Backward - Mirror Writing in Young Children

My five-year-old daughter usually starts writing on the right side of the paper rather that the left, often mixes b with d, p with q, and g, confuses 6 with 9, 2 with 5, makes s, z, l, r, 2, 5, 3, 7, etc. backwards or even writes in a mirror image: going from right to left with all the letters or numbers reversed.

I'm aware of the fact that it is still early to be concern about dyslexia, since the scientists believe that the brain does not completely form the concept of left and right until somewhere between ages five and eight.  On the other hand the dyslexia experts advise to intervene as early as in a pre-school to check if a child has tendency toward dyslexia to support him in his needs. To young children writing letters it is a lot like drawing them. When they sketch or paint a fish, it doesn’t matter if it’s facing left or right.  Fish is still a fish.

It matters, however when it comes to letters. It can take some time for this concept to be absorbed. In most cases, a child figures out independently that words in English are printed from left to right, and it does matter which way the letter s faces. By first grade, teachers start asking children to correct their reversals, and by the end of second grade almost all children stop doing it completely. If your child is still finding this a struggle as she/he gets older, and you see some of the other concerns, it is time to consider additional help. Even at that early level of learning there is a way to support your child. Fun activities might help with reading and writing in general.

Few ideas:

1. While you read to your child trace direction of a reading text with your finger.
2. Encourage your child to practice writing. Your child should be free to perform and make multiple mistakes without modifications or limitations.
3. Do not correct your child. If the child is aware enough and asks you if it’s correct, you point out the errors, but not to make a big deal of it. The more the child writes, the easier it becomes. Don't border your child's creativity by constantly pointing out what is wrong.
4. Place a sticker at the top left corner of the page to remind where to start writing.
5. If it is a particular letter that is difficult for your child, help with a prompt, such as: b like a big belly sticking out in front of you.
6. Encourage your child to trace words you've printed, or use inexpensive templates to give practice in printing the letters correctly.
7. Make fun cards, posters or invitations with these traced letters.
8. Build a pattern with blocks and have your child copy it.
9. Make asymmetrical designs that help the child to focus on matching the different sides.

“…Early in life, virtually all children make mirror errors in reading and writing. Indeed, the ability to generalize across symmetrical views, which facilitates view-invariant object recognition, is one of the essential competences of the visual system. When children learn to read, they must “unlearn” mirror generalization in order to process “b” and “d” as distinct letters. In some children, this unlearning process, which goes against the spontaneous abilities inherited from evolution, seems to present a specific source of impairment…” To learn more read chapter 7 of Readingin the Brain: The Science and Evolution of a Human Invention by Stanislaus Dehaene. You can also see overview and color figures from the book by clicking here.

Check my other posts for signs of dyslexia, intervention and tips

http://slpzone.blogspot.com/2014/01/signs-of-dyslexia-and-first-steps.html http://slpzone.blogspot.com/2013/10/dyslexia-intervention-and-tips.html