Help with b, d and p

[Serendipitystardust1]

Hi, just wondering if anyone had any tips to help my 4 year old tell the difference between b, d and p. She knows all her other letters and quite a few compound (is that the right word?) sounds but seems to really struggle with these. Any tips would be much appreciated.

Get her to make an 'L' shape with both hands (palm sticking up, thumb horizontal). Put them together it makes a 'bed' - bd, flip the palms down the way makes pq - that's the Princess and Queen hiding under the bed. Draw a picture with her, making up a little story and help her practice using her hands to help her remember. Hope that makes sense?

At this age it's not uncommon for children to confuse some letters. She's very young so it's really just a matter of time.

Yes, very common, nothing to worry about for another few years yet.

There's an app that helps with this, designed for dyslexic kids I think, but I agree it's probably just a matter of time and repetition.

Should probably reassure OP that b, d, p confusion isn't a sign of dyslexia at any age

Totally normal, DS was the same. We used Bed as per keep's instructions above. Also put a tail on d for dog. There are plenty of apps for practice too: Magic Letters and Pirate Phonics (both by Unit 11) are excellent.

Thanks ladies. I know it's early days and I'm really not overly worried but she finds it frustrating so thought I'd try and help. Going to try the bed idea today when we do her reading