Conversation with my Dear Big Sister about our adorable great-niece:

[Backstory: I sent her this CNN-dot-com article about how computer use a boost to pre-schoolers' minds; Jaelyn has her very own PC at DBS' house.]

DBS: ...not to mention that our favorite young mind has learned to count to thirty just because when the computer crashes, that's how long you have to wait before you turn it back on for a cold reboot.

Me: I don't think I could count to thirty when I was four.

DBS: The book says a four-year old can reasonably be expected to count (enumerate objects as opposed to chanting words) to three. Well, her "thirty" is just chanting, but she can actually enumerate objects up to twenty, if you help her a little with thirteen and fifteen. She likes this Seven Little Monsters arithmetic game where you get an addition or subtraction problem with a question mark as one of the operands, or the answer. She makes me help her count out the solution with fingers or quarters.

However, she still can't read, and shows no interest in the process. The book seems to think it is vital not to expect a kid to read before school, so I've decided not to push it anymore; but I won't help her with games for children older than she is that require reading.

I'm crushed that she won't read, but as long as she has one area of scary expertise, I can be supportive...

We have very high academic standards in our family.