People whose kids can recite the alphabet before age 2

[newmum234]

And counting from 1-20 too - do you actually do regular sessions teaching your DC how to do this? My DS is 15 months and only says mama and dada. There’s no way he’s even close to learning the alphabet or saying numbers!

He's also middle of the pack academically.

@newmum234 here’s a link for developmental milestones for language development. Hope it puts your mind at ease. Remember that normal development falls within a range. So, not all 15 months old children will be exactly the same, doing the same things at the exact same age.

www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=age-appropriate-speech-and-language-milestones-90-P02170

I never fail to be amazed at threads like this where everyone remembers their child’s milestones down to the month. I suspect that, quite often, they are talking bollocks! DS is 4yo and I couldn’t tell you what age he was when he first started knowing some shapes/numbers.

He definitely doesn’t know the alphabet and tbh I don’t understand why anybody bothers teaching their young children that. Unless they’re exceptionally gifted they’re going to have no use for it and no conception of what they’re saying. My son can kind of do the alphabet song, but only because his (not British) nursery taught it to them - they also kept sending home worksheets about the letters when he was two. I just rolled my eyes at them - such a waste of time when they could be hearing fairy tales and learning about the world.

Of course if a child loves learning about these things then that’s different. My friend’s son has been an absolute maths whizz since he was very young and loved learning his numbers and adding/subtracting etc. That’s great - they all have their own interests. But reciting the alphabet is a pretty useless skill for really young children, and it’s not hard to learn later on.

@newmum234 Memorising and reciting the alphabet is rote learning. You might be interested in researching the difference between rote learning and meaningful learning.

One thing that stands out to me is that rote learning is strong in memorisation and quickly recalling facts but neglects developing critical thinking skills and the ability to engage in problem solving.

Here is a copy and paste of parts of a very informative article about rote learning and meaningful learning:

WHAT IS ROTE LEARNING?
Rote learning is the memorization of information based on repetition. Examples of rote learning include memorizing the alphabet, numbers, and multiplication tables. Some consider rote learning to be a necessary step in learning certain subjects.
Memorization isn’t the most effective way to learn, but it’s a method many students and teachers still use. A common rote learning technique is preparing quickly for a test, also known as cramming.
...
WHAT IS MEANINGFUL LEARNING?
Meaningful learning involves understanding how all the pieces of an entire concept fit together. The knowledge gained through meaningful learning applies to new learning situations. This type of learning stays with students for life.
Meaningful learning is active, constructive, and long-lasting, but most importantly, it allows students to be fully engaged in the learning process.
Two important goals of all types of learning include retention and transfer. “Retention” is the ability to remember the material at a later time. “Transfer” is the ability to use prior knowledge to solve new problems. Students achieve meaningful learning when both of these goals are fulfilled.
...

www.oxfordlearning.com/difference-rote-learning-meaningful-learning/

All kids are different. My oldest dd could recite the alphabet and to 100 before she was 2. We used to travel on buses alot and it used to distract her from the journey. My ds tho had no interest in numbers and letters really until he started nursery.