Color-blindness???

Look at it this way, when you ask what color it is at least she doesn't say "square"! ;) I think she's fine. She may be confused or overwhelmed or it's possible she's playing a game, but I think she probably just needs more time. I like the idea of a 'color day' but I think maybe get some books about color and just keep practicing it everywhere you go and she'll get it soon!

Here's a good link to see if he can see the shapes: http://colorvisiontesting.com/online%20test.htm
Then you can see if he needs more help or more time.

by kindergarten they should know all their primary colors. Don't be too worried. with our youngest everything was pink for a long time.

Our kids were completely different in terms of knowing their colors at a certain age. My guess is that it's because our daughter is 21 months younger, and we have a complete case of Monkey See, Monkey Do at our house. However, I don't remember our son, at 21 months, being very verbal about his colors. He just had his 4 year check-up, and it stated that he should know 5 colors on the paper from the pediatrician. The only one we couldn't get him to verbalize was silver.

However, colorblindness is an X-linked trait genetically which means it's much more common for a boy to have it if his mother carries the gene. It would be highly improbably genetically speaking for a girl to have the same expression of the gene because both parents would have to be carriers of the recessive trait.

It affects ~1/20 men and largely affects the ability to detect the colors red and green that both appear to be shades of gray.

Here's what MayoClinic says about colorblindness: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/poor-color-vision/DS00233

I wouldn't worry just yet. At that age my son used to love to say yellow. Everything was yellow. When he a little over two years old he really started distiguishing the colors. Give him some time.

My oldest was over 4 by the time he could, my youngest is 3 1/2 and still can 't, even thought we say it over and over again.

Keep repeating them, he will get it in time.

I was concerned with my daughter about that age, but I think I was overwhelming her with options. When she started preschool at 2 1/2 I found that they introduce one color a month. My Parents as Teachers teacher suggested introducing one color at a time as well so we would have "color days". Say, blue. She and I would both wear blue shirts, select a blue snack, look at blue pictures. She caught on.

Updated

I was concerned with my daughter about that age, but I think I was overwhelming her with options. When she started preschool at 2 1/2 I found that they introduce one color a month. My Parents as Teachers teacher suggested introducing one color at a time as well so we would have "color days". Say, blue. She and I would both wear blue shirts, select a blue snack, look at blue pictures. She caught on.

There is an online color blindness test (pics of a sailboat, etc) that you could do with him. My 7 yo is VERY colorblind and it has not affected him in any way at all (except he cannot be a pilot!).

I just went through this with my 2 year old. He knew all of his letters, numbers, and some shapes by the time he was 24 months, but could not identify one color. I was so concerned that I made him an appt at Children's Mercy to have his vision checked. The doctor thought I was a little crazy and said they couldn't even test for colorblindness until age 4. He said he wouldn't be concerned until he was at least 3-3 1/2. I was just concerned because he could name/recognize all letters and numbers, but not colors...which seemed easier to me.
The doctor also said that colorblindness is passed down through the child's maternal grandfather. So, if your dad (I assume Mom is writing this post) isn't colorblind, there is a slim chance your son is colorblind.
Our son is now 29 months and has mastered his colors.

Even if he can't say the color, can he point to a color if you ask him(like with flashcards)? Or play a game of which item doesn't match?

My granddaughter is exceptionally bright, but by age 3 (almost 4) she still couldn't (wouldn't) get colors right. Since she is so smart, and needs challenges, I figured this just might be a "game" to mess with us. Turns out, it was.
I got a big bag of M&M's. A couple of times a day I pulled out a small handful and held them out to her. I told her if she could pick out all the red ones in my hand, she could eat them. (The red ones only) Then went on to another color, etc. Then, I switched it around and would pick out one M&M and point to it and say "What color is this one ?" If she named it correctly, she ate it, if not, I moved on to another one and came back to that one later.
She played the "game" for a few tries, but after that her desire for the candy was greater than her desire for the head game. No color blindness, just a very smart, bored little girl !

My son is color blind and I think I started suspecting it around the age of 3 and I was pretty sure he was at the age of 5 (although his kindergarten teacher didn't think so). He was not officially diagnosed by the eye doctor until he was I think 6 or 7 using those dot cards that have numbers in them. He has no real issue being color blind, other than he can not grow up and be a pilot. The doctor just recommended he eventually marry a woman who was not color blind so she can help him if he puts something mismatched on.

I'm not sure what the appropriate age is to know this. My son knew most of his colors by that age. He can even differentiate all of the colors in varying shades now (he just turned 3). He seemed to grasp colors a lot quicker than most kids I've been around though. I think by 21 months, if they at least can NAME the colors then that is a good thing! The recognition will come. I don't know if you've ever used the website babycenter.com or not, but that is a great site to reference for developmental questions. I believe they have a list on there for each age and when children should master specific things. At least if you can see that the pros say 3 years old to master this, then you'll feel a lot better. And if it's 24 months, then you know to get it checked out. My ex-husband was color blind, so I know it's not as uncommon as it seems. Good luck!

There is not much to be worried about really. If he is color blind there is nothing you can do. He will learn to compensate all by himself. Red.green deficiency is the most common form, so he may see.some, but not all color. A developmental optimist can tell you for sure t his first eye exam, so when that time.comes, call your nearest.children's hospitals occupational therapy department and ask.for.the name of an optimists who does these exams.

M.

My son is 19 months and exactly the same. He will go through the colors in the same order every time when you ask him what color something is. Yellow, green, pink, blue, etc. He is just guessing and learning more and more each time. I would not worry at all at that age... just keep repeating.

He's not even 2 yet so there really is no need to be alarmed.

I don't think you should be worried just yet.
Your son isn't even 2.
He starts talking about all the colors he knows...that's a good sign. He knows the names.
Don't overload him.
Stick with yellow, blue, green, red.
I think it's too early to be worried.
That's just my opinion.

focus more on matching colors vs saying them my daughter didn't start saying them right until 4.5 yrs old.

My first daughter new her colors, except for tan, at 21 months.
My second is 31 months and still doesn't. She has said everything is yellow for months, she almost has it . I was concerned too and read kids often don't know them until 3. She does know her letters and shapes, I just didn't think they would come before colors.

My parents as teachers educator said this skill is usually isn't mastered til age 3- 3 1/2 for most children. Don't worry. My daughter is 24 months and frequently gets certan colors right and other times doesn't.