Have you thought of teaching your child to say the alphabet backwards?
“What a pointless idea!” I hear you say.
Well, while knowing their ‘ZYXs‘ in addition to their ‘ABCs‘ is not an essential skill, it can actually be useful for your child to know.
Here is our version of the alphabet in reverse, (though if you are British or from the Commonwealth you might prefer this one where we say ‘zed’ instead of ‘zee’):
Why learning the alphabet backwards is worthwhile
1. Anything that increases familiarity with the alphabet is a good thing. Good readers have an extraordinarily strong affinity with each of the 26 letters – by reinforcing your child’s awareness of them you are taking one extra step in the right direction.
2. Not many adults can say the alphabet in reverse. Your young child will soon realize this and this will give their confidence a boost – it may well be the first thing they have ever been able to do that most adults cannot.
3. Your child will amaze and impress your relatives and friends when they display their new knowledge. The compliments and praise your child will inevitably receive will cause them to regard the alphabet fondly – and this will be a huge advantage for you in getting them to associate reading with fun.
4. Knowing the order of the letters backwards and forwards will mean that when it is time to learn about alphabetical order your kid should find it a breeze. Obviously, being adept at alphabetical order is not the most important thing in the world, but it is an essential skill and you might be surprised by how many adults struggle with it.
5. Learning the alphabet backwards by song will be fun – for you and your child. This video provides a nice simple way to learn it (and there is a really fast version too, which is good for a laugh). Finally, the video below is a very Australian song – and is a little bit longer and different.
If you’re keen on revising the alphabet in its normal order, click here for some great YouTube videos.
Have fun singing!