Conference moira::parenting

    No. Not uncommon. Some children even do this until 2nd grade or so.
    
    Kate

    I still do it sometimes... and I'm almost 41.  I use to take notes in
    school, one line straight and the next backward (it was called laziness
    with me, I just didn't want to waste time picking my hand up to start
    the next line on the left side of the paper).  This was not something
    I had to teach myslef, it came naturally.  So I too think it is common. 
    If it bothers you, have him checked out.  It could be an early sign of
    dyslexia.... but it could also just be normal.
    
    M-L

    This is very normal.  All three of mine did this (my 4.5 yr. old is
    still in this "mode").  My two oldest sons are top students in their
    classes (4th grade and 2nd grade now).
    
    When my first son did this I was *sure* it was early dyslexia too!
    
    Linda

    My 4 year old son did this when he frist started writing his name when
    he was 2 yrs old.  He is 4 now and still does it sometimes.  I am
    hoping that when he goes to kindergarten next year in Sept of 95 he
    will change and not do this anymore.  He very realy does it now but
    when he does he gets very frustrated with himself and starts to tare
    the paper up and cries, becasue he is so frustrated that he mis-wrote a
    letter or two.  I try to reassure him and tell him that it is ok to do
    that once in a while cause even Mommy does it sometime and this tends
    to make him feel better.
    
    So it is very normal for your child to be doing this and I wouldn't
    be to concerned.
    
    Liz

    
    There was a report concerning this on 20/20 or 60 minutes or Dateline or one
    of those TV pseudo-news shows shows last year.  They showed a bunch of
    people with this ability, even adults.  If I remember correctly, there
    was even a writer who would write her books out longhand (in the mirror
    image) and read them by turning the pages over.  The psychologists
    interviewed indicated there was nothing abnormal about it and were
    quite puzzled over it.
    
    Might I even suggest that you child is a genius if he or she can do it?
    
    Phil

re <<< Note 705.5 by SUBPAC::OLDIGES >>>
    
>    Might I even suggest that you child is a genius if he or she can do it?
    
Certainly !  :^)
The only person I knew of who did this as an adult was Leonardo da Vinci....

Chele

    Must be in the name.  My 4-year old, also David, can't seem to get all
    the characters in a line.  He usually writes it like this:
    
                                  D
                              
                         D A V I
    
    It's not for lack of space, he just doesn't get the concept of
    everything in a row, unless it's Transformers or X-Men.  Now THEY must 
    be in perfectly straight rows, right across the diningroom table : )
    
    Sarah
    

    When my son Michael was about four, he got a matchbox-like
    truck that came with felt pens and decals. The idea was to 
    decorate the trucks anyway you want.  Michael wrote his name
    on the right side of the truck cab. On the left side, he also
    wrote his name in perfect mirror image. Blew me away.
    
    When he got into kindergarten, he kept bringing home paper
    projects with the name ELMICHA on them. It took me awhile to
    figure out that he would just run out of room at the 'A' and
    just add the 'EL' to the front. 
    
    Jodi-

    AJ is in the first grade, he still mixes certain letters, while getting
    most of the correct.  The greatest offenders are the "mirror" letters:
    	p and b, mixes numbers and letters, especially in a digital readout
    siutation like our clock radio:  9 and p or b, 9 for g as example.
    
    His teacher said this is very common, that "straight back letters and
    numbers" (as above) are very commonly mixed up, and not to worry.
    
    Lyn

    Is anyone know a left-handed mirror writer??
    
    My daughter Erin is 4 years old and lefthanded. She just loves
    to write her name and many letters of the alphabet. I showed
    my Mom (a lefty) her accomplishments written backwards....
    
    Mom said, "I wrote the same way when I was a child. My mother used
    to hold the writing to a mirror to read it". We tried it and -
    could now read her writing.
    
    My concern is that having spent lots of time showing her how to
    write letters etc., they are still backwards.
    
    How can I help her? Should I be concerned? She starts school in
    September of 95. 

    My son does this on occasion. Sometimes he writes properly (left to
    right) and sometimes it right-to-left with all the letters backwards.
    He goes to pre-school so I asked his teacher what to do. At first she 
    said just to keep an eye on it, then she told me that it's pretty
    common and I shouldn't worry about it. We believe he's right handed
    though we're not really positive. My son is the same age as Erin.
    Sue
    

    My daughter Shannon will be 4 on January 1.  We recently noticed that
    she writes her letters fine with her left hand, and mirrors them when
    she uses her right hand!!!  My aunt who teaches elementary special ed
    told us that lefties have many such problems early with their writing.
    
    My husband uses both hands separately for different tasks, but he
    consistantly uses his right to write.  I think Shannon will be like my
    husband...
    
    It's funny, until I almost entered this note a week ago before I spoke 
    with my aunt!
    
    -beth

    don't worry, be happy!  Lolita was an early writer and she reversed
    lots of letters for many years.  Carrie also reversed letters for a
    while, but wasn't interested in anything to do with pen and paper until
    she was almost 6.  It seems to be a part of development that takes some
    time with kids.  work with her, if you wish, but don't make it a chore
    by being concerned about the reversals at this stage.  
    
    meg (switched leftie who still has this problem at times)

I also have problems with this, but not that much anymore.
You get used to it.

She'll figure it out, so don't worry.  Then when she's a
grownup, she'll be able to win bets in bars :-).

Pat

Leonardo de Vinci  (sp?) was also famous for this.  

Maybe it's the mark of a genius.  ;-)  :-)

     Carol

    My daughter almost blew me away when at 4 she wrote her name
    perfectly... left to right.  Now, at 7, she's into "cursive" [ what we
    used to call writing] and gets the letters right.  She still transposes 
    some of her numbers, but is getting better at it.  No one seemed too
    upset about it, so i stopped worrying about it as well. Too many other
    things to obsess about, i guess!