To thinkk that if my pre-schooler does her letters and numbers backwards it's a sign of dyslexia?

[mrsbertiewooster]

I work in education myself so I know there is a process before you can diagnose a child with dyslexia.

However, my DD (4.5) often copies out some numbers and letters backwards. Or else writes them backwards off the top of her head when she recalls them. In particular, the number 5, 2 and the letters F and S.

Am not really worried, as I think it's a bonus anyway to recognise and make letters before school anyway, but just wanted to know if the above is common?

Thanks!

oops, you got an extra K on 'think' on my OP heading.

No, absolutely not a sign of dyslexia. It is 100% normal to write numbers and letters backwards at this age.

Totally normal.

Pretty much all the three and four year olds who's name's begin with S at my DD's pre school write the S backwards.

What Bonsoir said, to early to worry on that front.

I used to do this and I remember doing it to try out different ways. I knew the 'right' way. I'm not dyslexic. My mum still has a sweet drawing of our house with the house number the wrong way round.

Nope, totally normal.

My DS3 did this when he was little...particularly the letter's J, K and S.

He did it with some numbers too.

He's well ahead of his years in reading, writing and maths though (age 9 now)

Yep, totally normal. Many are still doing 3s etc backwards when in yr1. I remember my two both did it and helping in school showed many other kids doing it in foundation, yr1 and some still in yr2.

So yes YABU in thinking it is a sign is dyslexia, it is in fact just a normal developmental stage.

transposing letters /numbers seems to be within the realm of normality....
plus having a DS who is v v dyslexic, it's so much more than getting numbers/letters back to front.

Just to add to the mix, my DD didn't do this, and is dyslexic.

DS4, being left-handed, found writing everything backwards easier (though he fortunately learned forwards soon after). Leonardo da Vinci anyone?

I often wondered if my DS3 did it because he's left handed?

Probably not, but interestingly enough he's the only one who did it and he's the only left hander.

Oh snap Annie

Perhaps there is something in it

I was really paranoid about this as I am a dyslexic with a massive family history of dyslexia and if tired I still get numbers backwards. DD did this right up to year 2 and then suddenly stopped.

my left hander did this for ages!

I should rein the diagnosing in a bit if I were you!

Some children who reverse letters/numbers will later be found to have dyslexia, but this does not mean that it's a sign of dyslexia.

It's entirely normal at this age, especially s, k, b, d, 2 and 5

Normal, normal, normal.

In fact, I very clearly remember being about 5 and mixing up 5s and 2s on a digital watch and being very embarrassed about it and I am not dyslexic

I also have a left hander who transposes some letters and numbers. I'm sure its easier for their brains to do this. DS also wants to start from the right hand side as well

My two right-handed, dyslexic girls both did this. One of them would even write her ten letter name in perfect mirror image.

non dyslexic girls! oops.

Another one saying completely normal at this young stage. If it's still being done at 7 then it might be an indicator.

DS still does this age 7, and he's the best reader in the class (admittedly not a high achieving class).

Glad to see everyone is saying it is totally normal at this age. Even up to 9 it is not necessarily an indicator of dyslexia.

dd1 does this, she is 8.5 always has done it and they are now saying she is prrobably dysliexic, at an earlier age I was told it is totally normal, dd2 does it as well but at only 6 not worried.

dilys
Snap! My DS 7 yo still does this and is an excellent reader. However, he has got dyspraxia so u don't know if that I'd associated.

Bloody iPhone!
...so I don't know if it is associated.