is this normal?

[skylarkinerin]

My DD 5 has been writing her name for about 2 years. All her letters are correctly formed as are her numbers. She started in primary 1 last month aand is now writing every letter backwards. She is left handed if this makes any difference. She said that the teacher was telling her to form her letters in a different way than I taught her.

This is making me feel worried that I have done something wrong. Please help if you have had a similar experience.

does the school teach cursive writing? I wonder if the having to learn a new way to form the letters has just confused her completely. It doesn't mean you have taught her wrongly, it just means they are using a different style of writing. some schools do cursive and some do whatever the other is called.

I would pop in and ask the teacher before or after school what style of handwriting they teach, could you have a sheet with it on (we were given one last week showing how they like them to form the letters but told that they don't actually push it in reception, our other daughter in yr1 is now doing more handwriting)

writing backwards when left handed isn't unusual from what I gather though so I suspect she has just ended up confused.

They teach cursive writing in primary 2 and 3. I have made an appointment to see the teacher this week, but it only seems to be at home that this is happening. My DD has written homework everyday and the teacher highlights in her homework jotter where the letter are to start from. I guess I may just be expecting too much from DD who is an absolute delight.

Not sure how you have taught your daughter to form letters but regardless of whether left or right handed letters are formed in exactly the same way except the letters that have a cross stroke (t & f) the cross stroke for left handers is made right to left rather than left to right.

My DD alwways does a cross stroke from right to left. I taught her to generally start from the top of all letters and numbers.

the only exception is the letter e which starts in the middle

That's true, she seems to struggle with the letter e more than others. Some times she starts from the bottom or its upside down or backwards. Also the number 5, I taught her to start from the top but her teacher has told her to start from the middle and she is now doing it backwards.

e is quite difficult for a leftie ... the start means they are pushing their pen or pencil across the page rather than pulling so it can be jerky or even make a home in the paper.

Curly caterpillar family
Anticlockwise movements
c round

o round, round and join

a round, up, down and flick

d round, up, up, down, down and flick

g round, up, down, down and round

q round, up, down, down and tick

s round and round the other way

f round, down, down and round – across

e across and round
one armed robot family
down, up and over movements

r down, up and over a bit

n down, up, over, down and flick

m down, up, over and down, up, over, down and flick

h down, down, up a bit, over, down and flick

b down, down, up a bit, over and round

p down, down, up, up, over and round

k down, down, up a bit, over, round, out and flick

long ladder family
mainly down and round movements

l down, down and flick

i down and flick – dot

t down and flick – across

j down, down and round – dot

u down, round, up, down and flick

y down, round, up, down, down and round

zig zag monster
diagonal movements

v down, up

w down, up, down, up

x down, stop – down, stop

z across, down, across

Sorry, no helpful suggestions OP, but I hope you update us on your meeting with the teacher.

My DD has just started doing the same after starting reception a week ago. She is right handed and has been able to write all the letters in the alphabet independently (albeit some very wobbly!) for over 12 months. So I find this sudden urge to write back-to-front very strange.

I have put a note in DD's diary pointing it out to her teacher. I hope I'll get a reply soon. Will post if I do.

O/T - Mrz I'm so glad you've said that. I've been trying to get my left handed preschooler to write his 3 letter nickname. He has a game attempt at the first and third letters but cannot grasp the "e" in the middle. It's really helped me to understand what he needs to do to try and form it (and not to push it if he can't manage just yet).

Seems they are having to relearn. Will slow a child down and maybe they are just not ready yet. Left handed makes no difference. They just need practice, as they will when they start joining up. Doing it at 3 makes little difference in the long run.

Update from DD's TA, who very kindly replied in her diary today.

She said it's common for kids to do this, and she should revert back soon. (I guess when the new way of forming the letters settles in her own mind?) Fascinating stuff.

Not sure if being a lefty makes a difference. DD, like I said, is right-handed.