4 year old refuses to recognize ABC's & 123's

[thesteinerfamily]

My son is 4 1/2 and this is his second year in preschool.  He will be in preschool 1 more year due to his birthday and the school cutoff age.  

I can honestly say that I have been trying to teach him his ABC's and 123's for about 2 years now.  He knows the ABC song and can count to 16.  But when asked if he can find a certain letter or number, he usually does not know.  He does recognize numbers 0-3 and maybe about 10 letters, but that is it.  He is not interested.  While teaching him, I have used puzzels, books, workbooks, DVD's, number and alphabet charts, Leap Frog hand held games as well a v-tech.  I have also used a reward system with m&m's, tossing a ball for every correct answer, making a big deal about it, telling him how proud I am, etc.  He is just not getting it and I am at my witts end.  It took him about a year to learn his colors...and that was a nightmare.  I know this is not normal, and I don't know what to do.  I was hopeing to get more information on what may be wrong.  Thank You

[voljena]

My son just turned 4, at our house we speak different language, so I was worried because he is a very shy kid that it would make it worse once he starts school, so I decided to take him for the private lessons with the preschool teacher, It took only 6 months and my son is speaking English now, and the teacher teaches him the ABC, shapes, numbers, colors. He can only count until 12, and then messes up and says 16, 19, 15 and so on, and same with the ABC and colors. Now before i started the private classes only an hour a week I was so concerned and scared I even pushed him so hard, but when i realized that my son is learning so quick I stopped pushing him more, he has improved a lot more, and they will learn.
Me and my husband were not an A students, both B students and
my son will probably not be a doctor and who knows what he will be, but
there is one thing that I will let him be a kid and let him enjoy his childhood before he starts a kindergarten...So proud of my son :)

[worriedmom1983]

i can completely understand u...i ve a 4 y o. with similar problem...she started off as a pretty smart kid...she s gud with her rhymes n stuff bt wen it comes to recognising her abcs n numbers shes a big failure...the fact dat she even confuses d letter A sometymes jst worries me...n sometimes i jst lose my cool in front of her n then i think omg...shes jst four...its frustrating ...hav tried all possible ways to make learning fun for her...d more i try d more shes uninterested...i jst hope she ll b back on track soon...

[sadied]

I am dealing with this right now, which is why I googled it (and ended up here). My four year old turns five this month, and only recognizes a handful of letters. He seems to be okay with his numbers, but I'm beside myself with frustration. I'll show him a few letters that he does know, and he'll identify them correctly. Show him one new one, and he'll repeat the name after me. Ask again, he'll get it. Show him the ones he does know, then back to the new one, he won't remember. Repeat repeat repeat, no change. *pulling hair out*  Add to this his refusal to use the toilet consistently, and this mama is going crazy. I am somewhat relieved to hear that there are others are going through the same thing.

[karinkm]

I am concerned about my 4 y.o, she will be 5 in 4 months time. She knows very few letters and can count up to 12 but cannot put the picture of the number together with the sound of the number. She now knows No.3, but she is likely to look at 4 and say 1, and then keeps one eye on me to gauge my reaction wether it´s right or not.
I am tenacious, so I set out the lessons, and go slowly: I show her: 4, then 5. then 4, then 5. ad infintum. Again 4, then 5, and now I ask her whats the first number again - she sometimes says 4, and now the second number? She has no idea. she starts offering random numbers hoping to hit the right one. And we have said NOTHING but 4 and 5 for past 20 minutes! I am so frustrated I could scream! I think the teachers don´t notice because she imitates other children in group learning and picks up clues for the right answer, instead of memorising the shape and the name. I
I get the point of different time of learning, but not being able to memorise two words linked to two shapes? It´s hard to see as normal... anyone else with a similar issue?

[margypops]

this is a4year old thread you may want to contact her by a note see if shes still around good luck

[DianaCSimmons]

Any update on your child?  My son is very similar and doesn't recognize colors, shapes or letters.