Mirror writing in children is often misperceived as a pathological sign rather than a normal developmental phenomenon. Although a developmental perspective has gradually emerged in recent years, the existing literature lacks a comprehensive and systematic synthesis of research findings on this topic. Based on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, this systematic review examines the prevalence, developmental trajectory, underlying mechanisms, and error patterns of mirror writing in young children. The findings indicate that mirror writing typically appears between ages 4 and 6 and gradually declines as children’s writing skills mature. It is primarily caused not by handedness alone but by the dynamic interaction between the brain’s innate mirror generalization mechanism and culturally acquired writing-direction conventions. Error patterns are systematic, with left-facing characters being reversed at a significantly higher frequency. While mirror writing is a predictable and transient phase of early literacy acquisition, atypical cases associated with pathological conditions also warrant attention. The proposed neurocognitive–learning interaction model offers a balanced and unified understanding, helping correct widespread misconceptions among educators, parents, and researchers.
Hansol Lee (Tue,) studied this question.