When to be concerned about mixing up letters?

CleoKitty

We didn't notice it until recently, but ds is still completely mixed up by letters like p, b, d, and q. He's also started writing many of his letters backwards (he never did that in the past.)

He was doing great with learning to read but seems to have really stalled in the past few months and is suddenly struggling because he can't keep the letters straight. We've been working with him but it seems to be getting worse instead of better. 

He is a 6.5 y/o kindergartner. At what point does this become a concern? 

littlemermaid

I don't think it becomes a problem until after 1st grade.  My daughter did it in Kindergarten and continued to struggle with it in 1st grade and her 1st grade teacher said that it is common to still do that in 1st grade.

Ciarrai

I had major trouble with letters until sometime in second or third grade.  I still remember my second grade teacher showing me a trick with my hands to remember b and d. 

DandR

It must be some phase...like their growing brain just needs a break.  Tay does this too, to a certain extent.  Several letters backwards and whatever.  I asked her teacher about it, and she wasn't concerned.  My mom who is a teacher said to just ask her to identify the backwards letters when she writes them....see if she notices and just got in a hurry and probably 90% of the time she can see they are wrong.

And reading...its like she's looking ahead or reading too fast or something and she can read the big words like "excited", but then gets stuck on "the" or "and".  HUH????   its weird.  Like she just has to catch up and slow down. 

I just try to have her read slower.  Seems to help  a little.