It's a tune as familiar as a warm cup of tea on a cold morning, a melody that has echoed through the hallways of schools and the corners of nurseries for generations. The Alphabet Song, a childhood staple, has been the cornerstone of English language learning for countless children. But hold onto your hats, dear members of the Seniors Discount Club, because the internet is abuzz with a new rendition that's causing quite the stir!

The classic 'A-B-C-D-E-F-G...' that we all grew up with, sung to the tune of 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star', has been a rite of passage for young learners. However, a school teacher from the United States, Rachel Sorsel, has revealed a new version of the Alphabet Song that she's teaching to her students, and it's got adults everywhere scratching their heads.

A new way of singing the Alphabet Song recently divided social media users. Image Credit: Pexels/Magda Ehlers

The new version goes, '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. Now I never will forget, how to say the alphabet'. This change, while subtle, has sparked a debate about the necessity and effectiveness of altering such a time-honored learning tool.

The original Alphabet Song dates back to 1835, set to a tune composed by none other than Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1761. For nearly two centuries, it has been a beloved and effective method for teaching children the basics of the English alphabet. But according to Rachel, the change was prompted by the confusion children showed with the 'LMNOP' and 'Y and Z' groups in the traditional song.

In her viral TikTok video, Rachel explains that children often misinterpret 'LMNOP' as a single letter and similarly misconstrue 'Y and Z'. The new version aims to clarify these segments by breaking them down further, potentially aiding in literacy and pronunciation.

While the intentions behind the new version are clear, it has left many wondering why today's children are having issues that past generations seemingly did not. Comments range from nostalgic laments for the 'elemenohpee' of yesteryear to outright rejection of the change. 'It's better. I hate it,' one person commented, capturing the mixed feelings of many.

Despite the uproar, Rachel stands by the new version, suggesting it could help with struggling literacy rates in English-speaking countries. She points out that foundational skills like the alphabet are crucial for learning to decode and read. And while enunciation is important, Rachel argues that it may not be enough for young brains still developing their literacy skills.

As we ponder this modern twist on an old classic, it's worth considering the broader implications of such changes. Language and education are ever-evolving fields, and what works for one generation may not be as effective for the next. It's a delicate balance between preserving tradition and embracing innovation.

Watch the full video here:

Source: @teacherrachelsorsel/TikTok​

So, dear readers, what are your thoughts on this new version of the Alphabet Song? Do you think it's a necessary change for the benefit of future generations, or is it an unnecessary fix to a system that isn't broken? Have you experienced similar shifts in educational methods with your grandchildren or in your community? Share your stories and opinions with us – we'd love to hear from you!

Key Takeaways

• A United States teacher revealed on TikTok a new version of the alphabet song, which has sparked debate online.
• Changes to the song include breaking up the 'LMNOP' sequence and altering the end to avoid confusion over letter names among children.
• Some adults online expressed nostalgia for the old version and skepticism regarding the necessity for the change.
• The teacher explained that the new song is meant to help with literacy and clarity in learning the English alphabet for children.

And remember, whether it's 'elemenohpee' or 'L-M-N-O-P', the joy of learning and the magic of language continue to be a vital part of our lives, from the very first 'A' to the final 'Z'.

 

[Mr Chips]

What?! Change the Alphabet song?!!! OK, where's Trump when you need him (whoops, thoughts. he could not deal with it such as his weading and witin skills are) so, what do we do> Oh yes of course a referendum, that should give us some guidelines that we can look at and ignore.

 

[elaine41]

That is ridiculous. For nearly 200 years we learnt the alphabet as a quadruplet. The division above does not make any sense & I never heard anything so stupid as today's kids are confused by the combinations which survived & taught generations of Aussie kids.

This is just change for changes sake. The same as the way kids now can't do subtraction in maths because it is negative & nothing negative is allowed in school, so they have to work a page-long exercise of addition to get the answer to a simple subtraction problem.

 

[Wendy]

Most of them can't do their times tables and they have no idea how to read a clock face.

 

[Viellarde]

It doesn't matter How. It matters that it is learnt. This teacher applied what worked best for her pupils. She cares.
Don't like, don't buy.
The french alphabet, containing the same letters as the english version, is sung on a different tune.

 

[Catherines]

Most of them can't do their times tables and they have no idea how to read a clock face.

“Clock face, what is a clock, what does it do & why does it have a face??” I have something on my wrist that tells me it is 1:30pm (or 1300 as my marine engineer husband prefers to refer to time in the 24-hr version !). We’ll also get “What are those things that have numbers on them and two long things that go round and round?” That is more like what we will be asked in the next few years by our grand children and great grand children. Children just cannot read the time nowadays.

I own an automatic Citizen wrist watch (probably bought in the early to mid 90s) which keeps perfect time and the jeweller that replaces the battery every few years has told me not to get rid of it as it is a very good watch. My husband has a wind-up Omega Seamaster which is 54 years old but is sadly losing a few seconds every day. Children don’t know so much of what we were taught - and we were certainly not taught to say “zee” - it was always “zed”. We are following far too much Americanism here.

 

[waggadragon]

How the hell would kids confuse lmnop as one letter

 

[natalielocket]

“Clock face, what is a clock, what does it do & why does it have a face??” I have something on my wrist that tells me it is 1:30pm (or 1300 as my marine engineer husband prefers to refer to time in the 24-hr version !). We’ll also get “What are those things that have numbers on them and two long things that go round and round?” That is more like what we will be asked in the next few years by our grand children and great grand children. Children just cannot read the time nowadays.

I own an automatic Citizen wrist watch (probably bought in the early to mid 90s) which keeps perfect time and the jeweller that replaces the battery every few years has told me not to get rid of it as it is a very good watch. My husband has a wind-up Omega Seamaster which is 54 years old but is sadly losing a few seconds every day. Children don’t know so much of what we were taught - and we were certainly not taught to say “zee” - it was always “zed”. We are following far too much Americanism here.

Definitely. Why are we following America, in spelling etc.

 

[natalielocket]

Definitely. Why are we following America, in spelling etc.

Adding to the above. When one is typing, and a word comes up with the RED line below, out comes the Dictionary. I have spelt it right, but not by American spelling. Very frustrating to Adults, who were all taught to spell correctly, and confusing to kids.

 

[Catherines]

Adding to the above. When one is typing, and a word comes up with the RED line below, out comes the Dictionary. I have spelt it right, but not by American spelling. Very frustrating to Adults, who were all taught to spell correctly, and confusing to kids.

It’s a wonder that some youngsters even know what a dictionary is, what it contains or how to find the words alphabetically as well as alphabetically right across the word. I have even heard teachers using ‘bought’ instead of ‘brought’ and vice versa. How can our children use words correctly if some of their teachers cannot? Even ministers say these particular words incorrectly, as well as premise instead of premises when they are talking of a building or house. Just because there is an ‘s’ at the end of the word ‘premise’ does not mean it is more than one. There is so much incorrect usage of words and phrases in the English language nowadays.. This country might be Australia but the language is English, so no excuses.

 

[elaine41]

It’s a wonder that some youngsters even know what a dictionary is, what it contains or how to find the words alphabetically as well as alphabetically right across the word. I have even heard teachers using ‘bought’ instead of ‘brought’ and vice versa. How can our children use words correctly if some of their teachers cannot? Even ministers say these particular words incorrectly, as well as premise instead of premises when they are talking of a building or house. Just because there is an ‘s’ at the end of the word ‘premise’ does not mean it is more than one. There is so much incorrect usage of words and phrases in the English language nowadays.. This country might be Australia but the language is English, so no excuses.

The phrase which gets me at the moment is "I could care less" when they actually mean "I couldn't care less". If you "could care less" means that there is still a level of care about something.

 

[relljube]

It’s a wonder that some youngsters even know what a dictionary is, what it contains or how to find the words alphabetically as well as alphabetically right across the word. I have even heard teachers using ‘bought’ instead of ‘brought’ and vice versa. How can our children use words correctly if some of their teachers cannot? Even ministers say these particular words incorrectly, as well as premise instead of premises when they are talking of a building or house. Just because there is an ‘s’ at the end of the word ‘premise’ does not mean it is more than one. There is so much incorrect usage of words and phrases in the English language nowadays.. This country might be Australia but the language is English, so no excuses.

The use of "what" instead of "that" is also a bugbear of mine. So it is "impordan" to learn to speak "proper" English "what" can be understood by "overs".
Our language skills are so depleted by pathetic attempts of teachers and the education departments that we may as well learn to speak American hood speak so that we can be underestood.

 

[elaine41]

The use of "what" instead of "that" is also a bugbear of mine. So it is "impordan" to learn to speak "proper" English "what" can be understood by "overs".
Our language skills are so depleted by pathetic attempts of teachers and the education departments that we may as well learn to speak American hood speak so that we can be underestood.

Please explain what you mean by "'what' can be understood by 'overs'".

 

[margaretritchie48]

Most of them can't do their times tables and they have no idea how to read a clock face.

agree

 

[relljube]

Please explain what you mean by "'what' can be understood by 'overs'".

Sorry misspelling should have been "uvers" (others)

 

[Catherines]

Please explain what you mean by "'what' can be understood by 'overs'".

The “what” (used incorrectly) should actually be replaced by the word “that” can be understood by……and the word “overs” has been corrected by the writer to be read in the original post as “uvers” meaning “others”. It is the sloppiness of users of the English language most of which is not corrected by school teachers and firstly by many, many parents when children of 4-5 years of age start learning (or should I say ‘should start learning’) to pronounce words correctly. Parents are the best teachers and should correct a toddler from an early age.

 

[Catherines]

If the English language cannot be spoken correctly by Australian citizens born, bred & schooled here from day one how can we criticise immigrants and expect them to come here knowing how to speak, understand and use English? All immigrants have their own native language and it is up to us, and our schooling systems, to teach them correctly, but first we need to be able to do it correctly ourselves.

 

[Mr Chips]

That is ridiculous. For nearly 200 years we learnt the alphabet as a quadruplet. The division above does not make any sense & I never heard anything so stupid as today's kids are confused by the combinations which survived & taught generations of Aussie kids.

This is just change for changes sake. The same as the way kids now can't do subtraction in maths because it is negative & nothing negative is allowed in school, so they have to work a page-long exercise of addition to get the answer to a simple subtraction problem.

I am sure what you say is true but having come from an engineering background the minus calculations are so important and I cannot believe that this is the case. Oh well, a minus multiplied by a minus is a plus so I guess there are other logical reasons behind this stupidity.

 

[Catherines]

I am sure what you say is true but having come from an engineering background the minus calculations are so important and I cannot believe that this is the case. Oh well, a minus multiplied by a minus is a plus so I guess there are other logical reasons behind this stupidity.

Love your answer.

 

[bombadier]

Definitely. Why are we following America, in spelling etc.

That's rite, dont no. .