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my son has sequencing problems .For example, he can't start the alphabet in the middle - only from A each time . However, he suggested a game in the car the other day which I thought was a very good brain exercise. Sing the alphabet to your favourite song or television theme tune. It is quite difficult. I think it is helping sequencing , but in fact, I'm not sure what it is exercising, if I am honest!!! I expect it is good for something though!

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Why not dawn and if it is fun ? Sing-a-long :D

Countess

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Hi Dawn:p
The important thing behind using Song, is the use of Rhythm and Tempo.
Where it provides a way of organising information into 'blocks'.

Dawn, perhaps you could try recalling the alphabet in your mind 'silently', and observe the rhythm / tempo as you recall it.
If you have a good recall of the alphabet, I would speculate that the rhythm/ tempo varied as you went through it.
When you repeat it, the same variations would occur?

Where importantly, you probably didn't recall it in a constant '1 to 1' timing. But rather in 'blocks', with their own tempo.
Also that their was a variation in Pitch associated with different Letters.

On the other hand, perhaps you could try saying the alphabet again, in your mind or out loud. But this time, say it in a constant '1 to 1' timing all the way through, and also say it in a 'Mono-tone' voice with no pitch variation.
Where you might have noticed how blocks of letters have been replaced by 26 separate letters?
Though this also relates to 'learning multiplication tables', where;
9 x 6 = 54. Can be learnt and recalled in a monotone 1 to 1 tempo, or as a unique 'block' with its own tempo and pitch variation.
Though rather than trying to fit it to a favourite song, it is much better to create your own song to fit it.
This gives it its own unique identity.
Geoff,:p

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Heck im 23 and have to start from A... wel I can do M,H...other than that im out of luck.Dang brain!...need more ram and a faster processor lol:D

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I am 33 some what the same way. I can organize things in alphabetical order but it's only because in my mind before I go to file it I rehearsing it from a certain point. It might not be from A but it might be like something I have to file under the letter "o" so I know I can start from mnop so I know where to put it before I get there. And of course, the typical alphabet song helps with that because it breaks it down into abcd efg hijk lmnop, etc. I guess that would be something that is recalled through song?

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Yeah, I have to say that I find setting a formula, sequence etc to a tune is helpful - it almost "bounces" me into remembering.

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I have a bit of a problem with the alphabet too, espescially when I'm looking-up a word in the dictionary. I tend to forget which letter comes before or after, so I have to go recite a,b,c,d...ect or m,n,o,p...etc or else I end up flipping the pages clulessly for ever.

But I found a trick for this (Seems todayis the day I give away all my tricks :D)

I made a chart with the alphabet which I taped onto my desk.

My alphabet chart has five rows as follow

A B C D E
F G H I J
K L M N O
P Q R S T
U V W X Y Z

Then 2nd and 4th row are highlighted in pink (could be any color you son likes) As you know I have visual-attentional problems too. I find the highlighting helps to isolate each row.

Everytime I look up in the dictionary, I just glance at my alphabet chart. It goes a heck of a lot faster than going through the entire alphabet. I don't care if people think it's childish... it works!!:D

Also the fact of making the alphabet chart in small chunks, makes it a lot easyier to memorise. Maybe something you could try with Miles? Anyway, it's just a suggestion.

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Hi Toen:p
That's an excellent idea. Breaking it down into 'small chunks'.
With each 'chunk' separated.
I have been looking into the same thing with learning Multiplication Tables.
Where a popular approach is to learn them to a 'Tune'.
But I have a problem with this, as often people have to go through the whole Tune, to find the 'chunk' that they want. By the time that they get to it, they might have forgotten what they were looking for?
So that to get 6x7=42. One might have recall the whole tune, starting from 1x7=7, 2x7=14, and so on.
Where each is like a 'line of the song'?
But what we need, is a way to go straight to the line/ chunk that we want, so that we dont have go all the way through from the beginning.
Though at the moment I'm looking into the use of a 'Beat' rather than a 'song'. Where each 'line' is 'tapped out' with the foot or finger.
So that for alphabet, you tap out; A B C D E, with five beats and then pause, and then do F G H I J, ... .
Though I'm also considering this in relation to Times Table, where each line is tapped out. So that 6x7=42, is tapped out as: six, times, seven, equal, forty, two. With six taps of the foot.
What I'm thinking of, is that with something learned of as a Tune, it is very hard to start off in the middle of tune.
But with a Beat, a Tempo, you dont have to go back to the beginning of the song, as the Beat can continue from anywhere?
So perhaps it can be used as a memory device?
To go straight to right chunk / line, instead of starting from the beginning of the 'tune'?
Geoff:p,

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Actually thealphabet chart is a trick I got from a book called Dyslexia in the workplace. It contains a lot of helpful tips like that, including work methods, time management/planning, taking notes, reading/remembering/copying information... even coping with emotions/anger issues. What's really amazing I find, is how simple some of the tricks are.