Alphabet and language - two different things!
In the Western world we tend to think of language and alphabet as "the same thing", or at least of the alphabet being the building stones of any language. But this is not necessarily the case: in fact the alphabet is a relative latecomer in the ways languages are written down.
Rudyard Kipling wrote his interesting "Just So" fable about the first alphabet having been invented by the need to prevent serious misinterpretations of the message of pictographs, after a beautifully painted picture message asking for a new fishing spear to replace a broken one, was interpreted as the family's beloved Daddy having been speared by armed enemies.
Herodotus informs us that the Persian king Darius, while invading Scythia in 512 BC, received from the Scythians a picture of a mouse, a frog, a bird and three arrows. The optimistic conqueror interpreted this as a clear declaration of surrender of the Scythians' land and weapons. And only when it was too late he discovered what his opponents really meant, to wit that, unless the Persians could burrow, hide in the swamps or fly, they would all be killed.
Considering these interesting anecdotes, it's not a bad idea to help your children learn their alphabet thoroughly, like with the use of some educational toys: knowing the alphabet or ABC prevents so many misunderstandings! Not to mention that it's fortunately much easier to learn than, let's say, hieroglyphs...
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Two-Sided Spin-A-Word Playwheel, copyright 1945 (bb7)
$95.00 
Time Left: 1h 24m |
| Big Tall Playschool; 50 mini books, 10 mini puzzles NEW
$14.99
Time Left: 1h 27m |
| WordWorld Word World Friends Magnetic Plush Lion Toy
$6.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 2h 8m |
| WordWorld Word World Friends Magnetic Plush Zebra Toy
$6.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 2h 8m |
| Briarpatch I Spy Preschool Match Game Mint Condition!
$8.99
Time Left: 2h 29m |
| A-B-C's MAGNET LEARNING SET CAPITAL LETTERS UPPER CASE
$6.95
Time Left: 4h 3m |
| NEW LEAP FROG My Card Games in GIFT TIN Educational FUN
$10.00
Time Left: 4h 40m |
| BNIB Word World Owl & Egg word build mega bloks pbs kid
$6.00
Time Left: 4h 42m |
| Fisher Price Little People A to Z Learning Zoo Playset
$32.55 (15 Bids) Time Left: 4h 43m |
| The World of Peter Rabbit Building Blocks Beatrix Potte
$24.50
Time Left: 5h 35m |
| Chatterbox Telephone Activity Learning Set, Bilingual
$19.00
Time Left: 5h 36m |
| ALPHABET NUMBER Wood BLOCKS Preschool Wooden Reading
$9.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 5h 51m |
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