Can your reception child write all their letters and numbers round the right way?

[Danann]

DD is 5 and sometimes gets some letters and numbers back to front (5, 6, 7, j, and z) the rest of her writing is very neat and she enjoys writing things. I'm just trying to work out if this is normal or if I should be worried about it?

DS is in year 5, I know he could write well by the end of reception but I can't remember how far through the year he actually got the hang of it.

I'm dyslexic and still occasionally struggle with mirror writing which may well be making me worry far more than I need to, so I would rather come on here and be told I'm being silly than talk to her teacher.

ds struggled with handwriting well into year one although he did know how to form all his letters and numbers in the summer term. He got level 5s in everything in year 6.

Dd is four years old (five in April) and in reception. She can write most of her letters but gets "b"s and "d"s mixed up and sometimes draws her 5s and 9s back to front.

If it's occasional and her writing otherwise seems quite good, I would think that's probably perfectly normal and nothing to worry about. I had similar paranoia with DS (now in Yr 1), but his YR teacher said not to worry. He still occasionally does some back to front, but is now starting to notice and correct them himself.

My daughter is 5 (YR) and struggled with j, z and sometimes S too. She can recognise them when they are written down.

I spoke to her teacher and she said that is normal and they are doing sheets of A's B's C's ect to get them used to writing them.

I would speak to her teacher and you probably find that they are doing the same.

I think it's regarded as normal up to year 2 even. Certainly totally normal in reception.

bs and ds mixed up are very common.

My 6 year old does this. She gets numbers and letters the wrong way round. I remember doing this myself though. One of her teachers said they tend to get it around age 7, although not everyone does obviously. I'm not too worried at the moment.

I wouldn't worry this is normal for reception.

My DS is only four and in reception and struggles with writing 's,b,d,h' his writing is not neat but it is on the line and i think he's doing brilliantly for his age, I try not to compare with other children in the class as at this age their reading and writing skills can vary greatly as a four year old and five year old is a big development gap.

she will know how to write all her letters and numbers correctly by the end or reception. I really wouldn't worry

Thanks everyone. I seem to have forgotten so much from when DS was in reception!

Yes my DS who is 5 does this. j, s, 2, and a few others too.

His writing his not great anyway though (but I don't really know what is typical, he is DC1). He wasn't even keen on holding a pencil till he started reception and wasn't keen on writing at all, but now he is more into it and improving.

Do you practise writing at home everyday? I struggle to find the time with a smaller DC too and DS not being that keen on writing anyway. He does like writing with a purpose, so sometimes we write a shopping list at the weekend or he pretends to be a waiter and jots down stuff on a little notepad. I encourage him to write birthday/thank you cards etc, otherwise, day to day he is not that into it. He'd rather play with cars!

My age 7, year 2 DS is still doing this with numbers 2, 4, 5, and 6!! We are practicing for a couple of minx every day now! He isn't the only one in the class either so please don't worry in reception. It is also the brighter children in the class that struggle with it so think its just a case of practice

My year 1 DD is a good writer and still occasionally does this so I really wouldn't worry.

At this age it's very normal for kids to do this. Dd2 did it in reception - it corrected itself in time.

I think that development of language and mathematical understanding is more important than whether they draw their numbers/ letter correctly.

Some children like writing. Dd (weird child) loves practicing her letters in church. Ds would never had done that at four years old.

DS3 writes a lot more neatly than his brothers ever did in reception, he still sometimes gets b and d the wrong way around, but he has a rhyme (possibly from read write inc?) to help him form each letter correctly which when he remembers to say the rhyme he gets the letter right.
e.g. d is something like around the dinosaurs tummy, up its long neck and down to its toes.

I think this is very normal. DD did this well into Y1 and she was considered a particularly good writer. Her teacher pointed out that, given that she was doing well generally, it was pretty unlikely that she'd leave primary school still unable to get them the right way round and that DD had enthusiasm for writing which is something that's harder to teach. Sounds like your DD may be similar?

DS2 is in Y1 and still does it, he also will read was as saw and things like that. DH is dyslexic so we worry but the teachers are not concerned, he is in the top group for English but that is not to say he isn't dyslexic. Apparently several children are still doing this in his class but either way there is not much they can do at this age with regards to testing anyway.

DS1 never mixed up his letters at all so we worried loads when DS2 did.

choceyes, DD is my youngest so she often gets time to practice with me or DS, she enjoys writing too which helps but its not every single day as after school and reading she doesn't always feel like it.

LittleMissGreen, that's a lot nicer than the rhyme DS taught DD, its 'b has a fat tummy and d has a fat bum.'

Thanks again everyone, I shall wait til parents evening and see if the teacher brings it up now I know it's not a massive issue, I swear the teacher already has me down as a bit paranoid!

DD used to get 5's round the wrong way up until Yr3. A maths specialist friend suggested a few tricks to help her remember i.e. think of it like a 'digital letter S' and after a while she was fine.
One of her friends wrote every word backwards throughout Reception and he had it sorted by Yr1 so I don't think there is much to worry about though I can see why you are - there is a lot of dyslexia in my immediate family so I really fretted too.
Just keep some of her writing to show her when she is bigger :)