Letters That Get Flipped

Five capitals that children reverse more than any others: B, D, N, S and Z. Each gets a solid model, a couple of dotted repeats, and then empty ruling — because a reversal almost never shows up while tracing. It shows up the moment the guide runs out.

Reversals are normal. They are a feature of how a young brain treats objects, which stay the same thing whether they face left or right — a cup is a cup either way, so why not a B? Most children stop reversing between five and seven without any intervention at all.

What helps is direction, not correction. Each of these letters starts with a downstroke on the left, and a child who reliably starts there cannot easily produce a mirrored letter. What does not help is erasing, or pointing out the mistake after the fact.