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You are here: Home / Homeschooling / Printables & Downloads / Learn how to differentiate between the letters "d" and "b"

Filed Under: Printables & Downloads

Learn how to differentiate between the letters "d" and "b"

Joely's been learning to read, and as is typical for children her age, she was having trouble differentiating between lower-case "b"s from "d"s. I'd been trying to figure out a good way to solve the problem, so I came up with this little illustration to help her remember which way "b" and "d" face. Associating the direction of the letter with the simple illustration has really helped her recognize the difference between "b" and "d."

d_and_b_buddies.jpg

Joely informed me that she also wanted to be able to color her "b" and "d" buddies, so I converted the illustrations to coloring sheets.

d_coloring.jpgb_coloring.jpg
d_b_coloring.jpg

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Comments

  1. Jean Butts says

    February 5, 2008 at 11:15 am

    I've also seen phonics programs teach the kids to read and spell the word "bed" and draw a person sleeping in the bed where the b is the headboard and the d is the footboard.

    HTH

    Reply
  2. Jeanette Moyer says

    January 25, 2010 at 11:13 am

    Love these buddies. I teach K5, using A Beka Book and have been using the "bed" illustration, but it isn't working for all my kids. It is nice to have something different to try. Another tip that I have picked up is to hold your hands in the thumbs up position and and touch your bottom knuckles. It makes a bed and then they can see the b and d. Just thought I would share that.

    Reply
  3. Christine says

    April 21, 2010 at 10:13 am

    I hope I can explain this in writing well. I had the putting b's and d's to bed poster on my wall for the most of the year when a friend of mine suggested they use their hands. She was right when she pointed out that they have them with them everywhere they go, unlike the poster. When you point your index finger out in front of you and bring the rest of you fingers together behind to form a circle, your left hand makes a b and your right hand makes a d. Since b comes before d in the alphabet, you remember the b sound comes first and goes with the left hand and the d sound goes secod with the shape of your right hand. It seems to have really helped them to check their own reading and writing and improved the frequency that they get it correct the first time before checking.

    Reply
  4. Caroline says

    August 27, 2011 at 8:27 am

    Joy, I just did this on my own with a boot and doorknob as the picture! I wish I'd found your site first!! Anyway, any chance you could make an illustration with the lower case p & q as well? My 5 year old is really struggling with all four. Let me know, thanks!

    Reply
  5. Kristy Dixon says

    October 8, 2011 at 10:25 pm

    I teach my child that the circle on the b faces to the right so in order to make a b correctly he needs to remember to be right. We make fun of it and say either you "be right or you be wrong" lol. So if the b is to the right, then the d is automatically to the left. I also use the same method for handwriting as I tell him that t's are tall and f's don't fall. He laughs when I make up these rhymes but they stick with him and he also likes to share them with his friends.

    Reply
  6. Jessica says

    July 2, 2012 at 12:26 am

    hello, I found this off pinterest and was wondering if you have something like this for the letters "p" and "q" also? thanks

    Reply
    • Joy @ Five J's says

      July 7, 2012 at 8:32 am

      No, sorry, I only have it for "b" and "d".

      Reply
  7. Paula says

    February 16, 2016 at 11:52 am

    Thanks for the tip – how about also letting a child invent a picture around the letters b and d

    Reply

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