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11 Alternative Ways to Learn Your ABCs
Most teachers use the typical associations to teach the alphabet: A is for apple, B is for bear, C is for cat, and so on. (Z is usually Zebra.) But if you prefer walking off the beaten path, there is a wealth of alternative alphabets available to teach your children the ABCs.
1. The Hidden Alphabet by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
In her lift-the-flap picture book (and book trailer, above), Seeger not only uses less traditional associations, but she also hides the items within the shapes of the letters. A is for Arrowhead, the triangle in the A; P is for Partridge, the hollow in the P; and Q is for Quotation Mark, the center of the Q.
2. The Muppet Alphabet by Mike Boon
Boon, a graphic designer, created an alphabet in which the letters are formed from The Muppet Show characters. B is for Bunsen and Beaker, F is for Fozzie, and X is for Xomfey (a "Pink Stalk" from the show's pilot episode, "Sex and Violence"). You can purchase a T-shirt (from Threadless) or a poster (mini through gallery size at society6) featuring the alphabet.
3. SuperHero ABC by Bob McLeod
4. The Alphabet of Geekdom by Nana Leonti
5. The ABCs of Rock by Melissa Duke Mooney and Print Mafia
6. The Official Fart Alphabet by Ralph Masiello and Stephanie Brockway
7. Nerdy Baby ABCs by Tiffany Ard
8. My Foodie ABC by Puck and Violet Lemay
9. A is for Ackbar by Emma & Brandon Peat
10. The Alphabet 2 by n9ve
Independent design studio n9ve created this alphabet video experiment in which each letter visually represents the meaning of its word. B is a B-shaped biscuit, C is for Cell Animation, and the D, which explodes, is for Destruction. Check out their behind-the-scenes photos from the shoot, as well as their first alphabet video, in which each letter correlates to a font.
11. XYZ Blocks by Christian Northeast
11 alternative alphabets not enough for you? Don't worry, we're not stopping the fun. Head over to our "Alternative ABCs" board on Pinterest for more alphabety goodness. And if you've seen a good one, let us know in the comments and we'll add it to the board.