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Reversing letters is common until around age 7
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Writing letters backward does not necessarily mean your child has dyslexia.
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There are recommended activities you can practise at home to help your child stop writing reverse letter.
It is not unusual for young children to reverse letters when they read and write. But when they frequently write backward or upside down beyond age 7, it could raise red flags with reading or language.
More often than not, people are of the view that if a child write letters backward it is a sign of dyslexia but that is not often the case. This article will help us understand more about letter reversals and what they can mean.
What is letter reversal?
Reversing letters means your child writes certain letters or numbers backwards or upside down. This is sometimes referred to as ‘mirror writing’. This is different from transposing letters, which means switching the order of letters.
The most common letter reversal is b and d. In this instance, the child writes a b for a d or vice versa. Another common reversal is p and q. An example of an upside-down reversal is m for w.
Let me be quick to mention that reversing letters or mirror writing is not necessarily a sign of dyslexia. Some children with dyslexia have trouble with it, but many don’t. In fact, most children who reverse letters before age 7 end up not having dyslexia.
A child might reverse letters because of a poor memory for how to form letters. Another possible cause is that the child might have issues processing visuals. Children with visual processing disorders may find it difficult to interpret and understand visual information which includes form and direction. In this case, a child might have trouble identifying how images are different (visual discrimination) or which direction they face (visual directionality).
“I do not know how else to teach my five-year-old how to stop writing p as 9 and 9 as p, I am really frustrated, will he ever grow out of it? – Sylvia, a parent.
The majority of children outgrow reversing as they get stronger at reading and writing. Writing letters in reverse is typical and fairly common in children till they reach second grade. This is because the letters b, d, p, and q are basically the same letter. They are just flipped and turned around to form different letters. As adults and experienced readers, we have learnt and have come to the understanding that the positioning of these letters makes a big difference.
Young children and beginning readers on the other hand, do not always make that distinction right away. Being able to place that clear distinction is part of the learning and development process. It will fall in place as children build their phonics skills and become more experienced readers and writers.
“Should I take a wait-and-see approach with my wards reverse writing?” – Kwame, a concerned guardian.
There’s no downside to helping young ones learn to write their letters correctly, at any age. Even if your child does not have dyslexia or other difficulties in writing or reading, you still need to put in the effort.
If it turns out your child does have some type of language or visual processing difficulty, the sooner you address letter reversals, the less ingrained the habit will be. Your child will be better off by breaking the habit early.
Activities that can help
Work on one letter at a time.
For example, if your child is reversing b and d, start with b. Don’t introduce d until your child is having much less difficulty with b. After that, you can work on other significant reversals, such as p or q.
Do the same with numbers. Work on only one at a time. When your child is having much less trouble with that number, then you can move on to the next.
When focusing on a letter, try to engage more than one of your child’s senses. This is known as multi-sensory approach. For instance, your child could trace the letter b in sand, or ‘skywrite’ it while saying aloud the sound for b. As your child is practising, offer a strategy for remembering how to write b, such as “the bat comes before the ball.” (Meaning that the vertical line of the b, or the bat, comes before the round part, or the ball.)
Other fun activities
The rice tray
Spread dry rice on a tray or plate and have your child trace or copy the letter with their fore finger. Alternatively, you can use gari or sugar in a Ziploc bag and have your child do the activity on it.
Spongy letters
Fill a sponge with thick soap lather and ask your child form letters on the tiled wall. For a more tactile experience, let your child use the whole hand as well as just the fingers! You need to do this under supervision so your child does not get soap into the eyes.
Wet and Dry
All you need is a chalkboard. Draw the letter with chalk and then have your child trace the letter with a piece of wet cotton. Your child can also use their index finger to trace your letter before or after the wet sponge is used.
Wipe Off Letters
Write a letter on a whiteboard or chalkboard, and have your child trace it with a finger to wipe it off.
Laminated Letters
Download, print and laminate correct ways of writing or forming letters, then guide your child to use their fore finger to trace them. Tracing is a great way to get a feel for the letter as well as working on visual-motor skills.
Would you remember?
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Writing letters in reverse is typical and fairly common in children till they reach second grade.
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When focusing on a letter, try to engage more than one of your child’s senses.
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Tracing is a great way to get a feel for the letter as well as working on visual-motor skills
