What can I do to help my child to learn to write easier later on?

One of the first things any child learns to write is his or her name. While three years old is a little young to start actively teaching your child to write, you can help to jump start the process by letting your child see his or her name in as many places as possible.

Your child will soon learn to recognise what his or her name looks like, and while it’s not true reading, it can be exciting for your child to see it on objects around the house. Try labelling your child’s eating utensils, toys and other belongings with his or her name. Make a sign for his or her bedroom door, and look for puzzles made from the letters of his or her name.

Teach your child what the first letter of his or her name is, and encourage your child to find other objects that start with that letter. This is a fun game, and you may even find that your child picks out his ‘name letter’ on cereal boxes, trucks and everywhere else when you’re out and about.

On the general intelligence front, you may have noticed that your child seems to be way more advanced than his or her peers. While it’s a good idea to take note if you think your child is gifted, it’s definitely also too early to bother with IQ and other tests. Rather let your child enjoy his or her early learning, and worry about testing later on.