My child writes d as a b every time. What do I do?

Teach the stroke order rather than the shape: curve first, then the tall line. A d that is built starting from the curve almost cannot come out as a b, because the tall line has only one place left to go.

Is it D for dinosaur or D for dog?

Either, but dog is the better teaching word because it is short, the child can decode it themselves early, and the D sound sits cleanly at the front. Save dinosaur for enthusiasm rather than instruction.

Letter D

Preschool · 3–5

Color Online

Color the big letter D, with Dog, duck and drum to name as you go. Lowercase d is a c with a tall back added afterwards, and drawing it in that order — curve first, line second — is what keeps it from coming out as a b. Filling a letter in at this size does something tracing does not: the child's eye follows the whole outline slowly, so the shape registers before a pencil ever has to reproduce it. Say the sound rather than the letter name while you color — the sound is what reading actually needs. Print it on A4 or US Letter, or color it online with tap-to-fill.

Building d from a c

Lowercase d is a c with a tall back added afterwards, and teaching it in that order is what keeps it from turning into a b. Draw the curve first, all the way round, then come up the right-hand side and straight back down. A child who starts with the tall line has already committed to a direction and will, about half the time, hang the curve on the wrong side.

Capital D is easier and quite separate: one straight stroke down the left, one fat bulge from top to bottom on the right. Children rarely reverse the capital, which is one reason some teachers stick with capitals a while longer for children who find b and d exhausting.

The D sound and its partner

D is made exactly like t — tongue tip behind the top teeth, air released — with one difference: the voice is on. Dog and tot, dip and tip, den and ten. Saying those pairs while a finger rests on the throat makes the difference obvious to a four-year-old in a way that no amount of explanation does.

Frequently asked questions

My child writes d as a b every time. What do I do?: Teach the stroke order rather than the shape: curve first, then the tall line. A d that is built starting from the curve almost cannot come out as a b, because the tall line has only one place left to go.
Is it D for dinosaur or D for dog?: Either, but dog is the better teaching word because it is short, the child can decode it themselves early, and the D sound sits cleanly at the front. Save dinosaur for enthusiasm rather than instruction.

More to color

Letter APreschool · 3–5

Letter BPreschool · 3–5

Letter CPreschool · 3–5

Letter EPreschool · 3–5

Building d from a c

The D sound and its partner

Frequently asked questions

My child writes d as a b every time. What do I do?: Teach the stroke order rather than the shape: curve first, then the tall line. A d that is built starting from the curve almost cannot come out as a b, because the tall line has only one place left to go.
Is it D for dinosaur or D for dog?: Either, but dog is the better teaching word because it is short, the child can decode it themselves early, and the D sound sits cleanly at the front. Save dinosaur for enthusiasm rather than instruction.