My son is 2 ½ years old, loves books, pretends to read (memorizes pages), has a vast vocabulary (multi-word sentences that include popular phrases, asks endless questions and retains answers) and has a great memory. He can sing along with the alphabet song, and has learned to recognize the letters “m” and “a” by sight thus far. Trouble is, his pronunciation isn’t quite there yet (he says “dyou” instead of “you”,) and sometimes needs me to translate for him. I’ve always repeated his words and sentences correctly so he would know that somebody understood what he just said, even if it didn’t come out quite right (it’s worked; he tries to say everything). But, I haven’t been able to get him to copy the letter “m.” He doesn’t seem ready to write, he just loves to draw. He’s also left-handed, which makes it a little awkward for me to guide him. Am I pushing this program too soon? Should I wait until he can at least attempt to copy the letters? How will I know when he’s ready? He just seems so eager to learn, and I feel anxious to provide him with the information and skills he needs. I’m also trying to get him to spend less time on the computer, which he’s very, very good at (has basic Macintosh user skills and good mouse control, and would spend all day listening to music/looking at photos/drawing pictures on my computer if I let him). I am grateful for any guidance you can offer. I don’t want to go against his natural progression. Thanks in advance.

Wow—what a great email. It’s always a bit tricky to know when to start, when to push, and when to back off. You mentioned he’s 2 ½. That’s a bit young to start a reading program, but there are some pre-reading games/activities that are very age appropriate.

Helping him develop his fine motor skills is very good for hand-eye coordination. Let him color, write, cut to his heart’s content. He’s left-handed now, but might not stay that way. Children will often switch hands several times before they settle on a comfortable position. Always let him pick up his utensils by himself instead of you handing them to his left hand. Put them in front of him, and let him pick them up with whatever hand he chooses. Helping learn to write his name is a great skill to start. Don’t worry about perfection here, just repetition. Let him identify logos of fast-food restaurants, cereal boxes, family names on mailboxes, etc. Even though he can’t read the words and perhaps doesn’t know all the letters in those words yet, he knows that those letters in that order equals a kid’s meal at a fast food restaurant, etc. This helps with beginning letter identification and patterning skills—both important pre-reading skills. Using music and fun flashcard games to begin learning the alphabet letters and sounds is very age appropriate. Make sure you always teach that each letter has a sound attached.

His computer skills sound excellent (what a remarkable generation we live in), but he will learn best when he interacts with you face-to-face. Your excitement about learning new things as you discover them together will be his best example. Keep it very short and sweet. As a general rule, children have about as long of an attention span as they are old unless they’re really captivated. Keep your “learning sessions” around 5-10 min. Let his interest level be your guide. If he loses eye contact, seems restless or uninterested, stop! It’s better to have several small sessions of fun, than one long session of boredom. Remember, he’s still very young. It’s also very typical for interest to wax and wane. He could be very interested in letters and sounds right now, and in 6 months be much more interested in his truck. That’s OK, he has lots of years to figure this all out. Keeping it fun and light and a game instead of a chore will help to ensure that he wants to keep learning with you. Good luck and enjoy the process of learning with your son.