Should I Be Concerned?
melissa_hice
My DD (9) is basically a non reader. She can read a few words and some
very short, repetitive books, but not much more. She does not do well
phonically and tends to just memorize whole words. She does not like
to try to write words unless she knows exactly how they are written.
Today, she and her little brother were making an Aquarium for me to go
visit with all their plastic fish and such. She was making signs and
asked me how to spell "Snacks" which I spelled aloud for her. She hung
her sign up and I noticed that the word was written backwards. The
letters were all facing the right way, but the entire word was written
from right to left. She tends to make some of her letters backwards,
like the G in her name, but because she doesn't write unknown words
very often, it kind of threw me for a loop when she did this.
Should I be concerned?
Melissa
very short, repetitive books, but not much more. She does not do well
phonically and tends to just memorize whole words. She does not like
to try to write words unless she knows exactly how they are written.
Today, she and her little brother were making an Aquarium for me to go
visit with all their plastic fish and such. She was making signs and
asked me how to spell "Snacks" which I spelled aloud for her. She hung
her sign up and I noticed that the word was written backwards. The
letters were all facing the right way, but the entire word was written
from right to left. She tends to make some of her letters backwards,
like the G in her name, but because she doesn't write unknown words
very often, it kind of threw me for a loop when she did this.
Should I be concerned?
Melissa
hbmccarty
My daughter wrote her entire name(which she knew and had written many
many many times before the right way around) mirror image on a birthday
card to her grandma once- around that same age- haven't seen her do it
since! She did it completely inadvertently- she was surprised when I
pointed it out-
Heather
melissa_hice wrote:
many many times before the right way around) mirror image on a birthday
card to her grandma once- around that same age- haven't seen her do it
since! She did it completely inadvertently- she was surprised when I
pointed it out-
Heather
melissa_hice wrote:
>
> She hung
> her sign up and I noticed that the word was written backwards. The
> letters were all facing the right way, but the entire word was written
> from right to left. She tends to make some of her letters backwards,
> like the G in her name, but because she doesn't write unknown words
> very often, it kind of threw me for a loop when she did this.
>
> Should I be concerned?
>
> Melissa
>
> ___
DJ250
How old is she? This seems common in the younger ages (5, 6, 7 or so) and will change, from what I've found.
~Melissa, in MD :)
~Melissa, in MD :)
----- Original Message -----
From: hbmccarty
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2008 8:27 PM
Subject: Re: [unschoolingbasics] Should I Be Concerned?
My daughter wrote her entire name(which she knew and had written many
many many times before the right way around) mirror image on a birthday
card to her grandma once- around that same age- haven't seen her do it
since! She did it completely inadvertently- she was surprised when I
pointed it out-
Heather
melissa_hice wrote:
>
> She hung
> her sign up and I noticed that the word was written backwards. The
> letters were all facing the right way, but the entire word was written
> from right to left. She tends to make some of her letters backwards,
> like the G in her name, but because she doesn't write unknown words
> very often, it kind of threw me for a loop when she did this.
>
> Should I be concerned?
>
> Melissa
>
> ___
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.24.6/1482 - Release Date: 6/4/2008 7:10 AM
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
DJ250
Oh, I see, I didn't catch this first post when I responded just now. My 9 y.o. daughter is just reading, same as yours. Give it some time with the backwards thing, just modeling your spelling. If her reading and writing get further along and she's still doing the backwards writing, maybe look into intervention, just to make sure.
My .02,
~Melissa, in MD :)
My .02,
~Melissa, in MD :)
----- Original Message -----
From: melissa_hice
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2008 8:00 PM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Should I Be Concerned?
My DD (9) is basically a non reader. She can read a few words and some
very short, repetitive books, but not much more. She does not do well
phonically and tends to just memorize whole words. She does not like
to try to write words unless she knows exactly how they are written.
Today, she and her little brother were making an Aquarium for me to go
visit with all their plastic fish and such. She was making signs and
asked me how to spell "Snacks" which I spelled aloud for her. She hung
her sign up and I noticed that the word was written backwards. The
letters were all facing the right way, but the entire word was written
from right to left. She tends to make some of her letters backwards,
like the G in her name, but because she doesn't write unknown words
very often, it kind of threw me for a loop when she did this.
Should I be concerned?
Melissa
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.24.6/1482 - Release Date: 6/4/2008 7:10 AM
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
marji
At 20:00 6/4/2008, you wrote:
something that kids just beginning to figure out the code of reading
and writing don't give a whole lot of weight to; it's not really all
that important to them in the whole scheme of things. I remember
reading about this in one of John Holt's books (I wish I could
remember which one); he offered the sanest, in my opinion, discussion
about dyslexia, etc. As your daughter acquires more literacy skills,
she will get clear on our culture's left-to-right sequencing.
~Marji
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<http://gaiawolf.org/>Joyfully Parenting & Life Coaching
<http://gaiawolf.org/>GaiaWolf ~ Music for the Planet
<http://myspace.com/marjizintz>Marji's Myspace
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>...She was making signs and asked me how to spell "Snacks" which II wouldn't be concerned. Getting left-to-right sequencing is
>spelled aloud for her. She hung her sign up and I noticed that the
>word was written backwards. The letters were all facing the right
>way, but the entire word was written from right to left...Should I
>be concerned?
something that kids just beginning to figure out the code of reading
and writing don't give a whole lot of weight to; it's not really all
that important to them in the whole scheme of things. I remember
reading about this in one of John Holt's books (I wish I could
remember which one); he offered the sanest, in my opinion, discussion
about dyslexia, etc. As your daughter acquires more literacy skills,
she will get clear on our culture's left-to-right sequencing.
~Marji
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<http://gaiawolf.org/>Joyfully Parenting & Life Coaching
<http://gaiawolf.org/>GaiaWolf ~ Music for the Planet
<http://myspace.com/marjizintz>Marji's Myspace
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Joyce Fetteroll
On Jun 4, 2008, at 8:00 PM, melissa_hice wrote:
letters or words face? Is a dog not a dog if it's facing left instead
of right?
It's very common for kids to reverse letters. Probably for unschooled
kids who do this it persists longer since they aren't made to
practice as they would in school, but longer doesn't mean forever! No
one's ever mentioned a teen still doing this. :-)
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> She tends to make some of her letters backwards,Not at all. Logically, why should it make a difference which way the
> like the G in her name, but because she doesn't write unknown words
> very often, it kind of threw me for a loop when she did this.
>
> Should I be concerned?
letters or words face? Is a dog not a dog if it's facing left instead
of right?
It's very common for kids to reverse letters. Probably for unschooled
kids who do this it persists longer since they aren't made to
practice as they would in school, but longer doesn't mean forever! No
one's ever mentioned a teen still doing this. :-)
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Joyce Fetteroll
On Jun 4, 2008, at 9:02 PM, DJ250 wrote:
Is this suggestion from knowledge of unschooled kids who were about
to leave home and were still reversing letters and words?
Or is this left overs from school where all kids need to be at the
same place in development at the same time to make the teacher's job
easier?
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> she's still doing the backwards writing, maybe look intoIntervention for what?
> intervention, just to make sure.
Is this suggestion from knowledge of unschooled kids who were about
to leave home and were still reversing letters and words?
Or is this left overs from school where all kids need to be at the
same place in development at the same time to make the teacher's job
easier?
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
melissa_hice
Oh, Joyce, I LOVE this response! You are right, logically it
SHOULDN'T make a difference which way the words or letters face. My
kids have Japanese/American cousins who live in Japan and two
Japanese aunts, and in Japan, books are read opposite from the way we
read them in America - from back to front in our way of thinking.
Also, they write and read from right to left, I believe.
And, my children have cousins who live in Russia (my sister and her
family are missionaries there) and in Russia, some of their letters
are "backwards" compared to ours.
So I guess reading is a "cultural" thing.
When I read your response about a dog being a dog no matter which way
it faces, I had to smile and lighten up about this "problem" I
perceived in my daughter.
Thank you again for your response!
Melissa
--- In [email protected], Joyce Fetteroll
<jfetteroll@...> wrote:
SHOULDN'T make a difference which way the words or letters face. My
kids have Japanese/American cousins who live in Japan and two
Japanese aunts, and in Japan, books are read opposite from the way we
read them in America - from back to front in our way of thinking.
Also, they write and read from right to left, I believe.
And, my children have cousins who live in Russia (my sister and her
family are missionaries there) and in Russia, some of their letters
are "backwards" compared to ours.
So I guess reading is a "cultural" thing.
When I read your response about a dog being a dog no matter which way
it faces, I had to smile and lighten up about this "problem" I
perceived in my daughter.
Thank you again for your response!
Melissa
--- In [email protected], Joyce Fetteroll
<jfetteroll@...> wrote:
>words
>
> On Jun 4, 2008, at 8:00 PM, melissa_hice wrote:
>
> > She tends to make some of her letters backwards,
> > like the G in her name, but because she doesn't write unknown
> > very often, it kind of threw me for a loop when she did this.the
> >
> > Should I be concerned?
>
> Not at all. Logically, why should it make a difference which way
> letters or words face? Is a dog not a dog if it's facing leftinstead
> of right?unschooled
>
> It's very common for kids to reverse letters. Probably for
> kids who do this it persists longer since they aren't made toNo
> practice as they would in school, but longer doesn't mean forever!
> one's ever mentioned a teen still doing this. :-)
>
> Joyce
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
Carron Armstrong
Joyce, your post reminded me of this paragraph that I use in a psych class I
teach:
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht
oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist
and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you
can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not
raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
Carron
On Thu, Jun 5, 2008 at 4:22 AM, Joyce Fetteroll <jfetteroll@...>
wrote:
teach:
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht
oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist
and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you
can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not
raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
Carron
On Thu, Jun 5, 2008 at 4:22 AM, Joyce Fetteroll <jfetteroll@...>
wrote:
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> On Jun 4, 2008, at 8:00 PM, melissa_hice wrote:
>
> > She tends to make some of her letters backwards,
> > like the G in her name, but because she doesn't write unknown words
> > very often, it kind of threw me for a loop when she did this.
> >
> > Should I be concerned?
>
> Not at all. Logically, why should it make a difference which way the
> letters or words face? Is a dog not a dog if it's facing left instead
> of right?
>
> It's very common for kids to reverse letters. Probably for unschooled
> kids who do this it persists longer since they aren't made to
> practice as they would in school, but longer doesn't mean forever! No
> one's ever mentioned a teen still doing this. :-)
>
> Joyce
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
swissarmy_wife
I get this in an email every few months or so. I love it! so much
for phonics! <G>
for phonics! <G>
> Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaerin waht
> oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is tahtthe frist
> and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl msesand you
> can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mniddeos not
> raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
>
> Carron
[email protected]
-----Original Message-----
From: melissa_hice <mhice@...>
My DD (9) is basically a non reader. She can read a few words and some
very short, repetitive books, but not much more. She does not do well
phonically and tends to just memorize whole words. She does not like
to try to write words unless she knows exactly how they are written.
Today, she and her little brother were making an Aquarium for me to go
visit with all their plastic fish and such. She was making signs and
asked me how to spell "Snacks" which I spelled aloud for her. She hung
her sign up and I noticed that the word was written backwards. The
letters were all facing the right way, but the entire word was written
from right to left. She tends to make some of her letters backwards,
like the G in her name, but because she doesn't write unknown words
very often, it kind of threw me for a loop when she did this.
Should I be concerned?
-=-=-=-=-
It didn't seem to bother Leonardo da Vinci. <g>
Duncan has written entire paragraphs backwards. He doesn't do it much
any more---sometimes though. He still writes most of his numbers
backwards. Phone numbers that he takes down for me are still backwards.
But completely readable.
I practiced writing backwards as a child/teen. With my left hand. I can
still do it, but it's not as fluent. Right to left and backwards,
mirror image. It's cool.
She won't do it forever (unless she practices <g>). It will naturally
turn around as she ages.
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org
From: melissa_hice <mhice@...>
My DD (9) is basically a non reader. She can read a few words and some
very short, repetitive books, but not much more. She does not do well
phonically and tends to just memorize whole words. She does not like
to try to write words unless she knows exactly how they are written.
Today, she and her little brother were making an Aquarium for me to go
visit with all their plastic fish and such. She was making signs and
asked me how to spell "Snacks" which I spelled aloud for her. She hung
her sign up and I noticed that the word was written backwards. The
letters were all facing the right way, but the entire word was written
from right to left. She tends to make some of her letters backwards,
like the G in her name, but because she doesn't write unknown words
very often, it kind of threw me for a loop when she did this.
Should I be concerned?
-=-=-=-=-
It didn't seem to bother Leonardo da Vinci. <g>
Duncan has written entire paragraphs backwards. He doesn't do it much
any more---sometimes though. He still writes most of his numbers
backwards. Phone numbers that he takes down for me are still backwards.
But completely readable.
I practiced writing backwards as a child/teen. With my left hand. I can
still do it, but it's not as fluent. Right to left and backwards,
mirror image. It's cool.
She won't do it forever (unless she practices <g>). It will naturally
turn around as she ages.
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org
Julie Osborne & Luke Barnes
My son who is 7 and a non reader often writes in mirror image.
Sometimes he does and sometimes he doesn't. It always kind of worried
me until I started reading some of the unschooling stuff, and joining
forums....although when I have in the past pointed it out I always made
comment on how cool I thought it was because most adults would really
have to concentrate to write in mirror image!
I love this place...thanks
Julie
Sometimes he does and sometimes he doesn't. It always kind of worried
me until I started reading some of the unschooling stuff, and joining
forums....although when I have in the past pointed it out I always made
comment on how cool I thought it was because most adults would really
have to concentrate to write in mirror image!
I love this place...thanks
Julie
Mara
I used to write in mirror image before I could read (mostly just my name) and before going to school. I think Leonardo da Vinci wrote in mirror image for a long time. He didn't go to school either :-)
Mara
----- Original Message ----
From: Julie Osborne & Luke Barnes <barnesosborne@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, June 7, 2008 8:39:36 AM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Re: Should I Be Concerned?
My son who is 7 and a non reader often writes in mirror image.
Sometimes he does and sometimes he doesn't. It always kind of worried
me until I started reading some of the unschooling stuff, and joining
forums....although when I have in the past pointed it out I always made
comment on how cool I thought it was because most adults would really
have to concentrate to write in mirror image!
I love this place...thanks
Julie
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Mara
----- Original Message ----
From: Julie Osborne & Luke Barnes <barnesosborne@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, June 7, 2008 8:39:36 AM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Re: Should I Be Concerned?
My son who is 7 and a non reader often writes in mirror image.
Sometimes he does and sometimes he doesn't. It always kind of worried
me until I started reading some of the unschooling stuff, and joining
forums....although when I have in the past pointed it out I always made
comment on how cool I thought it was because most adults would really
have to concentrate to write in mirror image!
I love this place...thanks
Julie
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]