25 Ways to Overcome Letter Confusion

Take, for example, an apple. Turn it upside down, is it still an apple? Flip it over, still an apple? With any object you choose, no matter how you hold it, it will not change what we call it.From the moment we are born and start focusing, this is what we learn. Then, when we start to learn to read, the rules change; 'd' if we reflect it, it becomes 'b' but some of us still see it as 'd' just like the appleArticle Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6516563

We've been tackling letter confusion the past two weeks.

 I thought I would make a comprehensive list of different ways to help with letter confusion.

Our brain learns things when we touch, handle and feel things. Most of these ideas are kinaesthetic in their approach.

Have fun!

1. Use food. 

In this example, I used berries and bananas. We ate one piece of fruit at a time while saying a word that began with the letter "D"

2. Use your hands to make the shapes of the letters

3. Give the letter a  Phonetic Personality

4. Glow in the dark letters

Observe the letter in the dark. Ask the child to close their eyes and to visualize the letter they just saw.

Turn the light on and ask them to write it on your hand

5. Use a geo board

6. Press out the letters in tinfoil

8. Sand Paper/Sparkle Dust method

A Montessori teacher taught me this trick.

Using sandpaper or in my case, sparkle dust that has been glued onto the letter, have the child trace the letter with their fingers. As they trace it, say the phonetic sound- "Duh". 

Afterwards, have them trace it again and ask them, "What sound does that make?"

 !

9. Trace the letter

10.Using rice, bird seed, shaving cream or salt have the child trace the letter

11. Lace 'em Up

12. Use glue and beans

13. Playdoh

14. Stamp it, then trace it

15. Write letters on your child's back and have them guess what letter you wrote

16. Write letters in the air

17. Use your body to make the letters

18. Try and find the letters in unusual places

(in this case, the taco shells are D's)

19. For  lower case "b" and "d", give them the thumbs up!

20. Use snow and food colouring

(salt or shaving cream works if you don't have snow)

21. Use glow sticks

22. Window markers

23. Close your eyes and draw the letter on paper 

24. Walk, crawl or skip along the letter

(use chalk in summer or newsprint and marker in the winter)

Sing out words that start with that letter

25. Play Wipe out