Tips for teaching p vs. q, d vs. b? PIOG

Replies:

• 
• by
  • toola
  on Aug. 24, 2009 at 3:38 AM

• Good question - I'd be interested to see what people come up with.  Sorry, I can't help!
  

• 
• by
  • MommyofMolly
  on Aug. 24, 2009 at 3:37 PM

• Most of that confusion tends to be cleared up as they begin to read, so I wouldn't hold your daughter back from learning to read because of the confusion. 

  The only b/d suggestion I have is the bed visual (draw a pic of a bed with the letters as the head/footboard.  you can draw a c sleeping in the bed if you want).

  I would use this confusion to spark ideas on word lists that start with these letters.  Take large construction or chart paper and start a list for each letter.  Start with a couple of words (ie- for the "p" paper you might have pepper, pink, plate, etc) and have her help you find words (around the house or in her brain) to add to the list.  Much like the idea of word family lists, but turning the attention to the beginning of the word instead.  You could also have the letter show up anywhere in the word (as she starts getting the idea down), just make sure you/she is underlining the letter.

  I'm interested to see what other ideas are out there!
  

• 
• by
  • valerie0103
  on Aug. 24, 2009 at 5:28 PM

• I have heard you can teach them "b" has a belly  and "d' doesn't and "p" is a person but not q. Haven't tried it yet though

  

• 
• by
  • LoreleiSieja
  on Aug. 25, 2009 at 12:32 AM

• I think this is another reason why I favor using sight-word method of teaching younger children to read, rather than phonics.  With sight-word, you teach small children whole words, not letters and sounds.  So after she learns to read about two thousand words, and she knows the words like bed, queen, prince, and dog, then she'll also know the difference between b,d, p, and q.  If you want to learn more about the sight-word approach to reading, which has been around for over fifty years, check out anythign by Glenn Doman.  Amazon.com still carries all his books, including the famous, Teach your baby to read.  (His method has taught 9 month olds to read).

  However, I've also had quite a bit of experience with dyslexia.  That term is often used inappropriately to apply to anyone who has any sort of trouble reading. But actually, dyslexia is a very specific "disorder" in reading, and refers to someone who sees the word differently. True dyslexics cannot distinguish between b and d, or p and q.  Dyslexics minds will visually "pick up" objects and turn them around, so when they look at "c - a - t" sometimes it may look like "t - a - c" or even backwards, or even upside down.  Dyslexics have a difficult time learning to read because of this phenomenon. 

  Since most four year olds will write things backwards from time to time, it would be impossible to tell if your child is dyslexic. But just be aware of it, and if she is still reversing letters when she is six or seven, then you might want to have her tested.

  Dyslexia is a gift, not a disability.  For more information, check out the Ron Davis website:

  http://www.dyslexia.com/

  
  

  Lorelei

  
  

  www.raisingcreativechildren.com

  
  

  Nurturning Creative Young Minds and Wiggly Bodies

• 
• by
  • MommyofMolly
  on Aug. 25, 2009 at 8:49 AM

• As a language arts teacher, I learned quickly that the best method to teach reading to 6 year olds was a mix of sight words AND phonics.  Sight words are a fantastic tool for beginning readers, but you want the phonics foundation as well so they can become independent readers.  They absolutely need decoding skills to be successful. Learning phonics as they learn sight words is best.
  

  Reversals are no longer a "telltale" sign of dyslexia, and in no way should a b/d p/q confusion send you thinking immediately about dyslexia.  Dyslexia is much more complex than reversals and the kind of confusion you are talking about, and 6 is much too young to give a diagnosis of dyslexia.  However, I do agree that if she has a difficult time with other aspects of reading and she develops a consistent aversion to reading AND writing it might be worth looking into in another year or two.  Right now, just giving her the gift of time, patience, and love of reading and books along with direct teaching of reading concepts should be more than enough.
  

  Because you said she enjoys reading and is eager to learn, I highly doubt she's having any major problems.
  

• 
• by
  • kriswrite
  on Aug. 25, 2009 at 10:40 AM

• Thanks for your comments, ladies.

  I wanted to chime in on sight words. I was taught sight words ONLY as a child, and it greatly hindered me. You can only memorize so many words; when you bump into a word you don't know, you really must know phonics. I've embarrassed myself countless times because I didn't know phonics. So I'm teaching my kids a mixture of phonics and sight words.

  Kristina
  

• 
• by
  • valerie0103
  on Aug. 25, 2009 at 4:32 PM

• I agree. Phonics are really important also. Site words are helping us alot to in the early stages but phonics is a must.
  

  Quoting kriswrite:
  
  

  Thanks for your comments, ladies.

  I wanted to chime in on sight words. I was taught sight words ONLY as a child, and it greatly hindered me. You can only memorize so many words; when you bump into a word you don't know, you really must know phonics. I've embarrassed myself countless times because I didn't know phonics. So I'm teaching my kids a mixture of phonics and sight words.

  Kristina

  
  

  

• 
• by
  • IMAMOM2-2KIDS
  on Oct. 13, 2009 at 12:16 PM

•  I learned a new technique for the b and d(from my son who is almost 6) you make thumbs up with both hands knuckles in thumbs out. The b will be on the left and d will be on the right so they should know what order b befor d.

  You can do the same but thumbs down for p and q.

  Hope this helps someone!!

• 
• by
  • Mbailey
  on Oct. 13, 2009 at 11:44 PM

• While I enjoyed the input on sight words vs. phonics and using both I wanted to add a quick reply to the post "p" and "q".

  1. Write the "q" with a little tip at the end, like European style vs a straight line.

  2. Try teaching "q" as "qu" ...this is not a ALWAYS rule I know..but for the most part the words your pre-school is going to learn at this stage will always have a "qu" in the begining.

  3. Try only introducing the use of "Q" in capital form for a while so she can recognize "q" words.

  *** Number 2 worked best for my oldest son.

• 
• by
  • Kelly913
  on Oct. 14, 2009 at 12:15 AM

• I don't have an answer for teaching the difference, but I learned something when I took early childhood education courses a long time ago that I thought was interesting.  Up to this point in their lives, an object was still that same object regardless of which way it faces, so recognizing letters as being different because they face a different way is challenging for young minds.  Picture a coffee mug.  If the handle is on the left it's a coffee mug and if it's on the right it's still a coffee mug.  Turning it upside down doesn't change anything either (well unless it has coffee in it!)  Any other object they've been exposed to stays the same, but letters don't, so it just takes some time and practice.

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