Son struggles to complete assignments and writes numbers & letters backwards, is this normal for his age?

DS will be 7 this Dec. %26amp; has been back to school only 2 wks now. I am noticing he is having difficulty keeping up on his daily class assignments (1st grade). Also,he is writting letters %26amp; numbers backwards frequently. (p, b, d, j, 5, 6, 7, 9.) Last year we struggled a bit w/ 5 minute homework assignments taking at least 20 minutes and the letters b, d, l, and j, he would have difficulty reading and writting. [normal for age?]





We had his eye site tested last year [just in case] and he was 20/30.


I plan to work with him, playing games with pasta and paints making different letters / numbers themes every other day. To help strengthen his recognition skills. Over summer break he read 'easy reader %26amp; beginner books', (not much writting activities though.)





Is this something I should be concerned with? Is there any way to test for a possible learning difficulty? Will just practice and additional writting / coloring time help his focusing and letter number recognition?Son struggles to complete assignments and writes numbers %26amp; letters backwards, is this normal for his age?
I agree with Michele and suggest you speak to his teacher about what you have observed, and see if they too have noticed his difficulties. They may suggest having someone come in to the school to assess him for a dyslexia or a learning disability. Usually no cost to the parents, if the school organizes the assessment.





I have included some link on dyslexia to give you a better understanding of dyslexia.





My daughter struggled through the early years of primary school, even though the teachers said she was very bright, she frequently mixed her letters and numbers up such as b, d etc, when reading or writing.





We her tested for dyslexia, I was a little stunned to find out that not only was she dyslexic but I was too. Which explained why I had so many problems. She was also assessed and diagnosed about the same time for ADHD %26amp; ODD.





My daughter wears Irlens lens glasses which helped heaps, and within weeks of having them her class teacher was very pleased in the improvement of her writing and reading. She initially started with pink lenses, and recently had her eyes retested, and is now a pale blue lens.





Good luckSon struggles to complete assignments and writes numbers %26amp; letters backwards, is this normal for his age?
i would think that he is dyslexic.all of the children i know at his age write normally.I'm not quite sure though,i would suggest you ask his teacher the symptoms hes having,such as having a hard time reading,for his age.or take him to an eye doctor and see what they say. Report Abuse

It's COMPLETELY normal! I would worry if he is still having the issue in third grade--but as a first grader, this is not an issue. They're still learning how to write at this point.
he is still a bit young to say for sure as many kids have trouble in these areas. 1st graders have to really perform a lot more then they did in kindergarden and he also may be a bit overwhelmed. give him some time before seeking help and utilize different game type educational tools to help at home that dont make him feel like he is at school.
I totally agree with Michelle S. I would just add,something that helped my son was making the numbers out of play dough.His problem was different, he made the numbers correctly but couldn't seem to remember things like his zip code,until we made them with the clay.Something about ';feeling'; the number helped him retain it.Maybe it will help your child.Good luck.He is lucky to have such a devoted Mom!
This is normal at this age, I would only be worried about it if it continued through the end of the school year. By that time he should have corrected it if he hasn't than have him evaluated by a neuro-psychologist to see if he has dyslexia. My daughter has dyslexia and by the end of the second grade thorough the third she was still writing some things backwards and leaving letter out of words or leaving word out of sentences. But in the beginning of the second grade it's normal. Also my daughter had a real hard time reading if your son is reading he probably not dyslexic. But if he's still turning his letters around by the end of the year have him evaluated.
It is NOT uncommon for children to struggle with writing letters such as p, b, d backwards. However, there is a possibility that your son may be struggling with dyslexia or another learning disability.





Of course I am NO doctor and therefore cannot diagnose anyone, but as an educator I would suggest you not only talk to his teacher about the difficulties he is displaying but also speak with his doctor. Having him tested for dyslexia or other learning disabilities (LD) could be a lifesaver. IF your son has a LD than it is important to catch them early in order that you and the school can work as a team to ensure his needs are met.





As an educator I can honestly say that it is wonderful whenever a parent is actively willing and ready to take the steps to improve the quality of life and education of their child or children so KUDOS! Thankyou for being one of those parents... parents like you do make a positive difference!
That reminds me of when I was in 1st grade. I could not distinguish my ';M';s or I did not know how to write them so I would substitute for a ';W'; instead. Perhaps he may be a little dyslectic? you should have him go through proper tests to see. Better now that he is young so that he can get the proper help instead of struggling later in school.





I hope that helped.
He may have dyslexia.Although it's normal at that age, i'd be worried if he continues to do so by mid second grade. I suggest you take him to a pediatrician who is specialized in testing and diagnosing learning disabilities/neuro-psychologist. The sooner the better.
It is your right as a parent to ask for testing if you feel that there may be a learning disorder. Talk to your child's school's special education office to find out what can be done. There should be a diagnostician that can perform tests to determine if this is normal or signs or a larger problem.
sometimes thats normal or maybe hes just a retard.