My Youngest Son Did Somethin That Blew My Mind Today. Please Give Me Your Thoughts.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

Hi all! Long time no visit! But I had to share this with you and ask you all to give me your thoughts on whether this is normal (I don't think it is) or if my jaw should've dropped like it did.

My youngest son Jesse isn't even 3 yet (he'll be 3 in August). But today when I was changing his diaper, he started chattin as usual. At first I wasn't paying much attention, but all of a sudden it occurred to me what he was reciting. He was saying the alphabet. But he was saying it backwards from Z to A! He didn't miss a letter. Not one. He recited the entire alphabet without pausing from z all the way to a. No one taught him this. I sat there with my jaw dropped and said "Jesse, did you really just do that?". Now I might just be ignorant and have no idea, and maybe that's not such a big deal. But for some reason I can't shake the feeling that toddlers younger than 3, without being taught that at all, shouldn't be able to recite the alphabet perfectly backwards without missin a step.

So is that not that big of a deal or is that just totally something he shouldn't have been able to do on his own???

Thoughts are appreciated...

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. While not typically normal, not totally out of the norm either.

WannaB knew the alphabet front to back by the age of 3, and she was our little parlour reading trick by the time she turned 4. She always excelled at school, and spelling...going as far as the National Spelling Bee in 2002. Perhaps your little one is just very smart. As a side note, we never pushed learning. I read to her every night but I was no "stage mom" with regard to her education.

[PeaceNikki]

2. WOW!! That's remarkable!!

:wow:

[TZ]

3. Thats pretty good...

Does he watch Sesame Street or something like that? I taught myself to read at 3 (while my older sister was 5 and learning) and my mother was under the impression I learned alot from Sesame Street.
One smart boy you have there.:)

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

9. No Sesame Street.

From what I gather, he likely taught himself from his abc puzzle that he has. It's a wooden rectangle with lift out letters that he dumps out and puts back into each letter slot. Typical ABC puzzle. But even with that, I'm a bit amazed he memorized that on his own.

[Orrex]

4. Wow! He's ready for his sobriety check

That's pretty cool. But to see if he's really smart, see if he can recite it in alphabetical order.

[TZ]

6. .....

Maybe we should have a smart off..OMC's toddler vs. your oldest...oh wait---make that a SMART-ASS off..:rofl:

[petronius]

25. That was my first thought, too! No DUIs for this toddler...

:rofl:

[AngryAmish]

30. same here

I'm sick

[AngryOldDem]

5. That is amazing!

Sounds like you might have a little genius on your hands.

[MichiganVote]

7. Means he may read early. Good sign.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

10. His Daycare Teachers Were Already Impressed That He Could Read All The Kids Names.

They said it was odd that he was able to do that, because some of the names are similar and start with the same letters etc, so he's not just guessing. He'll look right at the 'what your child did today' papers and say each one like "That's Julia's!" "That's Joshua's" etc by reading the name on the top. I should probably sit down with him more and read to him and sound out words etc.

[MichiganVote]

12. Yes, do that. He is precocious. Smart like his Daddy.

[Flaxbee]

13. yes - read to him all you can

I know you've got your hands full, but early reading skills are so very important and provide a real advantage for a child. Your son has a sharp, eager mind. As MrsGrumpy said, with a kid like that, you don't have to push at all (in fact, pushing very smart kids often backfires and creates a lot of anxiety) - it sounds as if he'll just lap it all up.

[pokerfan]

8. If a cop ever pulls you over and asks you to do that

Do not, repeat, do not tell him that you can't even do that sober!

Is it possible that your son might have picked it up from TV somewhere? But if not, like others have said, it's somewhat extraordinary but perhaps not out of the range of possibility at that age. I can't remember if I even perceived time at that age, it was very much living in the present. Perhaps backwards is pretty much the same as forwards if that makes any sense.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

11. Definitely Didn't Learn It From TV. And That Would Be Pretty Funny To Say To A Cop LOL

[pokerfan]

16. An example from Reno 911

Alphabet backwards:
http://www.youtube.com/v/jC2OU5lwcA8&hl

[Chan790]

17. I had a cop tell me once that most sobriety checks

are not actually testing the thing you're being asked to do. They're based in trickery and most require a great deal of concentration making it hard to hide other signs of impairment.

For example, most people can't recite the alphabet backwards but fewer still can even attempt it while drunk and still remember to keep up the facade that they're sober. Most people can't stand on one foot and touch their nose with alternating pointer fingers and their eyes closed...but only drunk people will stumble great distances after failing. Things like that. I have no idea if it's true but I don't see why he'd lie.

[Oldtimeralso]

20. Done That, got a free night at the graybar motel!

n/t

[pokerfan]

22. I have a friend who's a cop in Nevada

He says that's a very common response, one that they look for.

[mainegreen]

14. That's a big deal.

And amazing.

[Haole Girl]

15. Hi OMC!

Good to see you here! I don't have children, so I don't know if that is unusual or not. It sure seems amazing, though! :hi:

[SPKrazy]

18. Amazing what the little critters will do

mine memorized all 5 states locations and capitals... he had help from his leap pad, but no one told him to do that and he did it quickly. He memorized lots of things.

The brain at that age is like a sponge that soaks it all in at an amazing speed. That is interesting that he could turn it around, you could too but he must be more able because his brain is more flexible. I dunno it sounds pretty amazing, probably not a miracle, but nonetheless a sign of intelligence.

:hi:

good to see you!

[Shine]

19. Freakish. You should definitely be worried.

:sarcasm:

:D

[Genevieve]

21. It's very unusual. (reciting backward). And it is so a big deal....nt

[MilesColtrane]

23. When I was four I solved a pre-Rubik's Cube puzzle that consisted of...

...five cubes with different colors on each side.

To win, you had to align the cubes in a row so that only the same colors were adjacent to each other, and the end colors matched.

No one believed I did it, and thought I had cheated somehow.

[midnight armadillo]

24. It's amazing what they can do

My 26 month old did a four foot horizontal leap from the couch on Friday. He's tall for his age, but that's still a pretty great jump. He also learned to somersault when he was about 20 months old. See what mimicking big brothers (the older one is 4.5) can do? :D

[krispos42]

26. Hell, I can't do that at all!

:thumbsup:

[MissMillie]

27. he's a genius

:thumbsup:

[Deep13]

28. He's bewitched. Check him for the Devil's mark.

If that doesn't work, build a bridge out of him.

[Midlodemocrat]

29. He's 3??? And, still in diapers????

:hide:

Kidding, OMC.

Sounds to me like a very bright little boy. Sure is cute, as well.

[BlueIris]

31. The kid is a genius. Coupla years, he'll be begging to go on Jeopardy. nt

[Rhythm]

32. I can barely do that, and i'm over 40!

That's too cool... and he sounds like a sharp-minded young man to me. Just like dad.
:hi:

[sinkingfeeling]

33. My son was about that age when he would say the alphabet backwards...

and forwards, and then every other letter, then every third letter, etc. He went on to be a 'gifted and talented' student, tested way above average IQ, and passed the SAT at age 13.

[whistler162]

34. uoy gnillac strats eh fi llew

!yrrow a evah thgim uoy neht mom fo daetsni moM

[sammythecat]

35. Hmmm...maybe it's time to talk to a priest.

Aren't demons supposed to be real fond of all things backward? :scared:

Really though, I don't know what that means, but I'm sure it's has something to do with a very agile brain. This sounds very amazing to me. I'd be impressed with a kid that age even attempting the alphabet in the right order.

BTW, it's good to see you back posting here. :hi:

[suninvited]

36. I am 47

and I can't say the alphabet backwards. I just tried, I dont' make it past X.

[fight4my3sons]

37. that's pretty cool

there is a song on something that does that I can't remember which CD it is Ralph's World or They Might Be Giants. Do you listen to either of those? We listen to quiet a few children's CDs, so I'm not sure which one does the backwards alphabet song, but those are the two that I think it would be on.

[RainDog]

38. My oldest son started reading at 3

which freaked everyone out. he had memorized the words on the pages from books he loved that I read over and over and over and over... when he was in first grade, his teacher asked him to stand up in front of the class and recite all the names of the presidents in order... which he did b/c he had a poster of the presidents in his room.

anyway, he still has an amazing memory.

in my son's case, he also has asperger's syndrome, of high functioning autism, or "little professor syndrome."

When I was in 2nd grade I remember my teacher made a big deal out of me reading Huckleberry Finn. I found my brother's copy (he's 11 y/older than me) and just went at it.

As far as I know, I'm not autistic, tho some days I wonder.

anyway, enjoy this time b/c he sounds like he's ready to learn - If I were you I'd observe his interests and expand on them - and add in a thing or two and see if he enjoys that, too. At this age, learning should be alllll about the pleasure of finding things out about this almost brand new world.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

39. i cant do that. damn kid is making me insecure!

:hi: :hug:

[Deja Q]

40. Don't let a preschool advisor listen to him go backwards...

he'll say the child won't follow directions. :rofl:

[applegrove]

41. I think that is a good sign of intelligence.

[cynatnite]

42. Will he do it whenever you ask or does he realize what he did?

It sounds like you have a very intelligent child. :)