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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be concerned about my DC's writing?

30 replies

nanbread · 14/02/2022 09:59

My DC aged 6 will write whole sentences in mirror writing. He forms most of his letters incorrectly and even when writing forwards he will mirror many letters. He doesn't seem to understand the concept of writing left to right, or top to bottom and struggles with space on the page.

What's within the realms of normal at this age, and what's going on?

OP posts:
endlesslydoingdishes · 14/02/2022 10:03

It sounds like dyslexia. I'm surprised the school hasnt flagged it already for assessment. I recommend getting in touch with your GP for referral for assessment.

My son has dyspraxia and his handwriting is terrible because of it, but its merely the mess of it rather than jumbling of letters.

Short term; yellow writing paper is often used by dyslexic people as it somehow helps (sorry, I dont know the science for it). The school should be able to supply yellow paper notebooks if requested.

Apandemicyousay · 14/02/2022 10:05

I’m not a teacher but think this is completely normal. My child did it for a few weeks/months (apologies can’t remember exactly) but it stopped. I remember her teacher reassuring us it was ok

Triffid1 · 14/02/2022 10:11

I don't think this is particularly unusual at this age. Dyslexia referrals won't happen until the child is at least 7. My DD who is way ahead on most things compared to her peers etc still struggles a bit with writing and even now occasionally mirrors a D or B. I certainly wouldn't be particularly concerned right now unless the school are saying it's a huge problem.

Gowithme · 14/02/2022 10:19

I wouldn't worry just yet, see how he progresses through the rest of this year. If it's still happening next year then I'd speak to his teachers and consider getting him assessed for dyslexia if you can afford it and can get to somewhere that does it (can't be diagnosed on the NHS unfortunately). Schools are not always that great at dealing with dyslexia IME.

nanbread · 14/02/2022 11:28

@endlesslydoingdishes

It sounds like dyslexia. I'm surprised the school hasnt flagged it already for assessment. I recommend getting in touch with your GP for referral for assessment.

My son has dyspraxia and his handwriting is terrible because of it, but its merely the mess of it rather than jumbling of letters.

Short term; yellow writing paper is often used by dyslexic people as it somehow helps (sorry, I dont know the science for it). The school should be able to supply yellow paper notebooks if requested.

They don't test for dyslexia here until 8yo unfortunately.
OP posts:
Myumbrellaisred · 14/02/2022 11:40

First talk to his teacher, they won't mind you asking. The British Dyslexia Association Assessors will assess children age 7 and over. Any other assessment e.g. school assessment is not a proper assessment, it is merely an indicator (and sometimes it is a poor one)

nanbread · 14/02/2022 13:32

Thanks, he's not 7 for several months, is there anything I can do in meantime?

OP posts:
DirtyDancing · 14/02/2022 13:37

Sounds normal to me. I am sure I recall talking to the Head of Phonics and English about this when my son was that age (now 8) and she was completely content that it was a phase/ normal.

HappyDays40 · 14/02/2022 13:53

My son is the same OP, the spelling age appropriate but he is left handed and will write the sentence as several words dotted about the page. He has large and small letters then writes I the bottom corner of the page like he has no more room even there is loads of room. He is also left handed. Kids are funny things could you get a private assessment as 8 is an awful long time for a child to not be able to access support that they need.

damelarue · 14/02/2022 14:24

@nanbread

Where are you? If he’s 7 soon is he in p2 or whatever your equivalent is? I’m in Scotland so he’d likely be in p2.

Keep an eye on it and push for an assessment if it doesn’t stop

annlee3817 · 14/02/2022 14:31

My DD also 6 does this, not with all sentences, although she used to, but still does it a lot, I asked her teacher in parents evening this week if it was something we should be concerned about and she said absolutely not and that it's quite common at this age, she had no concerns

nanbread · 14/02/2022 18:31

[quote damelarue]@nanbread

Where are you? If he’s 7 soon is he in p2 or whatever your equivalent is? I’m in Scotland so he’d likely be in p2.

Keep an eye on it and push for an assessment if it doesn’t stop[/quote]
I'm not sure if equivalent but he's in y1 in England.

OP posts:
nanbread · 14/02/2022 18:31

@annlee3817

My DD also 6 does this, not with all sentences, although she used to, but still does it a lot, I asked her teacher in parents evening this week if it was something we should be concerned about and she said absolutely not and that it's quite common at this age, she had no concerns
Ok thanks that's reassuring.
OP posts:
nanbread · 14/02/2022 18:32

He still forms his letters completely incorrectly however and this has caused some real issues with my other DC who struggles to write.

OP posts:
PurpleFlower1983 · 14/02/2022 18:34

I’m a year 1 teacher and I’ve seen this a few times. I would focus on him forming the letters correctly for now, even if he does end up mirroring them. You could ask the school what handwriting scheme they use or ask them to send something home.

PurpleFlower1983 · 14/02/2022 18:35

What are his fine motor skills like?

Sarahcoggles · 14/02/2022 18:36

@endlesslydoingdishes

It sounds like dyslexia. I'm surprised the school hasnt flagged it already for assessment. I recommend getting in touch with your GP for referral for assessment.

My son has dyspraxia and his handwriting is terrible because of it, but its merely the mess of it rather than jumbling of letters.

Short term; yellow writing paper is often used by dyslexic people as it somehow helps (sorry, I dont know the science for it). The school should be able to supply yellow paper notebooks if requested.

Please don’t call your GP. This is not a medical problem at this stage. It’s educational, if it’s even a problem at all.
noscoobydoodle · 14/02/2022 18:51

My DD went through a phase of this in year 1- her spelling and reading was great but her writing was all over the place-, big, small, letters mirrored- all-sorts. Her teacher sent home some worksheets for us to practice with her- i remember something about leading lines - also some paper with wide lines. She is in yr2 now and has lovely neat cursive writing and only the occasional mirror on a d/b.

MangyInseam · 14/02/2022 19:12

This isn't uncommon, six is very young and some children don't have great fine motor skills. I wouldn't really worry about dyslexia unless there are reading issues in evidence. Children are also showing later fine motor development now as many don't spend as much time in on those types of activities.

Learning cursive rather than print can help with reversals though most teachers won't try that.

Thethuthinang · 14/02/2022 21:14

My lefty son was a true mirror writer. Between age 3 and 6, he consistently wrote right to left and backwards, producing a neat mirror image. He could read a mirror image more easily than plaintext. I ended up learning a lot about it from various therapists and research.
This is much more common for lefties in nations where the language runs left to right; in countries where the language goes right to left, it is more common for righties to do it. If a six year old child writes mirror on one side of the page and goes the normal direction on the other side of the page, it is typical for a left-handed child with a bicameral language center. So long as it is consistent, this is not dyslexia; that is, the child is not directionally confused. But it can lead to dyslexia if the child is forced to turn and go in the standard direction before her brain matures. The child will lose confidence in her natural sense of direction and become permanently directionally confused. About 25 percent of kids diagnosed with dyslexia actually do fine if given text or allowed to write text that runs in their atypical direction of choice--upside down, backwards, or sideways. Typically mirror writers will notice when they are older (age 10 to 13) that they are reading/writing differently than those around them and self-correct.

Ignoremeiaminvisible · 14/02/2022 21:30

I would not worry at this stage, I have always been able to mirror write fluently since a very young age, and can still do it as naturally as writing normally.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 14/02/2022 21:46

I did it for a while when I was six because I decided it would be more interesting to do it that way. It gave my teachers a bit of a worry until they asked me if there was any reason for it.

However, I was/am ambidextrous with an older half sister who was lefthanded and had experienced a lot of difficulties in school, so I think I was very strongly encouraged to use my right hand for everything. Still can't reliably/cleanly eat with a knife and fork the correct way round, though, and I would switch hands or stance during games of tennis, pool or kickboxing - I can play guitar and other stringed instruments left handed as well, just by flipping the image in my head of what the chord shapes should be. I can read mirror and upside down writing easily, too - but I do prefer to read text on a pale coloured background (I prefer green or palest primrose yellow) than on pure white.

The difference was that I could/can switch easily. I think if there is a potential difficulty, your DS would struggle to do this and wouldn't be able to hold a pencil and write with his left hand.

Strangely, DP is very similar. He's lefthanded to write, has beautiful handwriting, but for many things, he uses his right instead, as that's how he's learned many skills.

Never stopped him getting a degree without any diagnosis or intervention - the only real difficulty with him is that he has about five different directions he goes in - up, down, forward, back and to the right - in response to 'your keys are on the floor to your left hand side'.

Goooglebox · 14/02/2022 21:49

Early intervention is really important. Do you have the funds for an assessment and one to one support? I would really not leave it to the school's timetable and intervention strategies if you have any choice. It also works out cheaper in the long run.

MrsWinters · 14/02/2022 21:59

White on black is the hardest for dyslexics to process, try coloured paper or pens to see what contrast he prefers. If he is dyslexic it will help, if he’s not it won’t do any harm. I found writing words out so the letters are about 8 inches high and then repeatedly tracing over the words with my finger helped learn the shape of the word.

MangyInseam · 14/02/2022 22:05

I really wouldn't get too excited at this stage. It's really normal for six. Writing is a lot of work for young kids and they don't need to be doing too much of it. They usually mature out of it after a bit, but even some 8 year olds will reverse certain letters.

We ask children to write a lot at a fairly young age, so we have to expect this kind of thing.