Typical 6-year-old children ’s confusion between “b” and “d” in reading cannot be assimilated to reversal

This study aimed to provide empirical evidence that the two processes are indeed very different. The sample consisted of 529 first graders (Mage = 6.21 years) who participated in the French National Assessment at the beginning of the school year. Simple linear, Bayesian, and logistic regression modeling of the left–right reversal rate in writing digits as a function of the confusion rate in children’s recognition of the letters b a nd d showed a negative relationship between the two rates, and a nonparametric test yielded a significant negative correlation (rS(318)  = –0.373,p <  .001). These results seem to rule out the possibility that the same process leads to reversing characters (letters or digits) in writing and misrecognizing b as d (or vice versa). This is the first study reporting strong empirical evidence that the processes of reversal and confusion are very dif ferent. Consequently, it would be a mistake to treat confusion between b and d as the reversal of b into d (and vice versa).
Source: Reading and Writing - Category: Child Development Source Type: research