Ball or Duck? Telling b and d Apart

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Does your child mix up b and d when reading or writing? These two letters are mirror images, so the mix-up is common. In this lesson your child links each letter to its sound and a key word, says the sound while writing it, and plays a quick sorting game.

What Your Child Will Practice

• Linking b to /b/ and d to /d/
• Saying a letter’s sound while writing it
• Using a key word to check a tricky letter
• Reading short words that start with b or d

Before You Start

Grab paper, a pencil or marker, and eight small cards or scraps of paper. Tell your child: “Rocky has two favorite things: his ball and the ducks at the beach. He chases ducks, but he never catches them! Today his ball and the ducks will help us remember two tricky letters.”

Step-by-Step

Step 1: Meet the key words (2 minutes).
Write a big b and say, “b is for ball, /b/ /b/ ball.” Write a big d and say, “d is for duck, /d/ /d/ duck.” Have your child say each key word and sound with you. Draw a small ball next to the b and a small duck next to the d.

Step 2: Feel the sounds (1 minute).
Say /b/ and /d/ slowly together. Notice that your lips pop together for /b/, and your tongue taps behind your top teeth for /d/. Ask, “Is that a lips sound or a tongue sound?”

Step 3: Say it while you write it (3 minutes).
Your child writes one row of d’s, saying /d/ each time. For d, start with the round part, like starting a c, then add the tall line. Practice d until it feels easy before moving on. Then write one row of b’s: tall line first, then the bump, saying /b/ each time.

Step 4: Make a “bed” (1 minute).
Have your child make two thumbs-up fists, knuckles facing each other. The left hand is the b, the right hand is the d, and the word “bed” sits in between. Use this as a quick check whenever they’re stuck.

Step 5: Read and check (3 minutes).
Write these words, one per card: bat, dig, bed, dog, bun, dad, bib, dot. Your child reads each word. If they get stuck on the first letter, ask, “Ball or duck?” and let them check their key word.

Quick Practice Activity: Ball or Duck Sort

Put the ball picture on one side of the table and the duck picture on the other. Mix up the eight word cards. Your child reads a card, says its first sound, and places it under the ball or the duck. When all the cards are sorted, have them read each pile aloud. To finish, say two of the words and let your child write them, saying each sound as they go.

Tips for Parents

• Keep it short. One round of the sort is plenty for one day.
• Stick to one memory trick. Ball and duck, plus the “bed” hands, is enough.
• When a reversal happens, point to it calmly, ask “Ball or duck?” and move on.
• If mix-ups stay frequent after plenty of short practice, or if your child also struggles to link other letters to sounds, talk with their teacher.

What’s Next?

Wondering why your child reverses letters like b and d? Read Like Rocky, the 12-week at-home program by Dr. Nancy Barker, Ed.D., starts with a free assessment that shows you where to begin.

Take the free reading assessment