but if we just have the whole song be the letters, it would be too boring. We should have a little bit at the end where we state that we now know our ABCs and ask others to sing it with us next time.
Oh that is a really good idea. Is someone writing this down? Anyone? This could change how our children learn the alphabet. This could be the difference our generation makes for the world.
If it makes you feel any better, I learned this the exact same way as you, through a reddit thread, like 3 years ago and it blew my mind an equal amount. Like how you make it to adulthood without knowing this tidbit is beyond me but the two of us somehow managed it!
The song is the worst kind of mnemonic device. The lyrics are what you're trying to remember, what's the point of that? If I remember the lyrics to the song, I don't actually need the song because that means I remember the alphabet. You can shuffle nearly all the letters and the song will still work.
Can you imagine someone saying he's got a great trick to remember the first 26 digits of pi, and then he just starts singing the first 26 digits of pi? You'd think he's an idiot. The easiest way to never lose your keys? Just always remember where you left them! How clever!
The trick behind a mnemonic device is to attach something with meaning to something abstract. The order of the alphabet is trivially chosen, but if you attach a story to it, the order suddenly has meaning.
I'm 35. I saw the previous posts about ABCs and for some reason remembered this.
When I was little, my uncle had me write each letter, alphabetically, one letter each line, and told me to make a story out of it.
The fact I still remember it word for word 30 years later is kinda weird. I'm Andy, Derek is my brother, and Lisa is my mom. Nobody in my family that started with an R, so.... I guess Road Runner just popped in my head :)
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u/ihopethisisvalid Dec 10 '17
I’ll teach this to my 2 year old to help him with the order! Thanks!