The alphabet is different now. There are still 26 letters, and they still go in the same order, but the song you probably learned as a small child does not sound the same. Now, instead of “ellemenopee” all coming in one breath, it goes like, “HIJKLMN … OPQ …” I’ll let TikTok user @teacherrachelsorsel, who went viral this week for relaying to the masses the latest updates in pedagogical practice, explain.
@teacherrachelsorsel It's true: they changed the alphabet song. But it's for a good reason! #scienceofreading #earlyliteracy #teachyourkidtoread #structuredliteracy #developmentallyappropriate #sor #phonics #alphabetsong #theychangedthealphabet #teachertip #preschool #kindergarten #firstgrade
♬ original sound - Mindful Teacher - SoR & SEL
The explanation does make perfect sense. This version of the song makes it clear both that “LMNOP” is not one letter and that “ANDZ” is not a letter at all. “I agree with you but didn’t all of us turn out fine knowing how to read and such with the original way of singing the alphabet,” asked the top comment. Another commenter wrote, “They took Pluto, then they changed math, and now the alphabet? My whole life is a lie.”
Now, if you know a child, you probably already knew about this change. The educational website Dream English originally switched up the classic back in 2012, and it’s caught on in schools over the past decade. This isn’t even the first time the new song has gone viral thanks to the mild outrage of an older generation. This exact same series of events (the reveal, the “my childhood!” comments) played out back in 2019, when comedy writer Noah Garfinkel shared the Dream English video on what was then Twitter.
So I’m sorry if this has rocked your world. Luckily, no one has made it illegal for you to sing the song the way you learned it. Feel free to stick it to the man (early-childhood education teachers) by proudly running L, M, N, O, and P together. It’s what Elmo would want.
