Just a poll... can you say the alphabet backwards? I've read that many GT kids can, but I'm curious about adults. How normal is this?

My uncle did this when I was a child so I learned how to do it too when I was a kid and I can still do it. Don't know that it has anything to do with being GT or not though. Just a funny trick! LOL!!

My husband and my 5 year old can do this, he's teaching my 4 year old too.

I can't but I can write backwards - both cursive and printing (mirror image).

BTW - They Might Be Giants has a song in which they sing the whole alphabet backwards! Here's a link to the lyrics ZYX

LOL I just had to add the writing backwards comment with I can draw and write with my toes. I know, I know... wow such a talent!

hmmmm...i read your title and said "sure that's easy, tebahpla eht" hahaha ya, I'm in my complete own world!

It's a fun world though, One!

(That's how I think, too, can you tell?)

I'm a very visual person and I "see" the alphabet in my head so saying backwards is pretty easy for me. I can also spell words backwards easily too, but only if I know how to spell them forwards and that's the rough part for me because I'm a horrible speller! My husband and I had a conversation about this recently because he's a good speller but doesn't see the letters so it takes him longer to spell a word backwards. He spells them forward and then reverses the order. He's very auditory.

Oh, and Katelyn'sMom, I laughed at your post! My family once had a competition to see who could write the best with their toes, so we all plunked ourselves on the floor and whipped off our socks. We also once measured our heads at a party to see who had the biggest head. We're kind of a competitive family, and probably a bit strange too

Same here !

Finally a family reunion where I would fit in! So question: It isn't 'normal' to be competitive?

My DS and I both can say it backwards. I learned it as a child from my mom, he just knew it!

Nope! Sometimes I can barely say it forewards!

LOL! And sometimes I have felt like all I did all day was say the alphabet (forward). I'm glad those days are over!

Well, my favourite (music geek) thing like this to do is to sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," but starting the words two notes before the right spot (it starts out mi-re-do-DO-la-sol-mi-sol-re--and the words normally come in at the first do--but start the words from the initial mi instead). So the accents of the words and the music are out of synch all through the whole song, all the cadences are in bizarre places, and the words of the song end two notes before the tune does. It's a great way to drive the people around you nuts, should you happen to want to do that!

peace
minnie

Heh - I don't post very often, but i HAD to write to this one. I have never heard of anyone else who wrote backward! I'm so excited to hear of others who do it! Don't know about reasons, but i always thought mine was pretty lame... you know how lefties, when they write, get ink on their hands? I had a ton of friends who were lefties, but never really got the hang of writing with my left hand (and i tried!), so i decided the next best option was to write backward with my right hand and i'd accomplish the same thing!

I was little... it seemed logical. Plus, it was a great way to escape boredom in class by taking all my notes in class backward. that's so funny. People always look at me like i'm a freak. I'm SO happy to hear of others who do this!

oh, and the first thing i thought of when i read the thread title, was the There Might be Giants song too. I love their Here come the ABC's music, but i especially love the Alphabet of Nations (West Xylophone!), and the ZYX songs.

Anyway, thanks for a laugh, and for making me feel normal.

I didn't think I'd be able to do this, but surprised myself --- I started seeing the letters, and I read them out of my mind. I didn't see the whole alphabet, though. They popped up one at a time or in small groups after I started.

I can't write backwards, but I can read upside down as easily or nearly as easily as I can when reading something that's right-side-up.

This is kind of odd: I even have trouble distinguishing upside-down from right-side-up at times. Not usually with letters, but with some designs. This doesn't happen because I can't tell what something is---it happens because I see it for exactly what it is, regardless of orientation.

Val

I, too, love the Alphabet of Nations! My younger sis turned us on to TMBG's when my son was born. Fabulous music that I often hum to even without the kids in the car...

BTW - I write backwards -and- I am a lefty... Is this something natural to lefties??? Just curious... I once knew someone in college who could write backwards and upside down (I never could get the hang of that)!

I taught myself the alphabet backwards in kindergarten. I was bored and it was posted around the room, so it seemed like the thing to do. It always surprised me as I got older that everyone didn't know it. Guess my geekiness started early. :-)

Now that I have kids, whenever we sing the alphabet, it's A-Z then Z-A.

DD9 used to write backwards but grew out of it. She was doing it on purpose because she thought it was neat.

I can read upside down too. It used to come in handy for story-time at school when I volunteered in the library.

Ruby, you are just like my DH and I am like your DH. That's why I posted this. DH had a rare night of insomnia so, after counting herds of sheep, he pictured the alphabet and said it backwards right away. He has an incredible visual memory /mind. He is a terrible speller. He is also right handed but goofy foot(ed).

Our family has measured our heads, wing spans, sitting heights... you name it and we've created some kind of index for it.