The note
How schools teach it now
Alphabetical order is taught in KS1 and KS2 with dictionary skills: if the first letters match, look at the second letter, and so on. For counting questions, write the alphabet with 1 to 26 underneath and count on the line.
5-minute kitchen-table activity
Pick five cereal boxes or tins from the cupboard and ask your child to line them up in alphabetical order. Make it harder with names starting the same (cornflakes, cocoa, crisps). Then ask which letter is halfway between D and L.
Worked example
If these words were put in alphabetical order, which would come third? stone stamp straw stack stair
- All start st, so look at the third letter: a, a, a, o, r.
- For the three sta words, look at the fourth letter: c, i, m.
- Order: stack, stair, stamp, stone, straw.
Answer: stamp
Common mistakes to watch for
- Stopping at the first letter when several words start the same.
- Counting the starting letter when counting along the alphabet.
- Missing the words "reverse order" in the question.
Encouragement
- Try saying
- “Letter by letter, just like using a dictionary. Nicely done.”
- Rather than
- “You learned the alphabet years ago.”