Hi all, I've started schooling a friends 6yo son. He is left handed and has terrible handwriting. Part of the trouble is that he is using whole arm movement instead of using his fingers/hand to move the pencil. He also has a strange grip where he uses all four fingers and the thumb to hold the pencil. Does anyone have any suggestions to help him?
I'm no expert, but I am a "leftie" with neat handwriting! I think 6 is a bit young to be worrying too much about neatness; but it's important that he learn to hold his pencil properly. How about trying one of those pencil grippers? I don't know- it's just a suggestion. (I don't think this would necessarily be just a "leftie" problem.) Heidi
I agree with trying the pencil grip BUT...get the little ones where you have to rest your finger in the right place. We've got several different types around here (for a rightie) and he doesn't like the smaller ones because it makes him hold it correctly. We have another type that has sort of a *shield* on the top that helps them determine how to hold it and this is actually ds's favorite. It would work for a left handed as well. Check them out and see but I think (I tried it) you could just point the arrow up instead of down for a lefty with the little tiny pencil grips. At 6 it won't necessarily be *neat* but, it should be readable. Sounds like you have some retraining to do. maybe hold the pencil with him to *stablize* but, let them do the witing. Be sure to hold with your left hand :wink:
My 6yo ds is a leftie. I don't think being left handed means it's harder for him to write, it's just the age. He is still developing fine motor skills. However, a pencil grip helps him to remember to place his fingers properly around the pencil. The other things I watch for and train him to do is to have good posture and place his paper properly on the desk (a leftie would have the paper parallel with his/her left arm). Placing the paper properly helps avoid the "hook" that many lefties develop. As you work with your friends' son, training him to hold his pencil properly, etc., his writing should improve. It definitely should be legible at this age. Also, it would be good to have him do things that improve his fine motor skills. Tina has listed a ton of these activities in another thread! HTH!
If they do handwriting pages, it can be frustrating for lefties because the letters/words are usually written on the left side of the page. As they start copying, the left hand covers them up, and it's harder for them to do the letter when they can't see it. KWIM? When my 7-yo dd, who is a leftie, was working on handwriting, Sandy, from abcteach, made up some handwriting pages for her with the letters and words on the right side of the page. That way, as she was writing she could see them, and that helped her a lot! Sandy is GREAT! You may want to check with her and see if she can do that for this boy, or if she has any other ideas for you! www.abcteach.com
Did anyone see the story this weekend suggesting ultrasound during pregnancy contributes to lefthandedness?
I didn't see that. That's interesting. I had one ultrasound with my first, two ultrasounds with my 2nd, and one with my third. My first two are right-handed, and my 3rd is left-handed. My aunt is left-handed, so we figured it's genetic. Anyone else know? I've heard genetics, that's how we found out my aunt is left-handed. I asked my parents. She was left-handed, but her teachers forced her to be right-handed, that's why I never knew. Anyway, it's interesting how it all works!
It was an article about these powerful ultrasounds people have so they can tell what the sex of their baby is, or even to make cards out of it. These ultrasounds are much stronger than the ones we get routinely during pregnancy. My Kevin is left handed and I had at least two with him, but then so is my sister.
Nah...I don't believe it. I think it's genetic. I had at least 4 ultrasounds with ds#1 and he's as right handed as they come.
I don't mean to dispute the "findings" of whoever researched this......... however, how were there left-handers before ultrasound?! I'm a leftie and my mother never had an ultrasound. And, there were millions before me! In my personal opinion, they should spend their time researching something of more importance! Heidi
I think I agree with the genetics thing (as I said above) too, it just makes more sense. And it does also make sense to ask, "What about all the lefties there were before ultrasounds (my aunt being one of them)?!'
I do know its hard to teach a child who is right handed to write, when you are left handed. I have never had a pretty hand writting. I turn my paper sideways to write. I think the best way to teach a child to write is to let them creat a way that works for them. Even if it is strange or uncommon. This way he can create his/ her own personal style. I agree its gentic. God created us to be left handed for a reason. Left handed people are the only people that use the right side of the brain.
I remember when Kevin first got diagnosed with ADHD, there were a million reasons for it. I think the medical community sees a coincidence somewhere and grabs on to it. Keep in mind, this article was about people who wanted to put this ultrasound picture on their Christmas card!
I am pretty sure its genetic. When I was younger I was left handed. My teacher did not like nor allow this so I was forced to learn how to write with my right hand. My brother in law, Aunt on my side and hubbys are all left handed. I had 7 ultrasounds with my son, he is right handed. I had 9 with my daughter she is left handed. She is almost 5 and knows that she turns her paper opposite of moms. She already holds her pencil the way she should and when she is practicing her letters we put a sheet in front of her for her to see it so she knows what letter she is working on. We also found for both of our kids that the papers with the lines and groves in it was great! That way if they went "downstairs" or into the "attic" they would feel it on the paper through there pencil.
