Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@farmerlovesphonics
Topics: TikTok, Social Media, Community
Gerrard Kaonga
Topics: TikTok, Social Media, Community
It's amazing the things you learn as a kid that stick with you, but one teacher is trying to change one core thing... how you sing the alphabet song, and people aren’t taking kindly to it.
If I asked you to sing out the alphabet song, we all know how to do it from what we learnt as children.
A-B-C-D, E-F-G, H-I-J-K, LMNOP, Q-R-S, T-U-V, X-Y-Z. Easy stuff, right?
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You might even have a cute little addition at the end. Something like ‘now I know my ABC’s, won’t you come and play with me’.
And no joy ever compared to the excitement in school class as you and the other kids said the ‘LMNOP’ bit. As far as I’m concerned that is a core memory and crucial to this timeline.
But a teacher on social media has pitched a new song and while she might mean well, it is a big no from me.
On TikTok, teacher Jessica Farmer, who goes by @farmerlovesphonics on the platform, has suggested a new version.
The video, from 2023, has been viewed almost 700,000 times on the platform and started a wild debate in the comments.
It seems Farmer knew her video might prove to be divisive as she captured the clip : “This might be controversial, BUT this is the best way to sing the alphabet song to avoid letter names being combined…the dreaded “elemenop” or “YNZ”. Practice daily. Point to the letters as you sing it to build letter recognition.”
So how does it go?
A-B-C-D-E-F-G, H-I-J-K-L-M-N, O-P-Q, R-S-T, U-V-W, X-Y-Z. It even has its own closer that goes : “Now I never will forget, how to say the alphabet.”
Now while it might feel completely wrong and unnatural, Farmer has explained there are good reasons to ditch the original song you grew up learning.
She said: “The traditional alphabet song has a few issues. When sung quickly, the letters 'LMNOP' tend to blend together, leading many young children to incorrectly believe 'elemenop' is a single letter.
“Additionally, the way ‘Y and Z’ is sung can sound like ‘Y N Z,’ which adds an extra, unintended letter to the song."
Despite the reasoning, some users simply weren’t on board.
“It’s like fetch, it’s not happening!” joked one user.
“No thank you, as the saying goes ‘don’t fix something that’s not broken.’” another said, while a third commented: "Why do we have to mess with a good thing? This hits my ear wrong."
“Elemenope!” another defiantly wrote.
Will you be switching up how you teach or recite the alphabet?