I received an incredible amount of wonderful advice on my first post. One thing I did after that was toss age limits for toys out the window. I pulled down all the puzzles last week that said 2+. I verbally explained to my son (now 17 months old) how they worked and that was that. He was able to do them all with no problem. He really enjoys the puzzles and will spend a lot of time intensely taking the pieces out and putting the pieces back in. What is a good next step puzzle and where can I find it? A four-piece interlocking puzzle perhaps?
He does still struggle sometimes with the physical coordination of getting the puzzle pieces exactly where it goes but he knows the head has to go one way and the tail another (or whatever object it is) the same as the puzzle hole or the piece will not go it. (I hope this makes sense.)
My other question is about when to start PreK. In our state the cut off for preschool is August 1. My son has a mid September birthday so he will be almost 4 before he can start PreK and almost 6 before he can start K. My general belief is to not start formal education too soon but rather let the child play in a literacy rich environment. That said, DS seems to be learning things at a rapid pace. Ex: He brought me a shape book at 16.5 months. It was his first interest in and exposure to shapes. I read the book maybe 3 or 4 times and then he moved on. Two days later he lugs over his shape sorter and starts holding up the pieces and naming the shapes and pointing at the holes and naming the shapes with no additional reinforcement of shapes since I read the book. I gave him the book and he was able to "read" it to himself by flipping the pages and pointing out all the shapes. He mastered circle, square, rectangle, triangle, heart, and star from that one exposure. I'm fairly certain that isn't normal at 16.5 months.
About the same time he started saying his ABC's to me. He can't get all the way through yet but I have no idea where he is picking this up. It's the same with language. His English verbal skills are on par with a 3 year old right now so by the time he is 3 or 4 I cannot imagine what they will be. (I did start French with him after my last thread and he now interchanges French and English words. He really loves language. When I start speaking to him in French he recognizes it's not English and asks to watch the French Little Pim. How does he know it's not all the same language!?! It boggles my mind.)
Logic tells me if this is what he is doing now that by the time he is 4 learning shapes and whatnot in PreK won't really hold his interest. Should I start to look for (and save for) private PreK to begin right before he turns 3 or is this a bad idea? Money will definitely be an issue so I have to get a head start on this if early enrollment in PreK is the way to go.
My son was similar at that age. He started at a part-time, private, play based preschool at age three. In our experience, preschool is tough for a really smart kid. My very verbal kid was fascinated with Rube Goldberg machines at the time and loved reading How Things Work. I remember his preschool teacher telling me that he had tried to explain how the internal combustion engine worked (in great detail) to his classmates. On another occasion he asked a class mate over for a play date and suggested they tune the radio between stations and listen to the radio waves created by the big bang together. These comments were amusing to the teachers but made it very difficult to make friends. When he was four my son's preschool teachers approached us and said he was experiencing difficulty focusing on games the other kids were playing, that he didn't know how play with groups of children and that he talked incessantly about chemistry. We had him assessed to see if he had ASD or something else and that's how we learned that he was gifted. The psychologist told us that his main problem was a lack of peers at school. My son started a social skills playgroup and has met several other gifted kids. With them he doesn't seem to have any social skill issues.
This is a very long winded way of saying that preschool may not be the answer. In fact, it may be a very difficult period for your son. If I were you, I'd look for a program that is a few hours a week so he gets time with other kids and can practice social skills. I'd make an effort to find other gifted kids and spend time with them and their families. You won't believe how your kid will connect with them.
I'd spend most of your time just following your son's interests. My son loves spending time in nature so we spend time outside almost every day. We also read stacks of books on whatever he is interested in at the time. I talk to him like an adult and read things that are probably way over his comprehension level but he never complains or loses interest and I often realize hours later when he makes a comment that he understood more than I would expect.
I should add that we never try to teach my son specific things- we just follow his interests. For example, my husband is a mathematician and people always ask if we teach my son math. We don't. But we talk about it a lot and answer questions he has. He has intuitively grasped/taught himself addition, subtraction and multiplication. He understood fractions after I spent five minutes explaining them during baking. He read something about exponents and just understood it. Your kid will probably just absorb things, too. He'll probably need help with other things like relating to his peers and dealing with his intensities. A good preschool program can help with this but it need not be full time.
I think my son enjoys preschool but he is really happy spending a lot of time at home, too. He just turned five and while his friends at school are into blocks and Star Wars, at home we do science experiments and he can tinker and read stuff that he's interested in and have space to be himself. My son is an introvert so this may be one reason he likes to spend lots of time at home, too.
I guess the big question is - do you really have to send him to pre-K? Also - would the gaps in motor skills be an issue if you try to start pre-k before or when he is 3?
If he is that ahead and if he continues on that path, you may really have to look at non-traditional paths to education.
DS, who has been in daycare since an infant, had slammed into the wall at 3.5 where he suddenly realized he really could not relate to his age peers, and was bored - and starting to act out at home, and he misses the cutoff too (Sept b-day too). We now have him in a private gifted school - this is his first year, at 4 years old and he is loving it - there was no way he could have endured the traditional school/daycare another year (pre-k/early k) for 2 years until he was eligible for public k, which would have bored him to death by then.
One note - what we seen with our son, and your case may be totally different - but his emotional and motor skills are very age-typical while mentally, he is ahead by at least a few years... the good thing is that his school does NOT hold him back from learning due to his motor skills matching his physical age not his mental age. So they have been able to balance the development of motor skills that are age appropriate while covering subject material at a much more rapid pace. The reason I emphasize this is that the way you describe his puzzles sounds like he may have that similar asynchronous development of physical skills being more age typical and yet mentally being way ahead.
Since we have no direct exposure to public school, you may need to look into that too. Our exposure is via the "traditional" pre-k room that DS was in for a little bit before we moved him to private gifted school and what I saw was a heavy, heavy emphasis on writing and repetition of materials (covering a letter for a whole week kinda of deal) and their criteria to move up to their K room had a large emphasis on writing competency.
Whether or not preK turns out to be at all workable (and I'm skeptical, unless you have some option specifically for gifted kids), I'd recommend saving for future school costs... because there will be something (whether it's private school, commute costs to a better public, loss of income for homeschooling, or multiple extra classes and activities).
My DS, at 1 yr., had a 4 & 6 piece cube puzzle and the design was somewhat disjointed, so he seemed mildly frustrated at times. To my surprise, my DH brought home a 48-piece puzzle on DS's 2nd b-day, and DS became
obsessed. I laugh now thinking how I seriously underestimated DS's readiness for more. Melissa & Doug have some very large floor puzzle pieces that are easier for small hands to manipulate.
http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-...1&keywords=melissa+and+doug+space+puzzleAlthough not the puzzle you requested, Wedgits seem to hold the interest of children over a wide age range.
http://www.amazon.com/WEDGiTS-Delux...8&qid=1424388005&sr=8-1&keywords=wedgits
If you refer to the favourite toddler media thread I linked in your first post, I included some wood puzzles from Beleduc (one a world map, the other a multi-layer anatomy puzzle) in the linked thread with 15-20 pieces that my son loved around your LO's age. They were more manually workable than interlocking puzzles, while being more mentally challenging.
A word to the wise: puzzles have, by and large, been a waste of money in our house. One use and they're done forever. I buy all puzzles used. Generic puzzle games like Katamino and Blokus have had much more mileage, as has a Quadrilla wooden marble run. Wooden train sets, such as Brio, also create a puzzle-like opportunity to reason spatially while arranging track layouts, and I've found they have been longer lived.
One thing I did was to make our own inexpensive puzzles using eye-catching magazine images or pictures I drew pasted onto cardboard. I'd then just cut the pieces in a way that they fit together without interlocking. This way, you can fully customize the image, number of pieces, and degree of difficulty in dexterity at little effort or financial cost.
I am headed to see the in-laws this weekend. They have already dumped off a massive wooden train set and train table. I totally forgot it's in our basement. I know they have a marble run too. I'm a little worried about DS eating a marble but if I'm with him it will be ok. I'll bring it home. I bet he would love that.
Have you tried Legos yet? My younger son started putting together Lego Technics when he was 15 months old. I wouldn't have dreamed of introducing them to my older son at that age but when my younger son saw his big brother playing with them he wouldn't stay away. He developed amazing fine motor skills and spends hours playing with them. He likes the Duplos, too, but both of my kids prefer the Technics because they like all the moving parts.
Like the poster above, I have found that puzzles have not been a good purchase for us. The kids put it together once and then move on. I'd recommend more open ended building toys. Some that got a lot of play at our house at that stage include blocks, magnatiles and, closer to two, marble runs, Quercetti tubation sets(simple pipes that you can build with, one of our best purchases ever), and Jawbones. These building toys have all lasted years and through many stages. When your kid gets sick of a set, put it away and take it out a month later and he will be captivated for several days again. If you have a kid who tends to put things in their mouths, marbles aren't ideal but my kids never did that and after watching them closely for several months I was satisfied that they could play with them safely.
My son loved huge floor puzzles at that age. They ranged from 24-60 pieces and were at least 2' by 3' in size and often in the shape of an item like my example below. We had many I bought many at thrift stores and yard sales. The advantage of these is the large size of their pieces making them easier for a young kid to handle, and much easier not to loose all the pieces.
I have a favorite memory of this puzzle and my son ~2 years old. The day this arrived in the mail, I'd just unwrapped it when the phone rang. By the time I'd finished the the call my son had the entire thing put together.
http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Friend...494&sr=1-1&keywords=floor+puzzles+thomas
Tanagram puzzles might be something.
The struggle with this age is that when the pieces don't fit easy or perfectly, it can be frustrating. My DS would cry about it. It's just part of the process. As others mentioned, those big floor puzzles are easier for little hands.
If you aren't opposed to using a tablet, there are many puzzle apps that are free and perfect for early puzzle interest. The pieces can't move so the frustration is removed. Sometimes when my son just couldn't emotionally handle the frustrations of a physical puzzle but needed to work on one, I would use apps and I feel that it was very positive.
As for looking ahead, you are likely correct in your thinking that school may not meet many of his needs. I started reading these forums and then finally asking questions about two years ago and I was in knots about it. Here we are, DS is just about to turn 4 and his preschool teachers are just as concerned as I am about his future in school. We still haven't decided where to go. It's a process.
My DD4.5 was into puzzles from 12m to 36m or so but these days, she is completely apathetic towards them. Slowly building your LEGO stash might be a better investment long-run if your DS isn't into putting little objects into his mouth.
As for schooling, my DD is going to start K next school year and everything is still up in the air. I'm leaning towards partial homeschooling. DD is doing a bit better at her current placement after a challenging month and if things stay okay, she could continue to attend her current nature-based, multiage program 3 days a week and also enroll at a charter school that support homeschooling families by offering enchainment like robotics, science field trips, art classes, etc. Given that DD easily becomes a behavioral problem unless she is constantly challenged, sending her to a regular private or public school isn't looking like a good option, at all.
Private school (preschool level or not) and whether it will work for your child or not really depends on the school, administration and the teachers that are there just the same as a public school. My son turns 5 in June (We're in Australia where the school year starts at the end of January) and did 1 term at a Montessori preschool (had just turned into a long day care with 2 rooms for ages 2-3.5 & 3.5 to school age and also allowed them to employ lower qualified staff). I wasnt overly impressed so we switched to a private Waldorf/Steiner school the next year. He spent the whole year there (the first half went quite well and he made a really good friend for nearly 2 terms who was a year younger - but then this friend started hitting etc as younger kids do and then DS wanted nothing to do with him). I felt like the last 2 terms he was trying to fit in with the other boys (being more physical and being silly). Looking back now the environment was totally under stimulating for him (he's mechanical in nature and not 'arty' at all).
This year (which he actually qualifies to enter kindy as a 4.5yr old but his fine motor skills are behind so i wasnt comfortable with that) we have paid for him to go to a more elite private school (doesnt cost elite prices though we we're in a small rural university town) transition program (this is a semi play based, semi curriculum based pre-k program). The teacher is probably 45-50, loves her job and is connected with other early educators worldwide which is very obvious in her classroom. Her experience and age really play a role IMO in recognizing my DS's uniqueness and talents. At the start of the year she organized for DS to do LA with the kindy kids while her class does alphabet work and single letter sounds etc. While DS reads at more of a grade 2 level he doesnt tend to read at that level independently yet and still needs some phonics work behind him. He enjoys going to these lessons which is great. Other activities he gets in his classroom are music by an actual music teacher 3x/week, sensory gym 4x/week (like a kindergym program), swimming lessons 1x/week, learning to ride his bike 2x/week (they have a special purpose built bike track at the junior school). They also do some kind of literacy program, art and the rest is filled in with free play (in which the teachers work on special projects with the kids in areas they are interested in).
So far (he's only been going since end of Jan) he's been having a blast and seems to be doing extremely well. As he's the oldest in his class I wouldnt say he has many (if at all) 'true peers' but all the younger kids look up to him and seek his help out about many things as they realize how knowledgeable and helpful he is which really makes our DS feel good about himself.
I dont think we will have the same luck next year in kindy however as the teacher for that grade is quite young (under 30 and possibly more like 25, if i had to guess). She doesnt seem to have the experience with gifted kids and what that means.
My daughter has always been a good puzzle solver. She's freshly 4 and she can do a 100 piece puzzle. She LOVES these:
http://magnatiles.com/ they're not really puzzles, but I think they encourage that kind of thinking. My in laws got her some at her third birthday and she'll build massive structures out of them. They're kind of pricey but they're a great toy for open ended play.
Ooh oops I see someone mentioned these as well. They really are great.
Both my kids (and me) are puzzlers.
I would suggest Melissa and Doug wooden jigsaw puzzles as starters. IMO, wooden puzzles are easier to maneuver than floor puzzles for toddlers.
For older children, ravensburger puzzles are awesome.
These puzzles are definitely not for preschoolers, but they might be good for any kids who are getting cocky about their puzzle abilities. I solved the Jr. level one (seven pieces) in about two cumulative hours, spread over several days, but I have not managed to solve the "real" one (fourteen pieces) yet.
I'll second the Magna Tiles suggestion. We now have two sets, one for each boy. Older DS received a set for his second or third birthday and they have been a steady favorite. He's our main puzzler, was able to do 200-300 piece puzzles at age 3. Unlike some of the children mentioned in prior posts, he did enjoy doing the same puzzle again, usually a month or so later. The colorful Melissa & Doug ones were favorites.
I found on ebay a brand (I can't remember which!!!) that sells 4 puzzles in a box, a 4p, 6p, 8p and 12p. when dd was about your boys age I gave them to her with photocopies of the puzzles and she would solve the puzzle by using the photocopy. She got the hang of how to put them together that way too. Also wooden puzzles that make shapes are a good idea.
I wouldn't worry about pre k at all. If you need daycare, try an in home provider that can tailor fun activities for your child. If that's not an option go play based.
The floor puzzle was a big hit but biggest hit of all was the marble thing. I finally had to hide it because I just couldn't play marbles anymore. I'll get it out again in a few days.
I plan to purchase either some magna tiles or magformers. DS has played with Magformers before at the science center and likes those. Is there an advantage to one type over the other? Magformers seem to be a lot cheaper which is always a plus.
Another big hit was a small pouch of Tegu blocks. They stay in the diaper bag and only come out at restaurants but they were an excellent purchase. My son will stay focused on them for a long time.
DS has recently been pointing out letters on everything. I have avoided buying magnetic letters because I felt like that was "hot housing" but when my son started pointing out the letters in GRACO on his high chair it gave me "mom guilt" so I decided the kid needed some letters.
It seems like all of a sudden he is aware of letters everywhere and words in books. I think I'm crazy but I swear he is starting to sight read some familiar words, like dig. Is that even possible? I feel crazy for even saying that out loud.
My DS knew all his letters (both written and in sign language) by that age. He was reading at 3. It's definitely possible.
(Get ready for, "Mom did you stop? That sign says 'stop'!")
So glad the resources have been a hit! FWIW, we have a few hundred Magformers and have made some terrific structures. The possibilities are endless.
Yes, spontaneous reading is both possible and initially shocking at that age. DS started to regularly read simple 3- and 4-letter words a little after your LO--a few months before 2--and I was so grateful to have this forum as a sanity check and support.
Bottom line: you're among friends here! Our kids are all different from the norm, and we celebrate and nurture that diversity of abilities and interests.
Legos have already been mentioned, but I will mention them again. We started duplo Legos I think the Christmas before 1 year, and have kept building our collection until switching to regular the Christmas before 3. Don't worry about getting rid of the Duplo at the change over time, because duplo and regular Legos mostly fit together.
Also dd now 3 is warm and cold towards jigsaw puzzles. If she likes the picture she will put them together, but she does it for the picture, not for the enjoyment of the puzzle.
Now, games are a different story. I started tic tac toe and hangman when my dd was about your little ones age, or just a little bit older. The hangman may seem strange, but my dd knew her alphabet and how to spell a hand full of words, so she could throw out letters at the time, but I think what she liked was the fact that I was drawing as we played. I usually drew the whole person because she did not win often, but she would keep asking to play again and again. Now we play board games like Surprise Slides, Connect Four, and Ghost Blitz. Also, card games. Lots and lots of imaginary friend games.
As for the daycare... We had no choice. Both parents work, and so she has been in daycare sense she was 3 months old. I personally think it is a net negative, but with some positives.
Negative, she learned to underachieve to fit in at a very young age. That bothers me a lot. But, the positive is that she does have several friends - mostly in the older classes. Neutral, I do not think she has learned very much other than socialization in her pre-preschool. We get report cards every day of the things that they "Learned Today". Everything that she is learning on a daily bases at school are things she knew while she was 1 year old. I suspect she will not learn much in the real preschool which will move upto next.
We do a lot of things less well than I would like with regards to preschool, but we are living in a real life with real life constraints. It does not make sense for either one of us to stay home right now in our careers.
I got out some duplo Legos when I was at my ILs house and DS had zero interest. I think he didn't like that the tower could not be easily destroyed since it falls over in one large lump of blocks.
I'm having a blast watching DS learn and grow and now that I can read about other kids here I no longer feel like I am raising an alien.
I plan to purchase either some magna tiles or magformers. Is there an advantage to one type over the other? Magformers seem to be a lot cheaper which is always a plus.
Haven't played with the magna tiles, but we are HUGE magformers fans here (DCs 8 and 10 still drag them out regularly. Actually they're all over my living room floor as we speak). What my super visual-spatial one really loved was the way you create 2D shapes on the floor, and then pick them up to transform into 3D ones, something quite different from other building toys. (OK, what he *really* loved was tormenting me to use my pitiful ability to see what the resulting 3D shape would actually be!)
The Easter Bunny brought some magformers and they have been really popular around here.
The obsession for the past several weeks has been letters and numbers. Some kids want to take a stuffed animal to bed and my kid wants to take his letters. I cannot leave the house without an alphabet. The good news is this has opened up a whole new realm of "I spy" when we are out and about.
The Easter Bunny brought some magformers and they have been really popular around here.
The obsession for the past several weeks has been letters and numbers. Some kids want to take a stuffed animal to bed and my kid wants to take his letters. I cannot leave the house without an alphabet. The good news is this has opened up a whole new realm of "I spy" when we are out and about.
My MIL used to get different sets of alphabet flash cards with pictures on them from a school supply store and then would get inexpensive small photo albums where you just slide one picture in on each page (same size as the flash card. My boys when they were toddlers and preschoolers LOVED their alphabet "books" and they were portable and somewhat contained...but also the cards could be pulled out and manipulated (on the floor or on a table) and just the right side for small hands.
Not that we were drilling the kids on the alphabet...but they were obsessed with letters and it was a nice way to feed that need to talk about letters.