Can You Do It? Or...Ask a Home Schooler!

Can You Do It?  Or...Ask a Home Schooler!

by Marilyn Mackenzie

After my uncle's funeral, the church provided us with a family meal.  I wonder, when they first started planning the meal if they knew that "family" might mean close to a hundred people.  It could have, if the snow had not kept many from coming.  As it was, I think there were about 40-50 of us gathered.  Or so it seemed.

One of my cousins was making the rounds talking to each table, and as he sat with us he related a story about his son learning to drive.

Where my cousin lives, parents attend driver's ed classes with the student driver (the classroom instruction).  I think that's a great idea.  It not only lets the parent know what was covered so he/she can reinforce it with the child, but it also gives the parent a refresher course on the laws of the road (which could have changed since the parent learned to drive).

As part of the class, the instructor was telling the kids about what happens when a cop thinks that you've been drinking and driving.  He explained some of the tests that cops give, one of which is asking the drunk driver to recite the ABCs backward.

The instructor said that if you're sober and someone asked you to do that, you might groan or say, "No one can do that!"  But as a drunk, you'll think you're invincible and will proceed to show how stupid you are.

Then the instructor asked if anyone thought they could recite the ABC's backward.  My cousin's son raised his hand and then recited them perfectly.

And the instructor said, "You're home schooled, aren't you?"

The response, of course, was, "Yes."

Said instructor explained that the only kids he has run across who can successfully recite the ABCs backward without thinking much about it are home schoolers.

When the class was over, my cousin and his son went back home.  As they sat at the dinner table talking about the experience (have you ever noticed that home school families have more meals together at the dinner table than others?), my cousin's daughter said, "I can do that!"  And she proceeded to recite the ABCs backward as well - quickly and perfectly.

Now...I don't know any home school lessons that include reciting the ABCs backward.  But it appears that for some reason, home schoolers are able to do this much easier than kids who are in public or private schools.  (I will have to check and see whether my son can recite them backward, since he was home schooled from 4th through 12th grade.)

Funny thing is that I can recite them backwards, and I was not home schooled.  But back when I was in elementary school, our teachers had us recite them forward and backward, then they would point to specific letters and ask us what they were.  When we were learning French (from 2nd grade onward), our French teacher did the same thing as we learned the ABCs in French.

But, like I said, I don't know that most home school families do that with their kids.

So how about it.  Can you easily recite the ABCs backward?

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Note to self:  I meant to ask my cousin if they covered how many accidents happen because people drive while tired or while texting.