6yo writing backwards...any links to being left handed or possible dyslexia?

[zephyrcat]

DD is 6.2 and is doing really well at school. Last week, however, she said that her teacher has told her that she is going to ask another teacher to help her with her writing because she writes lots of her letters backwards and sometimes will write the whole lot backwards. I haven't had a chance to get in to talk to her teacher yet and wanted to get some opinion first as to whether it's something they all do. She is left handed so I wonder if that has any bearing on the fact the sometimes she starts from the right hand side of the page and works backwards. Sometimes it's just the odd letter. DP is dyslexic so I also wonder if th\t's something we should be looking out for?

Looking at dd's year 1 and 2 class' work it is still fairly common, more so I think for left handers who don't naturally start in the right place (dd is left handed)

Is it the odd letter - as an example dd struggles with d and b - or is it whole sentances/paragraphs?

Just looking at a card she made her brother, it says 'To ds I hope you like the card I made you, Love from dd' and it strats from the right hand of the page and all backwards. If you looked in a mirror it would be perfect!

usually the odd letter by this stage but think what you describe is as much left handedness as any issue. Focussed practice should help.

If you direct her to start at the top left corner of the page - does she then produce normal writing? I think this usually works, try it tonight.

Mirror writing is sometimes a result of differently organised language centres in the brain - usually found in left handers, I think anyway.

See tonight if she can write it normally, by starting at the top left corner and going across.

It it apparently quite normal, I had this with DD hen she was in reception.
She is now in year 2 and still writes some things backwards, but she is left-handed and ehr teacher said it will make a difference as it's harder for them to write, when they write normall it feels backwards iyswim.

Have you tried getting her to run the papaer like this? I found it helped DD a lot.

This link suggests it's simply a question of using strategies to encourage writing to start in the correct place:

handedness.org/action/leftwrite.html

It is something which a lot of children do in the early stages of writing - particularly left-handers. The ability to mirror write is inherited apparently and it doesn't have to be related to dyslexia.

I thought it was only my DS3 who did this! You have made me smile - DS (sadly died in 1992 - see profile) couldn't read and wasn't interested. When he wrote it was perfect mirror image - he used to fascinate everybody with it - diagnosed dislexic when he was 7. His teacher used to say 'he will never be top of the class, or brain of britain but he is an amazing little lad'

He was left handed, late speaking properly. BUT what an amazing footballer etc.

Schools are much faster nowadays at diagnosing dislexia - dont worry please just be there for her (as I know you will be). My DH is also dislexic and I am sure I was told that it can be passed on.

Sorry that I have had a personal moment on your thread - it just fascinated me.

Good luck

DD used to write mirror writing and backwards writing when she was tired. She still does it a bit (now 11).
'Lost of love' on birthday cards, etc! I don't think it is anything to worry about.

Another one here. My dd is a left hander and she also used to write mirror image. Teachers were not unduly concerned and it stopped of its own accord. Incidentally both my children are left handed but there is no one else in either of our families who are (that we are aware of).

Thanks everyone

I'm not overly worried but DP keeps on at me because he's worried that they will inherit his dyslexia.

That's really interesting that mirror writing can be inherited - DP and I are both left handed but I can write left handed, backwards, mirrored right handed quite easily. DD has a fantastic artisic streak and has been able to form perfect bubble writing for the last couple of years so maybe she will write like I do!

Don't apologise Shabster I'm going to come have a look at your profile in a bit and see your amazing lad - just got to persuade the little one hanging off my neck that it's time for a nap!!

Zephyr, how is her reading?
Dyslexia will likely affect her ability to read whereas left handedness won't, it's the only thing that has kept me sane with DD's writing, She is great at reading so her teacher said it's very unlikely to be anything more than her lefthandedness.

She's doing pretty well with her reading and is in the top reading group. She sometimes reads words backwards too - ie for 'saw' she might say 'was' but I don't know if that's because she's reading faster than her brain figures out the word if that makes sense?

Yeah it does, children learn to read through recognition so if she sees the letters s,a,w and was is in her memory she will probably say that first.
I'd say ehr reading was a good indicator so try not to wqorry too much.

My dd is 6.5, also left handed (as am I).

She was writing whole streams of words and letters as a mirror of what they should be. I was told not to worry too much and that it could be connected to being L/H or equally just a phase a lot of children go through.

She has improved a lot in the last couple of months. Her teacher tries to remind her by putting a dot from where she should begin writing so she knows to go left to right rather than the other way round.

Once she knows where to begin she's ok, but left to her own devices she wants to automatically start on the right and move left. Sometimes her letters are back to front but I think that's fairly normal for her age.

I just make a little joke with her and we just say whoops that should be over there when she begins on the rght. I don't want to turn it into an issue or she'll get discouraged.

She's doing ok with reading. She's found it harder than her siblings but we're getting there and building her confidence.

As I said I am also L/H but I don't remember doing this at all. Maybe some people are compelled to be L/H than others.

Sorry, 'more L/H than others' Must check!

I'm left handed and can't remember doing this either, but then I can't remember much from when I was that age! Out of interest, my partner is LH as well, does that mean our sprog will be?

I'm left handed too. Used to write backwards until I was about 6 and up until 3(so I'm told) occasionally used to talk backwards!

I remember that Leonardo da Vinci exhibition years ago which showed quite a lot of his mirror writing. He was left handed, but I'm not sure how old he was when he wrote it.

I agree with others that it's almost certainly a passing phase. Mine all went through it, but a year or so earlier.

I used to do this and am left handed (though more ampidextrous (sp?) I can paint, sew with both hands, write with left and not bad with right but only use scissors with right hand?)

I still can without much thought, if I decide to mirror write, it flows, good party trick

Both ex and I are lh's but not one of our four children are, but they can all tie shoelaces left hand way and do some other things lh, I guess it was the way they were shown

I read once that if both parents are l/h then 1 in 3 of their children will be.

Most kids write letters backwards at some time. In the non- dyslexic this usually rights itself by about age 7. I have a wonderful piece of writing (her name) done by dd1 when she was about 4 and it is such perfect mirror writing you can actually read it in the mirror!

Dyslexia can be inherited sometimes skipping a generation.

My sister was left handed and did this for awhile. I remember it drove my parents nuts.