My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Primary education

Does anyone have any tips to help dd learn the difference between d, b and p?

16 replies

VenetiaLanyon · 20/01/2013 10:00

She's not doing badly with her reading, but does get these muddled. She is in Reception.
Thanks Smile

OP posts:
Report
learnandsay · 20/01/2013 10:27

Between b and d there is the bed trick with their hands.

www.busykidshappymom.org/2011/10/b-and-d-confusion-use-your-thumbs.html

Report
Missbopeep · 20/01/2013 10:57

In my experience that rarely works.

You'd be better linking the sounds and shapes to an image. eg P for pie, b for biscuit, d for dog.

Report
mrz · 20/01/2013 10:59

It's really common for young children to confuse these letters because they are basically the same symbol but differently orientated. Children know that an apple is an apple regardless of whether the stalk sticks up or down or sideways and seem to assume that the same applies to letters. With very young children it is often just a case of exposure and growing understanding.
bed works for some children
www.pdfdownload.org/pdf2html/view_online.php?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww2.sch.im%2Fgroups%2Fsen%2Fwiki%2Ff6ada%2Fattachments%2Fb05b1%2Fbdp%2520confusion.pdf

Report
Startail · 20/01/2013 11:08

Drawing big letters with squeezy bottles full of water on the pavement.

Making letters out of play doh.

Writing in sand or flour.

Making letters out of things you find round the house. Pens, pot actors, rulers, plates, forks, Lego, it doesn't matter.

They are all tricks you use with dyslexics to produce a physical memory of the letter as well as a visual one.

Kinaesthetic learning

Report
Startail · 20/01/2013 11:10

Today letters in the snow!
Little ones and big ones all over the lawn.

Report
Shodan · 20/01/2013 11:38

We say Big Fat Belly for b and (ahem) Daddy's Dangerous derriere for d Grin. Also Penny's Ponytail for p. It helps, to a certain extent, especially if you can personalise it.

(Daddy farts a lot, hence Dangerous Derriere- and yes, I know it's French, but ds2 accepted that without quibble, for some reason).

Report
snowybrrr · 21/01/2013 09:32

b-first the bat and then the ball
d first the doughnut and then the dipstick

Report
PriscillaLydiaSellon · 21/01/2013 09:35

I did all these, and DD was still muddling up b and d at the end of Y2. As she's a neglected last child, I assumed it would sort itself out eventually, and it did as the start of Y3, when she had a scary teacher who dealt with it in the first week back at school...

Report
Thewhingingdefective · 21/01/2013 10:12

Really like that way if remembering it, snowy. My 7 year old DS still muddles b and d. I am going to try your method with him.

Report
tigrou · 21/01/2013 10:55

DD was taught Letterland characters: b was bouncy ben, his ears stick up; p was peter puppy, his ears flop down. She used her hands to stick ears up and down on her head. With this, she never mixed up b and p, despite being dyslexic and mixing b and d all the time.

Report
ByTheWay1 · 21/01/2013 11:12

We had b for kicking a ball and d for a big round doughnut coming first - mine never mixed up p and q for some reason

Report
VenetiaLanyon · 21/01/2013 12:30

Thanks very much, all, will give some of these a try and see what happens...

OP posts:
Report
yoyo123 · 22/01/2013 16:37

www.stmaryswednesbury.ik.org/.../Letter_Formation_Rhymes.doc

we use these at school in reception class, there are some pictures to go with them ( haven't found them on the interweb though

Report
yoyo123 · 22/01/2013 16:39

oops just realised the link doesn't work. If you google letter formation rhymes you'll find it though Blush

Report
NellysKnickers · 23/01/2013 13:32

Don't push her, she will pick it up eventually and you will burst with pride! I speak from experience!

Report
willyoulistentome · 23/01/2013 13:37

DS2 used to get b and d mixed up. His teacher taught him to use the word 'bed'. Squish it up and looks like an actual bed if you do tall enough stalks on the b and d. 'b' at the start of the drawing and the word and 'd' at the end. He got it right away and has not looked back.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.