How to teach difference between d and b?

[David Matthew Baker]

Hi all. My mum is currently doing a teaching assistant course. One of the students she is working with in the special school (1st year secondary age) has problem distinguishing between a b and a d when writing. As most of my experience has been of secondary I couldn't suggest anything to her but I said I'd ask you lot for her. Thanks. All the best, David.

[rach04]

right ill tell you what js ot tried to teach him but it hasnt worked for him

 

b has a tail at the front like an elephants trunk and d has one like a dogs tail

 

like i said it hasnt worked for him but they say it has worked for other kids.

Edited April 29, 2008 by rach04

[smiley]

For my son we made up 'b for best' as he writes with his right hand, and the curve of the b faces that hand. And 'd for dippy' because he's doesn't use that hand for writing - therefore it is dippy!

[justamum]

b has a tail at the front like an elephants trunk and d has one like a dogs tail

 

like i said it hasnt worked for him but they say it has worked for other kids.

 

Has me confused!

 

I used to says to my son who muddle them up b's bump the other letters and all the other letters bump d.

 

Or b's big fat belly gets in the way and d's big fat bum stick out too far.

 

Anything that makes then giggle makes the rules stick....I had other silly saying too, but can't remember them mostly on the letter being soldiers standing to attention and must face the right and and not upside down and the correct distance apart. My son was the Sargent Major and would shout at the letters to behave!

[stressedmumto2]

One way I would say is if you go to scruntch your fist but keep your index finger out straight the left hand will show a letter "b" and the right will show a letter "d". This could also be coloured in differnt colours across the finger if the parent doesn't mind with one hand blue for the "b" and the other maybe a yellow as that's a colour of a daisy or a dark green or similar colour and emphasis it as "DARK" (whatever colour you chose), sorry can't think of a colour that begins with D!! Or you could juts colour the "b" hand and leave it at that.

 

This worked for my daughter, hope it helps <'>

[ScienceGeek]

right ill tell you what js ot tried to teach him but it hasnt worked for him

 

b has a tail at the front like an elephants trunk and d has one like a dogs tail

 

like i said it hasnt worked for him but they say it has worked for other kids.

 

Ok, I know which way round they go and that confused me!

[Mumble]

I'm trying to remember for the life of me where it came from and how we did it, but I worked with a TA on this with a child using a card always in front of her folded so it stood up (this was year 3 - 7/8 year olds) with the word bed (in lower case) on it - even made it look like a bed with a person sleeping in it. But I can't remember how we used it from there or whether it was that or something else that helped or a mixture - visual clues and others.

 

Is the difficulty in recognising them - it might even be worth investigating whether its a visual problem - I mix up p and b a lot because the round bit moves up and down the line and found the blue glasses (till I squashed them ) helped in part with that.

[Kazzen161]

I have seen the "bed" one. As long as the child knows how to spell bed, it works fine.

 

bed

 

the b is the headboard and mattress, the e is the mattress, the d is the mattress and baseboard.

 

(If you make the ll bits longer it looks more like a bed)

Edited April 29, 2008 by Kazzen161

[David Matthew Baker]

Thanks all. I knew you lot would have some ideas/methods. Will pass suggestions on to my mum.

[Shnoing]

Perhaps not to the point, but maybe the student you're writing about is an unrecognized left hander?

[lynne]

My son was taught the letter B at first you put the stick (i) to draw a bat and than you add the ball to make the b and than a d is the opposite.

 

lyn

[jools]

i'm a teaching assistant and use bed

 

make the shape of b with your left hand by making the circle with your finger and thumb and keeping the rest of your fingers up for the stick.

do the same with your right hand for d