The Letter Detectives Club

Chapter 1

Spotting b and d Clues

Meet the b and d Clues

A tiny clue can help you spot a tricky letter. The letter b has a belly on the left. The letter d has a belly on the right.

Look closely, like a detective with a magnifying glass. Fun fact: a lowercase b can look like a stick holding a round belly! A lowercase d can look like a stick with a backpack.

Your detective words are: “b has belly left!” and “d has belly right!” Say them as you look.

Your Turn: Find the Bellies

You need a pencil, a blue crayon, a green crayon, and a paper magnifying glass or your finger.

1. Look at this example: b. The round belly is on the left of the tall stick. Color the b blue. 2. Look at this example: d. The round belly is on the right of the tall stick. Color the d green. 3. Point to each letter below. Say the clue aloud. 4. Circle each b in blue. Circle each d in green. 5. Count your circles. Write the numbers.

b d b d d b b d

I found _ blue b’s. I found _ green d’s.

Great job if you used the belly clues and circled all 8 letters!

Make the Mission Different

Use new colors. Try purple for b and orange for d. Say the clue each time you color.

Try it faster. Set a timer for 30 seconds. Circle the letters you can spot before the timer rings. Then check each belly carefully.

Work with a friend. One friend points to a letter, and the other says “belly left” or “belly right.” Switch after 10 letters.

Draw your own letters. Draw 3 b’s with bellies on the left and 3 d’s with bellies on the right. Add a tiny backpack to each d.