Friday, September 21, 2018

Is it Normal for my Child to Write Backwards?

Yes! 
 It's completely normal for children to write "backward" at this age. Reversing letters is common until around age 7. 

Why?  
The brain doesn't completely form the concept of left and right until somewhere between ages five and eight. That means almost all children will have persistent reversals when they first start writing. 

Should I correct their mistakes?  
Don't stop your child from writing this way, and don't make them correct it. If they asks if it's correct, you can point out the errors, but don't make a big deal of it. You don't want to limit your child's creativity by constantly pointing out what's wrong. 

When will they grow out of it? The more children write, the easier it becomes for them. Children should be free to practice and make mistakes. By first grade, teachers will start asking children to correct their reversals, and by the end of second grade almost all children have stopped doing it completely.