You look at your child’s writing and there it is again: dad written as bab, a backwards s, a 3 facing the wrong way. It’s natural to ask “why does my child write letters backwards?” and to wonder whether something is wrong. Usually nothing is. Turning letters around is a normal stage of learning to write, and a few simple habits help it pass. Here’s why it happens, what helps at home, and when it’s worth talking to someone.
Is it normal to write letters backwards?
Yes. The Raising Children Network’s guide to development at 6 to 8 years says a child at this age “can write numbers and words more accurately but might still confuse some letters, like b/d and p/g”. A tip sheet from AUSPELD, the Australian network of learning difficulty associations, puts it plainly: “Most children reverse letters and numbers in the early years of schooling and this is recognised as typical in the development of literacy and numeracy skills.”
So a Prep (Foundation) child who writes a backwards j, or a Year 1 child (Grade 1 at many schools) who still swaps b and d, is right on track. Reversals usually fade by around Year 2 or Year 3, when most children are 7 or 8. AUSPELD describes reversals that carry on past about Year 3 as going “beyond the developmentally appropriate period”, which is the point to look more closely.
Why children mix up b and d
In everyday life, direction rarely matters. A cup is still a cup whichever way the handle points, and a dog is still a dog whether it faces left or right. Letters are one of the first things children meet where turning a shape around changes what it means. b, d, p and q are the same circle and stick, flipped or turned.
AUSPELD adds an important point: a reversal often shows confusion about what the letter should look like “and the sound it represents”. “One of the most common letter reversal errors is between ‘b’ and ‘d’.” That’s why the best fix links the shape to the sound, and to the way the hand moves to make it, rather than relying on how the letter looks.
Is writing letters backwards a sign of dyslexia?
Not by itself. Reading researcher Sally Shaywitz, answering this question for the US literacy site Reading Rockets, is clear: “There is no evidence that dyslexic children actually see letters and words backwards.” Her conclusion is that “reversals are not a sign of dyslexia.” The US learning site Understood says the same: reversing letters or mirror writing “isn’t necessarily a sign of dyslexia.”
The signs that matter more are about sounds. The Raising Children Network’s list of dyslexia signs for school-age children doesn’t mention reversals at all. It talks about trouble sounding words out, guessing words rather than sounding them out, and difficulty picking the first or middle sound in a word. If those sound familiar, our post on what to try when your child can’t blend sounds is a good place to start, alongside a chat with the teacher.
The fix: b and d start in different places
Here’s the most useful thing to know. In Victorian Modern Cursive, the handwriting style the Victorian Department of Education provides models and fonts for, b and d don’t just face different ways. They start in different places and move differently. When your child forms each one from its own starting point every time, the hand learns them as two different movements, and the mix-ups fade.
| Letter | Where it starts | How it moves | Say it as you write |
|---|---|---|---|
| b | At the top of the tall stick | Straight down, then back up and round to make the bump | “Down the stick, up and round.” |
| d | Where c starts, at the top of the round part | Round like c, up to the top of the tall stick, then straight down | “Round like c, up tall, and down.” |
The trick for d is that it belongs to the anticlockwise family with c, a, g, o and q: all of them begin with the same curve. b belongs with h, k, n and p: letters that start with a straight down stroke, then go back up and over. Our guide to Victorian Modern Cursive at home explains the letter families.
Watching the movement helps more than any description. On KidStudy’s Trace page your child can watch b being written and then d being written, trace over each with a finger or Apple Pencil, then write it on their own. If your child’s school uses a different handwriting style (states and territories don’t all use the same one), follow the start points their teacher shows. The idea of one clear starting point for each letter works in any style.
It may also help to know that Victoria’s Phonics Plus program teaches d in Set 2 and b in Set 4, so many children meet them weeks apart. You can see the order on KidStudy’s Sounds page (Set 2 and Set 4).
Five steps that help at home
- One letter at a time. AUSPELD suggests teaching one letter thoroughly before bringing in the other. Work on d alone for a week or so, until it’s steady, then add b.
- Say the sound, not the name. As your child writes, they say /d/ (a short “d”, not “dee”). Linking the shape to the sound is the heart of the fix.
- Trace it big, then small. Draw the letter in a tray of sand, on a steamy window or in the air, then on paper. AUSPELD notes that this kind of play is fine, but “the emphasis should be on the strokes and learning the correct motor plan”, so always start in the right place.
- Move on to words. Once single letters are steady, write short words with them, such as dad, bid and bed, then a short sentence. AUSPELD suggests real and made-up words for this step.
- Check, don’t correct. At the end, let your child check their own work with the bed trick below. Spotting their own mistake teaches more than being told.
What about numbers written backwards?
Numbers get turned around too, and for the same reasons. AUSPELD’s tip sheet covers letters and numbers together. The same approach works: one number at a time, the right starting point, and saying the movement as your child writes. The Trace page has every number from 0 to 9, for example 3 and 5.
When to ask for help
Most children grow out of reversals with time and a little practice. It’s worth talking to someone if reversals are still frequent towards the end of Year 2 or into Year 3, if your child is also finding it hard to hear sounds in words or sound words out, or if you have a family history of reading difficulties.
- Start with your child’s teacher. They see your child’s writing every day and can tell you whether it’s typical for the class.
- Your GP or child and family health nurse is another good first step. Raising Children also lists speech pathologists and psychologists, and notes that “you don’t need a GP referral to see a speech pathologist or psychologist.”
- In Victorian government schools, the school can refer a child to Student Support Services, whose teams include psychologists, speech pathologists and occupational therapists. The school asks for your consent first.
- Eyesight is a separate question. Reversals don’t mean a child sees letters backwards. If you have other concerns about your child’s eyes, see your GP or an optometrist. At participating Victorian schools, the Glasses for Kids program offers free vision screening for Prep to Grade 3 students.
Outside Victoria, the teacher and your GP are the right first steps too.
Questions parents ask
Is it normal for a 5 or 6-year-old to write letters backwards?
Yes. Reversing letters and numbers is typical in the early years of school. Raising Children notes that children aged 6 to 8 might still confuse letters like b and d, and p and g.
At what age should letter reversals stop?
There’s no exact cut-off. Reversals usually fade by around Year 2 or Year 3, when most children are 7 or 8. If they’re still frequent after that, talk to your child’s teacher.
Is writing letters backwards a sign of dyslexia?
Not on its own. Experts say children with dyslexia don’t see letters backwards. The signs that matter more are trouble hearing the sounds in words and sounding words out.
How can I help my child stop mixing up b and d?
Teach one letter at a time, link each to its sound, and form each from its own starting point: b starts at the top of the stick, and d starts with a curve like c. The bed trick makes a good self-check.
Why does my child write numbers backwards?
For the same reasons as letters: direction is new, and the movement isn’t automatic yet. Practise one number at a time from the right starting point, and keep it short.
Is mirror writing a worry?
Usually not in young children. Mirror writing isn’t necessarily a sign of dyslexia. If it carries on past Year 2 or Year 3, or comes with other reading difficulties, mention it to the teacher.
Sources
- 6–8 years: child development, Raising Children Network
- Strategies to address letter reversals, AUSPELD (hosted by SPELD NSW)
- Are letter and number reversals a sign of dyslexia?, Reading Rockets
- FAQs about reversing letters and dyslexia, Understood
- Dyslexia in children and teenagers, Raising Children Network
- Role of Student Support Services, Victorian Department of Education
- Glasses for Kids, Victorian Government
