Hi,

I have been teaching Pre-K for 12 years and I teach the
kids to sing their alphabet forward and backward.

They love it, it's a talent, it trains the brain and it
certainly raises their self-esteem. How many people can
say that they can sing the alphabet backwards?

Anyway, I have one individual FOR THE FIRST TIME
ever in my teaching career
who "thinks" that this may cause trouble in spelling.

I certainly do not believe this to be true. My pre-kers
can spell their own names, and other simple words
and I have found NO RESEARCH to suggest that singing the alphabet
backwards will hurt children's later spelling skills.

I'd appreciate any advice. I've never heard anything
more ridiculuos. Thanks!

Synnen

how in the world could an order of letters have anything to do with spelling? Spelling words is jumbling up letters from the alphabet, anyway!

I've always been proud that I could sing the alphabet backwords---were you MY teacher once? Oh wait...I'm too old for that!

I'd ask that individual how the order of the alphabet has ANYTHING to do with spelling---what, you SING your way to the next letter in the word? Which is probably in a different order than it was in the alphabet anyway?

NeedKarma

I see no benefit in knowing the alphabet backwards. I see more benefit in having the child know the alphabet so well so that they can name the letters at random. Then move on to the letter sounds.

prekteacher

Karma,

True. No "educational" benefit to singing their alphabet backwards.

But, like I said, it is a talent....something they can do that their
older siblings or parents can't do ! It raises their self-esteem, makes
them excited about school.

But, that's not my question. I wanted to know if anyone out there
has read any research to suggest that this is harmful.

PS: Identifying letters and sounds at random is important to me as well. Thanks.

prekteacher

Synnen,

Thank You!
You made me laugh and your response was helpful.

Wondergirl

Singing the alphabet backwards is like memorizing times tables and poetry and the Gettysburg Address and the preamble to the Constitution -- it's a mental discipline that will help later when memorizing geometry proofs and Latin declensions and details in history and geography. I'm older than dirt and my mind is still very agile thanks to all the memorizing and backwards singing I have done.

WG, a former Pre-K teacher and currently librarian

sovaira

thats great if your pre kers can sing it backwards ,it s a wonderfull mental training that can help kids memorise things and make them more creative so as to use wrods and alphabets.

right now in my school i have to stick to teaching styles that we are trained to teach kids,otherwise i would have really also learn how to sing ABC bakcwards and would also have taught my pre kers.


but sometime other i will realyl try it. as it can be a crazy exercise for kids rather than doing the things conventionally they can have a choice to sing it backwards too.


IMPRESSED PREKTEACHER !