Jordan Left-Right Reversal Test

The Jordan Left-Right Reversal Test screens for reversal errors — writing or reading b for d, 41 for 14, "saw" for "was." Some reversal is normal in early reading; the question this test answers is whether a particular student is still making them well past the point where most peers have stopped.

Five subtests run in developmental order across two parts, with children aged 5 to 8 taking only Part 1. They identify reversed line drawings, reversed letters and numbers, reversed letters within words, reversed words within sentences, and letters out of sequence between two columns. Every task is recognition only — students mark what they see rather than writing anything, so handwriting ability does not affect the result.

Licensing Notes: Level C qualification required to purchase kit which includes the manual, 25 record forms, 25 Remedial Checklists, and 25 Laterality Checklists. Reproduction requires publisher permission.

Learn More: Two scores come out. Correct Responses counts reversals correctly identified, reported as standard scores, percentile ranks, and age equivalents. Errors counts both non-reversed items wrongly flagged and reversals missed, interpreted against norm-based cut-offs. The kit also includes a Laterality Checklist, an informal survey of which side of the body a child prefers for one-handed tasks — the rationale being that reversals are easier to remediate once a lateral preference has settled — and a Remedial Checklist suggesting activities.