Teaching a left handed child to write...

[BriansLovie]

Is it more difficult than teaching a right handed child? I believe DS will be left handed. He eats and draws with his left hand mostly.

[StewardofLOs]

I don't know about it being more difficult, as my DS is under 2 :) but AS a lefty, I would just like to say:

1. Be open to him writing things "differently," such as starting a letter where you would end it, writing with his hand "hooked" over or underneath the letters (underneath is better afa avoiding smudges), etc.
2. I think the "hardest" part was learning how to hold the pencil. I had to really work at that, but afa forming letters it wasn't bad.
3. Don't be afraid to ask for help. I had to have our left-handed neighbor teach me how to tie my shoes (it took her two tries to show me what my parents had been trying to teach me for weeks) but my right-handed teacher was patient enough to help me figure out holding the pencil.

good luck if he turns out to be a lefty! :hug we're pretty unique people you know ;) :mrgreen

[jenn3514]

I was a lefty in a family of rightys. Everything my mom showed me, she sat directly across from me and told me to watch her hands. In this position I just mimiced whatever hand was directly across from mine. Sounds confusing- but it worked for us.

[NovelMama]

To eliminate the smearing issue (and the hooking issue) tilt the paper clock-wise. It can be a little more difficult to write left-handed since you're pushing, rather than dragging, the pen from left to right. Letter formation was created with right-handed writing in mind, so it can be awkward to master. I had *horrible* handwriting as a kid, but once I was in high school it improved significantly. Now, if I may say so myself, I have beautiful handwriting. :) Just takes a lot of practice!

[ReedleBeetle]

Isaac still can't decide. :lol Even at 4 he will switch equally between right and left hands. I *think* he is right handed because he tends to eat right handed, but he writes with both hands.

[MarynMunchkins]

It's easy. Don't do anything special. :) If he gets confused, just sit in front of him so he sees a mirror image.

[tempus vernum]

It's easy. Don't do anything special. :) If he gets confused, just sit in front of him so he sees a mirror image.


This is what I do. . . except in reverse. . Dh and I are both lefties and our dc are all 3 righties . . . so we just don't do anything and then sit across from them when needed ;)

[mamaKristin]

It's easy. Don't do anything special. :) If he gets confused, just sit in front of him so he sees a mirror image.


This is what I do. . . except in reverse. . Dh and I are both lefties and our dc are all 3 righties . . . so we just don't do anything and then sit across from them when needed ;)


That is my DH and I too! I really struggled with how to do it, until I figured out sitting across from them. :doh

[hey mommy]

I had trouble teaching C to write. He's left-handed and dh and i are both right. I never thought to try sitting across from him.

Doesn't Handwriting Without Tears have something for left-handers?

[SilverMoon]

I don't remember doing anything special or different for my left-handed son. He followed the letter formation and held his hand in whatever position was most comfortable for him.

[MomtoJGJ]

I've never done anything special for my two lefties... I did learn to sit across to teach tying shoes....

It does seen harder for them to write than for my righty, but that makes sense about the pushing rather than pulling....

[hey mommy]

I've never done anything special for my two lefties... I did learn to sit across to teach tying shoes....



Does that help? WIth the shoe tying? We've been sitting next to C trying to teach him. Would it be better to sit across from him?

[IslandMama]

I have 2 lefties! My oldest dd found this website (http://handedness.org/action/leftwrite.html), and she said it has help her to write more comfortably...I tried some of the tips with my younger dd, but she still insists on doing it her own way. :shrug3

[MomtoJGJ]

I don't know if it helped her learn how to tie her shoes or if she just got it, but she couldn't do it before we sat across from her

[tempus vernum]

I've never done anything special for my two lefties... I did learn to sit across to teach tying shoes....



Does that help? WIth the shoe tying? We've been sitting next to C trying to teach him. Would it be better to sit across from him?


I finally quit working on shoe tying :shifty I figure it will come when it does. . . but for us, I couldn't help our oldest dd and gave up on that too and then my sis (right handed) taught her once and she immediately got it :shrug

Our ds is 7.5 and believe it or not, I know at least 2 kids that are 7.5 or older that can't tie their shoes yet :shrug so we just buy him velcro for when we don't want to tie them :shifty

[hey mommy]

I would love to wait, but dh is insisting on it. C is actually doing pretty good, especially w/dh teaching him. He has more patience than me right now.