How Should You Read For The Children?

Just checking how common it is for children learning to read numbers to read them backwards?

• e.g saying 43 instead of 34. Maybe it is because my daughter is still young? and will understand better with maturity? Can read numbers up to 20 with no problem. She is 4 years old and still in nursery, but can read (got bored by Stage 6 Biff and Chip books so now just choosing books from the library), has a understanding of number otherwise - like can count on past 100 to 200 and so on , can count backwards from 20, can count in 2's and 10s to 100 and can do simple addition and subtraction mentally. But when I show her numbers randomly she swaps the digits round and says say 43 instead of 34 - is this normal as with the teen numbers she has learnt to look at the second digit first? And will just come with more practice? By the way i don't 'teach' my daughter all the time. She is a normal energetic 4 year old who just wants to play all the time, so I teach her through play and the 'teaching' playing bits are for very short times but throughout the day. We play lots of games, incorporating her imaginative play with say number work or reading.

• Answer:

  I think you should see how the other kids in her class are doing. Her class mates are going to be the best group to help judge her progress. It's best to identify a learning problem early, of course. but be careful. Not all teachers were created equally, and it's possible to cause a problem, by trying too hard to find one.