Writing letters and numbers from left to right is considered the norm, but sometimes children display graphic signs in the opposite or upside-down direction. Usually this phenomenon is observed in preschool age. The child mirrors letters and numbers because it is convenient for him; the reason for such writing is the perception of visual and spatial images. In most cases, this phenomenon is temporary and does not need correction. If mirror writing becomes a persistent habit, and special exercises do not produce results, psychologists, speech therapists and neurologists can help cope with the problem.
Mirror handwriting in children, reasons and prerequisites
Writing numbers and letters incorrectly before school is acceptable and is an indicator of the norm. A mirror image that persists at the age of 7–8 years is already a deviation that requires correction. The older the children, the more difficult it is to retrain them to write in a mirror manner. To avoid difficulties at school, the violation must be eliminated and this must be done before the child sits at the desk.
Attentive parents notice a tendency towards mirrored handwriting even before school. The violation is detected when drawing, when children begin to draw circles, ticks, lines, zigzags, etc. on a sheet of paper. You can test it on sticks. They are usually written from top to bottom. If you see your son or daughter doing it backwards, there is likely a tendency toward mirror handwriting. Pay attention to how the child navigates space and what difficulties he encounters in an unfamiliar environment. Errors in determining the right and left hands, confusion in prepositions, inability to compare the shape and size of objects - all these are prerequisites for mirror handwriting.
Before starting correctional classes, it is important to identify the cause of written distortions. The mirror spelling of letters and numbers by children has nothing to do with heredity. This is an acquired skill, the formation of which is influenced by various factors and circumstances. Let's highlight the main ones:
- Specific errors and distortions inherent in mirror writing are observed in those born with a dominant left hand and in retrained left-handers. Such children often surprise their parents. They can write from top to bottom, mirror numbers and letters, do not divide words and write in one line.
- The underdevelopment of spatio-temporal concepts is another reason for mirror distortions when writing. Literacy and mathematical success in the future depend on these ideas. If a preschooler has impaired perception, it is difficult for him to navigate in time and space, compare objects, and indicate their location in words. As a result, the differences between similar alphabetic and digital characters are poorly understood and a mirror image appears.
The ability to write from right to left is considered one of the manifestations of optical discography. Simply put, the image created in the head is not associated with the word. It is difficult for a child to reproduce this word, hence the huge number of distortions and spelling errors.
Mirror handwriting may be caused by early learning of writing skills. Numbers and letters begin to attract children at 3–4 years old. At first, they simply study them and remember the names. Over time, they try to find familiar signs in the texts and try to reproduce them on their own. Such enthusiasm and desire to learn new things pleases most parents, but not everyone knows that at an early age children perceive letters and numbers as a picture, and not as a symbol, and they do not care which way the signs are turned. Don’t rush to teach literacy and load your kids with activities. The parts of the brain responsible for mastering writing mature by 7–8 years. Before this age, “immaturity” can cause mirrored handwriting.
Writing in a mirror image may be associated with neurological abnormalities: delayed speech development, musculoskeletal disorders, epileptic syndrome, etc. Correction in such cases is useless. Before learning to write correctly, the child must be cured. Only a doctor can identify the causes, clarify the situation and make the necessary prescriptions.
Writes backwards and forwards, when is it time to see a specialist?
Children with obvious or hidden left-handedness require special attention when learning to write, since left-handed people perceive space somewhat differently than right-handed people and have some features in visual-motor coordination.
Children with hidden left-handedness can be identified as a separate group. These children have learned to perform various labor operations with their right hand, but their left hand is still dominant, and this most often manifests itself in a situation of stress. Hidden left-handedness can be revealed by asking the child to perform a previously unfamiliar action with a new object (for example, digging up soil in a flower pot with a hoe). Children with latent left-handedness usually take an unfamiliar object not with their right hand, but with their left, although they eat and draw as they were taught - with their right hand. Hidden left-handers very often write not only letters, but even entire words and sentences in a mirror image.
Correction of “mirror” writing in left-handed people should be handled by a specialist, since in addition to this shortcoming, when mastering the skill of writing, left-handed children and, especially hidden left-handers, encounter a number of other difficulties. The difficulties themselves and the degree of their manifestation can be very individual, so correction requires an individual approach. If your child writes letters in a mirror image and is clearly or hidden left-handed, then you need to consult a speech therapist.
But children whose dysgraphia is associated with features of the development of the nervous system and brain will need not only the help of a speech therapist and speech pathologist, but also a consultation with a neurologist. After a series of examinations that will help assess the child’s condition, doctors will not only select an individual correction program, but also offer special procedures or drug treatment.
How to wean a child from writing letters and numbers in reverse, general recommendations and exercises for correction
Don’t panic and don’t limit your desire to write something if you see that the letters or numbers are clumsy. Preschoolers are just learning writing style and mastering the ability to move their hand in the right direction. Young children find it difficult to perform several tasks at once, so they may simply not notice their mistakes.
In order for your child to feel confident in the world of numbers and letters and to do everything correctly, add corrective exercises to the daily routine and make them as interesting as possible.
You need to start by developing the right orientation within yourself. The child must clearly understand where the right and left hand are, accurately find the right eye, left leg, etc.
At the next stage, spatial concepts are acquired. Children learn to determine the location of objects relative to their body (door on the right, window on the left, etc.). Gradually, the task is complicated by determining the location of objects in relation to each other (pen to the right of the notebook, TV to the left of the sofa). In order for new knowledge to be consolidated and retained in memory, it is advisable to practice every day.
Introducing letters and numbers should be unobtrusive and fun. Hang bright, eye-catching pictures and posters with alphabetic and numerical signs in the room. Let the baby remember what they look like. Over time, this will make you want to display them yourself.
Practice through play and age. You can draw numbers and letters using stencils. Build them from cubes, sculpt them from plasticine and puff pastry, construct them from pasta, counting sticks, twigs and other available materials. The child should not be bored - this is the main rule that applies to any training and correction classes for correcting mirror spelling.
Left-handed children are the first at risk among those who have a tendency to mirror letters and numbers. If by age 6 the left hand becomes dominant, carefully monitor behavior and spatial orientation. To prevent mirror-like writing from becoming established, the child must master the basics of the arrangement of surrounding objects before school.
Why does a child write numbers and letters in mirror image?
In general, dysgraphia is more common in children with dyslexia. This is a disorder that affects a child's ability to learn to read. We explain how dyslexia can be identified in the article: Why can’t a child learn to read? Symptoms, causes and correction of dyslexia in children. It’s better to read it right away to clarify many questions for yourself, then return to this material.
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Most often, left-handed people “mirror”. Mirror writing in a left-handed person is, in fact, a reflection of the actions of the right hand. At the same time, the child himself easily reads his written “abracadabra” and wonders why others do not understand it.
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The next reason for mirror writing is poorly developed phonemic hearing, which is responsible for the child’s success in learning to read and write. We also have a whole article devoted to this topic: How to help your child easily master reading and writing. Games and exercises for the development of phonemic hearing. Read and put the tips into practice.
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How to understand that the problem is phonemic hearing? Do a simple exercise with your child. Move a meter away from him and check how he distinguishes sounds by ear. Use syllables with paired consonants: zha-sha, ba-pa, ga-ka. If the child answers correctly, then look for another reason.
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Experts also note such reasons as insufficient development of letter gnosis and visual analysis and synthesis. Simply put, the child perceives and reproduces letters and their elements distortedly. In this case, you need to work on training your visual-spatial representation.
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But the main thing is, whatever the reason for your child’s mirror writing, you need to start working on it faster and do it every day until there is improvement.
Writing exercises
The effectiveness of classes to correct mirror handwriting depends on the sequence. It is not necessary to train the technique of performing all elements at once. It is difficult for a child to perceive and remember a large amount of information. It will be more effective to work on errors by correcting 1-2 letters and numbers per day.
Don't complicate the lessons by introducing syllables and whole sentences. You need to start with alphabetic characters. There are 33 of them in the Russian alphabet and not all of them cause difficulties. To make the task easier, parents should know which letters are most likely to be misspelled. Let's highlight 3 groups:
- The letters A, D, F, M, N, O, P, T, F, X, W are symmetrical and cannot be written in mirror images. This letter series, as well as the numbers 0 and 8, can be immediately excluded.
- Letters turned to the left (3, L, U, Ch, E, Z) are called hooligans by speech therapists. They are the ones who are most often written in the wrong direction. Auditory and visual memory can help here. Children just need to remember and memorize them until they become automatic.
- When working with the letters B, V, G, E, I, K, R, S, Ts, Ш, ы, ь, ъ, explain in detail the correct spelling. Let the child tell what elements the letter consists of and where it is directed (right or left). Copywriting lessons are very effective when it is possible to trace the finished contours of individual elements of letter characters. During classes, carefully monitor the process, point out incorrect actions and correct errors immediately.
Similar work is done with numbers. Specularity in mathematics manifests itself clearly; almost all numbers can be written in a distorted form. It is very good to practice correct spelling using checkered notebooks. The child must learn to separate the required number of cells up, down, right and left. You can start writing numbers fully after mastering individual elements (sticks, circles, oblique lines, etc.).
Once you are sure that your child is writing correctly, continue to monitor his written work. The habit of writing in a mirror image may return. For prevention, check the direction of the letter and correct errors in a timely manner.
conclusions
Normally, mirror writing of numbers and letters should be taught in elementary school. If this does not happen, the violation becomes persistent. A fixed skill distorts thinking, which negatively affects the mental abilities and academic performance of schoolchildren. Doctors and parents themselves can help children. Having noticed deviations, begin corrective exercises. If you can't cope, contact a specialist. The main thing is not to leave mistakes in writing letters and numbers unattended and hope that everything will improve with age.
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