I have come into caring for a beautiful 5yr old girl, she has been through things some people would not wish on anyone, my reason for writing is that she is in Prep and really only has the mental capacity of a 3 year old and is not retaining any information learnt at school, she can sing the alphabet but when asked to just say it without the tune she can't do it, they have learnt a lot of letters and she can't point any of them out when asked, even numbers are an issue, can anyone recommend something I can do to help her learn the basics in a way she might be able to recall them. There are so many other things that we are helping her with like basic hygiene and normal life skills.
6 Replies
Oh the poor darling. What a treasure you are helping her. xxx
I think adding a song to things is actually a brilliant idea. When you're driving or out and about, point to signs or anything with letters/numbers on them and make it a game. Read to her A LOT. That is the best way to make a reader. Then slowly but surely get her to try sound out some letters while you read. The odd page, just stop and point out a letter and it's sound. The sound is more important then what the letter is called... so if she knows 'S' goes 'sss'... or that R goes 'Aaarr".. that's better than knowing the name of the letter. Get her to help cooking and count in the eggs, or cups of flour. Or just count everything when you're out with her. Make things a game but do it a lot. Repetition is the only way. Lots and lots of praise when she gets things right.
Reading eggs is a good computer/online program.
But lots of repetition of 3 letters at a time. I wouldn't worry about the alphabet order as its not functional until she is a lot older. Doing the same 3 letters in lots of ways. Pointing at the letter, saying the letter when shown and making the letter (Playdo, drawing in sand, or soap on the bathroom tiles).
If the change over has been recent she is probably in shock (on top of the hardship she has suffered) which can make it harder to retain info.
Have fun, take it slow she sounds like she has 5 years of undoing to be done x
Stress blocks memory and learning and decision making, I would work on her wellbeing and continue to expose her to the basics through play and song and fun activities with you without any pressure or expectations
The constant self negative talk about being wrong when tested or not knowing will damage her confidence and it just perpetuated the cycle.
... So take off the pressure, let it just be incidental exposure, not a teaching/learning setting or activity, and praise praise praise and celebrate, not just her learning new things, but everything about her.
I'm 26 and still can't multiply in my head without singing it lol! Making songs to remember things obviously works so I would keep doing that for her, she will eventually start remembering.
Agree with the other comments, make it a game whenever you can. If you have an ipad or tablet I would ask at the school for some good educational apps she can use at home.
I'd slow down the 'education' and just have fun together with tasks that teach.
READ - Borrow some Dr Suess books from the library or buy them at op shops. They might have been written 50+ years ago but kids love rhyming and his books are some of the most successful of all time. The Cat in the Hat, One fish Two fish Red fish Blue Fish, etc. My kids, now in their 20s - can still recite the books - because of the rhymes :) I read to them ALL the time - I was still reading aloud to my kids when they were 10-12yo - just harder books (Harry Potter, etc) Other great 'read to me' books are the Lyndley Dodd series - Slinky Malinki, Hairy Mclary, etc.
SHOP - I always took my kids with me grocery shopping, All those boxes and packets they learn to recognise the words and then later the letters. 'Corn flakes', 'Tim tams', 'Uncle Tobys', etc. We read the labels together and the nutrician tables they they got older. We did mental arithmetic - best value for money (price for size), who was closest on the value of the full trolly, etc
HAVE FUN - lots of praise and hugs and care and she will blossom. Love solves a lot of problems. She is very young and will catch up once her world is more stable and she feels safe. This might take longer on the inside than appears on the outside, but I'm sure you get this already :) Well done mumma for stepping up.