Left handers! Help!?

Question

My daughter is almost 4 and is trying to learn how to write. I am having problems teaching her because she is left handed and i'm right handed. Her teachers at school (Both right handed) say this shouldnt make any difference, but it does. SO are there and left handed people out there that could give some tips on how to approch this PLEASE!

Answer 1

I'm left handed and are both of my kids ages 4 and 5.

I just gave them a pen and they chose which had they wanted to use.

What problems are you having? If you elaborate I can help.

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Answer 2

"Teaching a child to write with his or her left hand is not just the opposite from teaching how to write right-handed. Languages that are written left-to-right, like English, are more difficult to write with the left hand -- a right-hander writes away from his body and pulls the pencil, while a left-hander must write toward his body and push the pencil.

If a left-handed child is only permitted to write with the left hand but not taught how to write, the child may develop a needlessly uncomfortable, inefficient, slow, messy way of writing that will be a lifelong hardship. Therefore, it is especially important for parents and teachers to understand how to teach left-handed children to write correctly.

The most important factors are: the position of the writing paper, the position of the arm and wrist, and the grip on the writing instrument."

There is PLENTY more information at:

http://handedness.org/action/leftwrite.h...

Answer 3

I'm left-handed, and so is my mom. I don't remember having a problem when I was being taught in school by a right-handed teacher though. It's mostly the same, just opposite of what right-handers do.

My mom always complains about kids grips though, because she says so many of the natural grips are wrong, and make the kids handwriting worse, than if they would hold the pencil correctly, but the correct grip would be the same whether you are right or left-handed. Just opposite.

Answer 4

I am left handed,,,left handed people tend to write towards themselves slightly tilting the paper so that the right hand edge of the paper is almost facing them,right handed people tend to do the opposite,

Being left handed never hindered me other than being given a left handed fountain pen to write with which I found impossible.

Answer 5

My son is left handed also, and I had trouble too with him.  Your teachers are right though, dont fret over it, my son learned how to hold his pencil and the rest just fell into place.  As long as your daughter can hold a pencil and write on the paper, she will not have a problem writing the same as any other child.  I do notice that it is easier for my son to write when he turns the paper a little sideways, she will get it and she shouldnt have any problems when she does start writing.

Answer 6

Oh, it makes a BIG difference.  I'm a left handed "hook" writer.  No right hander can understand how to write like that.  My advice would be to find a left hander to assist you.  Isn't one of the parents a lefty?

Answer 7

Hi! Am a left-handed teacher, and one of my own children is left-handed. The only problem comes when left-handers use a pen with very wet ink, as this tends to smudge their writing as they sometimes immediately cover up what they have just written. Left-handers push a pen/pencil, rather than pull it like right-handers, but as long as they are able to develop their own, comfortable grip they shouldnt have any problems. In fact, the only problem we have is people telling us we're different!!! Its a documented fact that left-handers use different parts of their brain and are considered to be slightly more intelligent than right-handers. So there!

Answer 8

She should  keep trying!

Answer 9

im a leftie too, try not to help her too much, let her find the position that she finds easiest, it may look squint to you but its whats best for her that matters. i was the only leftie in my house and cant remember it ever being an issue. i just adapted to the others. i do find it difficult now to use equipment that is specifically for lefties.

i am now a mother of 3 right handed kids, i just let them do whats natural to them.

try not to fret!