own, when you least expect it. Maybe she already does know about it, for that matter, but doesn't like to say it, can't pronounce as well as she'd like to, or whatever - but a three year old really doesn't need to. She has all the time in the world. Same with the alphabet - it will come in good time - and she's actually a bit young for that anyway. I'm saying this from the viewpoint of someeone who fretted over all sorts of little things when my son was little, and now look back and think "What was I THINKING?!" Lillian

[StormySar]

Thank you everyone... I'll quit worrying now :-)

[annab]

Signing Time has a really cute song about LMNO

LMNO

(LMNO)
(LMNO)
You know we’re more than just one name
(LMNO)
You know we’re not the same
(LMNO)
Give us each a little credit
Pay attention when you’ve said it
All in a line
Give us each time
Let’s say it again (LMNO)

4 in a row, a perfect fit
With our own sounds and benefits
So much better go much farther
If you work a little harder
Let’s say it again

(LMNO)
(LMNO)
We’re more than just one name
(LMNO)
We know we’re not the same
(LMNO)
Each with our own sound and skill
Understand we’re different still
So much more
In fact we are four
Now say it again

Four in a row a perfect fit
With our own sounds and benefits
So much better go much farther
If you work a little harder
say it again

L La la la la la
M Ma ma ma ma ma
N Na na na na na
O Oh oh oh

L La la la la la
M Ma ma ma ma ma
N Na na na na na
O Oh oh oh

(LMNO)
Say it again

(LMNO)
You know we’re more than just one name
(LMNO)
You know we’re not the same
(LMNO)
Give us each a little credit
Pay attention when you’ve said it
All in a line
Give us each time
Let’s say it again

L - M - N - O

[Just Me]

Originally Posted by TortelliniMama

When I was teaching, I once had a student who was convinced there were two N's in the alphabet. One in the usual place after M, and one after Y. You know, "...W, X, Y N Z."

LOL, reminds me of a boy I went to 3rd grade with. Saying the pledge....

"One nation, under God
Invisible
With Liberty and Justice for ALL"

Teacher finally heard what he was saying and corrected him to indivisible. he insisted she got it wrong, cuz he must be invisble.

OP, tis a common thing, and will be grown past. My own daughter did similar, esp the LMOP, my 3 yr son does as well. She figured it out finally when it clicked after watching Sesame Street "Do the Alphabet" dvd enough times and when she was ready IYSWIM

My son no doubt will as well

[Fairy4tmama]

Like lillian said I honestly wouldn't give it another thought. Personaly I don't find a whole lot of corralation between singing the ABC's and letter recognition just mho.....But They Might be Giants does have an awsome song about LMNO on their album Here come the ABC's

[Ruthla]

I remember already knowing my alphabet, and knowing the song, but being confused about where L, M, N, and O were in the alphabet song. The confusion of the song did NOT mess up my ability to learn the alphabet.

Enjoy the cute way she counts right now. She won't do it forever. Eventually the "right way" will sink in.

[Ruthla]

Originally Posted by Just Me

LOL, reminds me of a boy I went to 3rd grade with. Saying the pledge....

"One nation, under God
Invisible
With Liberty and Justice for ALL"

I thought it was "with Liberty, Injustice for all"

I do remember singing a song "of the icing" (of thee I sing) before or after the pledge.

[aniT]

Anyone grow up in California's Central Valley and remember those Cal Worthington commercials?

I would sit there and sing at the top of my lungs, "pussy cow, pussy cow, pussy cow!" I now know they were saying "Go see Cal, Go see Cal, Go see Cal."

A few years ago I told my mom this and she said she thought they were saying pussy cow as well.

When a song is being sung the words don't always sound like what they are.

[Ruthla]

I used to wonder why the strange word "elemeno" was stuck in the middle of the alphabet song@

[Lillian J]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

Injustice for all"

Oh! You were politically precocious!


-Lillian

[littlemizflava]

mine dd was #13 and the lmnop didnt have that i was the one who did that so i never taught her the abc song the normal way we did the more L......M......N......O......P...... took space between every letter like that

[Dakota's Mom]

I slow down really slow for that part of the song and give each letter a place. My four year old says, "L No no no p". He used to count four, five, six, eight, nine, ten. Of course when he first started counting my little space fan counted ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, lift off.

He still doesn't recognize most of the letters or numbers. I say don't sweat it. They catch on eventually.

Kathi