Told to not correct reversed numbers and letters - worried about dyslexia/dyscalclia

[crazydennie]

My 5 year old DD is in reception and is quite bright (Teacher says top of the class for Reading, Sounds and Numeracy). However she rarely, even when copying writes her numbers correctly. The numbers are backwards and transposed (eg 70 is 07 with the 7 backwards so it looks like or). Her letters are sometimes written backwards and when reading, she will sometimes for example read Was as Saw but correct herself as her comprehension is good.

I have mentioned this to the teacher but have been advised not to correct her at all and that because she is performing so well in other areas that I'm expecting too much from her and that is it is perfectly normal at her age.

I know that this may be the case however as I'm dyslexic (only discovered this at 38, psychologist said I'd developed lots of coping strategies) I'm ever vigilant that she may be too and may be developing these strategies too, which will mask the true issue.

Today when writing the date on her calendar she wrote 03 with the 3 backwards. So today before I'd even thought about it i asked "So how many 10's in 30?" (she has some understanding of place value). To which she looked at her number rubbed it out and wrote it the right way round but still with the 3 backwards, which I didn't correct.

About 99% of the time I manage to ignore the errors but I'm really struggling to understand how not telling her, that it is wrong (in a nice way) is helping her to learn what is right. Can someone please explain?

Perhaps what the teacher was trying to do was to reassure you that it's not a problem. I expect that she wasn't giving you strict instructions to allow your daughter to continue to make mistakes. It's only natural to correct your children if you see them making mistakes. I'm very cautious about correcting my daughter because she's really young and I don't want to put her off or make her think that things are difficult. She often writes letters the wrong way around or sometimes upside down. Quite a while ago when she did this I told her that the letters got upset when they were put upside down, (I said they were crying.) Now she tries to get them the right way round or the right way up, not because she's trying to get it right, but because she wants the letters to be happy. And she's really pleased when I tell her that they are, (which is inevitably all the time.)

i understand that you are worried as you have dyslexia, but nothing you have mentioned above stands out as a worry YET as she's only 5. I think it's normal to reverse letters/numbers until about 6/7.

I was correcting my DS and it was really counter-productive. He is nearly 8 now and was getting really over-emotional about writing (probably because he's a perfectionist and was upset he's got stuff wrong). Over the summer I decided not to correct any spellings any more and concentrate on him just getting stuff down on paper, and the improvement in his expression has been huge .

At 5 it's more important not to put them off writing. The spellings and correct formation will come later.

This is a very common learning hurdle for children. This website (although it focuses mostly b and d) explains it really well. I honestly wouldn't worry about it too much. It is not a definite sign of dyslexia.

Sorry forgot to add the website
kipmcgrathlisburn.wordpress.com/2011/11/12/how-to-help-with-bd-letter-reversals-dyslexia-support/

It sounds like very odd advice to me. Kinaesthetic memory has a large part to play in automatic formation of letters and numbers (the physical 'feel' of the act of forming them). Every time they are incorrectly formed the neural pathways for that incorrect 'feel' are strengthened and, in theory, make it more difficult to correct. It is clearly quite possible that a child may be able to correct themselves over time but on the other hand, I encounter 11y olds who still form letters and numbers in reverse.

I would say that some gentle correction and practice of correct formation (in a play situation if possible) wouldn't come amiss.

I wouldn't worry about dyslexia or dsycalculia at all. Letter and number reversals are not a sign of either.

Thanks for the replies

I have had this discussion with the teacher several times and she is quite adamant that I don't correct her, as she is only in reception. She says it is occurring because her brain is working so hard she is forgetting to do it properly. This is roughly what she is said as I can't remember the exact words but it made sense when she explained it.

learnandsay I love the idea of them crying and think I'll try that :)

maizieD That is exactly my concern as it seems to me, that by not correcting it at all, it is being reinforced in her mind, as being correct.

She does have perfectionist qualities however I have spent a lot of time emphasising that nobody gets everything right and pointing out when me or her dad make a mistake particularly in reading and writing (being dyslexic there are plenty of opportunities ) and she seems to accept that she may get it wrong more now.

I think I will try and find an app that covers writing numbers correctly. We have one for sounds where she writes her letters with her finger and shows correct formation.

Dd1 ALWAYS wrote numbers backwards, and lots of letters. Now though in yr2 they are finally getting better. We don't tend to correct every thing, and it depends what she is writing, but I will say to her 'does that look right?', often she will spot the reversal and correct it herself, then she is pleased that she spotted it herself rather than fed up with me for criticising her. The letters seemed to come before the numbers, maybe because the change of meaning when reversing s/z and d/b is more noticeable. Taking a gentle occassional correction approach seems to have helped our dd.

My dgs is apparently doing really well in Reception [teacher says 8s and 9s at endo year] but he sometimes reverses letters esp writing d as b.This is mainly at home ah teacher has asked dd not to correct it-she says it is very common and will correct itself.She [dd] was worried because her dh had dyslexia too.

Having a dyslexic / dyscalculic daughter who at 9.5 will still reverse b, d, 7, 9 and 3 (and has no understanding of place value) I don't think it will hurt her to gently correct - although with my dd it has so far made no difference. They look the same to her.
When she was younger we did lots of writing letters and figures with her fingers in sand or shaving foam. More fun than just writing them with a pencil!