A few weeks ago, a reader asked us to do a post about when to teach certain things. Let me start by saying that I could have made this post a LOT longer than it is. I tried to keep it short and sweet and stick to the things that parents most often have questions about.
Also, I only address the pre-kindergarten age. This includes birth to age 5ish. Now, here are general guidelines of when (and a little bit on how) to teach colors, shapes, letters, numbers, nursery rhymes, songs, and sensory activities.
When to Teach What: A Quick Guide
Want the short version? Here are the general ages to start teaching each thing. Don’t stress if your child is a little ahead or behind… every kid is different.
- Colors: around 18 months
- Shapes: around 2 years
- Letters: around 3 (and please don’t pressure them!)
- Numbers: around 3, usually after letters
- Nursery rhymes & songs: it’s never too early
- Sensory play: from birth
Keep reading for the how and why behind each one.
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Colors
18 months is the generally accepted age for teaching colors. Some kids learn their colors sooner and some learn them later. As a general rule of thumb, 18 months – 2 ½ is a great age for specifically teaching colors.
You should always be reviewing colors with your child though, all the way up to kindergarten. Also, be sure to use the color words both before and after the noun (this is a blue pen, this pen is blue). It is important to use the color word both ways so your child can better understand the concept of color.
If you are looking for ways to teach colors, check out this post with games, activities, and books to teach colors. You can also purchase my Color Activity Pack. It has a bunch of great color activities, plus a curriculum guide.
Shapes
2 years old is a great age for teaching shapes. Start by identifying the shapes you see in the world around you. Your child should have a basic understanding of shapes by 2 ½ years old and should be able to identify many shapes by the time he is 3.
Start by teaching the basic shapes (square, circle, rectangle, triangle), then continue to more advanced shapes (oval, star, heart, diamond). Purchase my Shape Activity Pack for awesome activities to teach shapes.
Letters
I remember being so worried when one of my children was 2 ½ that he didn’t know his letters yet. I tried teaching him letters in a lot of different ways and honestly, he just did not understand the concept of letters.
I finally decided to give up for awhile and not pressure him. A few months before he turned 3, he suddenly got it and learned all of his uppercase letters in about two weeks.
3 is a good age to teach letters, but do NOT stress and pressure your child to learn them. Do lots of fun things to teach and expose them to letters, but don’t worry about it. Your child should know his letters by kindergarten, but there should be no pressure before that.
This post on sensory activities that help kids start writing letters is a great place to start. Check out all of my letters posts here.
Numbers
3 is a pretty good age to teach numbers. I generally like to introduce letters first and then introduce numbers a little later. I think this helps your child understand that numbers are different from letters.
I recommend 3 as a great age to start teaching numbers, but just like letters, there is no pressure to learn them all fast. Your child should be able to count up to 20 and identify numbers 1-10 before kindergarten. If you do lots of fun activities involving numbers, they should easily be able to do both of those things by kindergarten.
Check out how I teach numbers with toddler trays.
Nursery Rhymes
It is never, never, NEVER too early to teach nursery rhymes. Seriously, you can start saying them while your child is still in the womb! Kids should be able to start memorizing nursery rhymes around 3 years old. If they don’t memorize anything until 4, don’t worry about it.
When they are between 4 and 5, start to point out patterns (rhyming, rhythm, etc.). Here is a short list of some nursery rhymes to teach your kids: Humpty Dumpty, Little Boy Blue, Little Miss Muffet, Hey Diddle Didddle, Pat-a-Cake, This Little Piggy, Hickory Dickory Dock.
Don’t stop there! Exposing your child to lots of nursery rhymes will be very beneficial when they are learning to read.
Songs
Just like nursery rhymes, it is never too early to start singing songs with your child. They have the same rhythm and rhyme of nursery rhymes, with the added bonus of a little tune.
It’s great to sing your favorite songs with your child, but don’t forget to sing some kid ones with them. Here are some great ones: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Hot Cross Buns, Mary Had a Little Lamb, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Baa Baa Black Sheep.
If you don’t like your voice or think you can’t sing, sing anyway. Your child doesn’t mind. It’s okay to get a CD with kids songs on it, too. 🙂
Looking for fun ways to teach your child?
We have a whole collection of low-prep printable packs and curricula — colors, shapes, letters, sight words, and more — designed to help your toddler or preschooler learn important skills in a fun and easy way.
Sensory Activities
You can start doing sensory activities with your child as soon as he or she is born. Start by showing him pictures of people and bold colored objects. Your child will love to look, taste, and feel everything around them.
At about 9 months to a year old you can introduce sensory bins. Start with things that your child can put in their mouth (blocks, large balls, long necklaces with large beads, etc.).
As your child gets older and moves away from the putting-everything-in-their-mouth phase you can start to add other objects to a sensory bin (rice, pasta, water beads, shredded paper, beaded necklaces, playdough, etc.). Remember that children learn through looking, touching, tasting (especially young children), and even smelling.
Be sure to offer lots of experiences that allow your child to explore his senses. Here is a great post on why to use sensory bins and one on how to use sensory bins. Also check out my 15 creative ideas for sensory bin fillers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What order should I teach colors, shapes, letters, and numbers?
I like to go in this order: colors (around 18 months), then shapes (around 2), then letters (around 3), and then numbers a little after letters. Introducing letters and numbers separately helps your child see that they’re two different things. But these are just general guidelines… follow your child’s lead.
When do toddlers learn their colors?
Most toddlers start picking up colors around 18 months. Some get there sooner and some a little later, and both are totally normal. Around 18 months to 2 ½ is a great age to focus on colors, but keep reviewing them with your child all the way up to kindergarten.
How many colors should a 2 year old know?
There’s no set number a 2 year old has to know. A lot of kids can name a few basic colors around age 2, and that’s a great start. Don’t worry if your toddler only knows one or two yet… just keep pointing out colors as you play and read together, and they’ll add more over time.
When do toddlers learn shapes?
Around 2 years old is a great age to start teaching shapes. Begin with the basic ones like circle, square, rectangle, and triangle, then move on to oval, star, heart, and diamond. Most kids have a basic understanding by 2 ½ and can name lots of shapes by age 3.
What age should you teach numbers and counting?
I like to start numbers around age 3, usually a little after letters so kids see that numbers and letters are different things. There’s no rush, though. Before kindergarten, most kids can count to about 20 and recognize the numbers 1 through 10, and plenty of fun counting activities will help them get there.
What if my toddler isn’t learning their letters?
Don’t worry! I remember being so worried when one of my kids was 2 1/2 and didn’t know his letters. I finally stopped pressuring him, and a few months before he turned 3 it just clicked… he learned all his uppercase letters in about two weeks. Keep it fun, keep exposing them to letters, and try not to stress.
What should my child know before kindergarten?
By kindergarten, your child should know their colors and shapes, recognize their letters, count to about 20, and identify numbers 1 through 10. If you do lots of fun, low-pressure activities along the way, they’ll usually have all of this down without it ever feeling like work.