Child Writing Numbers Backwards? Try This Quick Fix

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Help Your Child Stop Writing Numbers Backward With the “Hungry and Full Numbers” Trick

Is your child writing his numbers backward? All my kids had some trouble with number reversals when they were young. 

Most children will figure out which way numbers go eventually.  However, if you teach them a memory trick, they can get those numbers figured out right away.

I’m going to share the trick that has helped my children stop writing backward numbers.  Hopefully, it will help yours as well.

Before having my own children, I was a classroom teacher at a remedial school, where we had many dyslexic children. Consequently, I learned the importance of engaging as many of the senses as possible to aid learning.  

This trick utilizes a multi-sensory approach. It includes visual, auditory and tactile memory tricks. 

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Instructions to help your child stop writing numbers backward:

Here are the instructions I use to help children stop writing their numbers backward. I’ve highlighted in gray what you can say to your child, if you’d like. You’ll just need a piece of paper and something to write with.

“I’m going to teach you about hungry and full numbers so you can write your numbers the right way.”

Hungry Numbers:

“Point to the side of the paper that you start reading and writing.”

“The hungry numbers are hungry and they want to bite your finger. They open their mouths towards your finger on this side of the paper.”

“Now, let’s write the hungry numbers.”

Write 2, 3, 5 and 7 and draw teeth on the open parts that are facing left, as shown below.  As you write the numbers, put your finger in each number’s mouth and make sure to yell, “Ouch!”

“2 has a mouth in the curvy part.”

“3 is extra hungry and has two mouths.”

“5 has a mouth in the curvy part.  You can draw an eye on the top part if you want.”

“7 looks like an alligator’s mouth.”

Full Numbers:

“The full numbers have already eaten. They aren’t hungry anymore. Point your finger from the side you start reading and writing.”

“The 6 has turned his back on you because he has a full belly.  He already ate and is full. He doesn’t want to bite your finger.”

“The 9 opens his mouth to bite your finger, but changes his mind and closes his mouth.  He’s actually not hungry; he’s full. He already ate.”

You may have noticed I didn’t include 4 or 8.  My children haven’t had much trouble with those.

However, if they do struggle with 4, I just tell them to make a capital L and then a long line next to it.  And 8 is just an “S” that needs to be closed up, which obviously wouldn’t cause a problem with reversals.

I’ve included a reference chart below that I put on the table when my children are doing math.  This is a great tool to help them remember the hungry and full numbers. Feel free to open the image in a new tab and print it out for use with your child or pin to save it for later.

The Best Handwriting Curriculum

A great handwriting curriculum for teaching the mechanics of letter and number formation is Handwriting Without Tears. My oldest child was literally in tears over handwriting in kindergarten. But, when I switched her to Handwriting Without Tears, we never again had tears over handwriting. Amazing!

Related Reading:

Help for b and d Reversals with Beady Eyes Glasses

Child Struggling in Math? Use the Math Tutor’s Secret Weapon

Best Free Skip Counting Songs to Learn Multiplication Facts Fast

Let me know how this worked for you! Comment below.