My child mixes up b and d. Do they have Dyslexia?
Writing letters backward (b, d, p, q) is VERY common with young learners! So, don't panic if your child is mixing up these letters. It's totally normal and usually nothing to worry about! Lots of young kids mix up letters because they're still figuring things out.
But why???
This is because they have the same or similar shapes. Picture a chair. Even when that chair is sideways or upside down our brain still SEES it as a chair. To a child’s growing brain all of these letters LOOK the same! It takes practice to begin to recognize them as being different.
How can I help?!
There are MANY tricks and tips for helping young readers remember the difference between b and d.
Build muscle memory!
Use textured writing surfaces like sandpaper, glitter paper, carpet, water, jello powder, or anything with a fun texture!
Write the letters in the air. Stand up and extend your dominant arm all the way out in front of you. Pointing with one finger, spell the word in the air starting from the left side of the body all the way to the right. Make the letters at least two feet high!
Just make sure your learner is SAYING the letter and sound out loud while writing it. Bonus if they are also looking at a b or d!
Use Visuals!
b has a belly, d has a diaper
Left and Right!
The "circle" is on the right of the line in a b, and the circle is on the left of the line in a d. Say, "be right" (i.e., the b has the circle to the right). If the circle is not on the right, it must be a d!
Teach kids that when they get confused about which is their left or right, to practice squeezing the hand they write with (I call this their "b hand")! (Opposite if the learner is left-handed!). Students can also make a fist, stick their pointer finger up and it makes a b!
Correct Letter Formation
d: "Around like a c, up and down makes a d"
b: "Down, up, and around."
