Teaching a a left-hander to write

Discussion in 'Homeschooling' started by ebrookelyn, Oct 13, 2013.

  1. ebrookelyn

    ebrookelyn New Member

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    Does anybody have tips on this? I'm right handed, so I have no experience. I know it's just flipped, but any advice would be helpful.
     
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  3. CrazyMom

    CrazyMom Banned

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    Buy pens with quick drying ink! LOL. One of my best friends is left handed and his only complaint is that his hand drags over the ink and smears it as he writes:)
     
  4. Lindina

    Lindina Active Member

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    Speaking as a lefty, I can say this: Encourage your lefty to tilt the paper farther toward the right than a righty does to the left. (My own slant is very to-the-right, so that my paper edge is nearly parallel to the edge of the desk, and I'm writing nearly directly toward myself.) This will keep the hand from dragging over the writing. Encourage a proper arm position, with the forearm parallel to the edge of the paper and the hand below the writing. (Do NOT allow a "hook over the top" position!) Personally, I have not had that much problem with regular spiral notebooks because of this proper position but some benefit more from writing on looseleaf or spiral-at-the-top notebooks. Do encourage a proper right-slanting cursive, rather than a left-slant (or backhand), from the get-go.
     
  5. vantage

    vantage Active Member

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    I am a lefty. I was fortunate to have a lefty teacher in Second grade.

    The paper should not be slanted in the opposite direction contrary to popular belief.

    Fast drying ink is a great thing. I like the Pilot V5 and V7 type of pens. Also fine tip Sharpies are great.

    Erasable ball points are a super NO NO unless they have changed in the last year or two.

    I will post another post later, Just noticed the time.
     
  6. Shilman

    Shilman New Member

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    I am a lefty and my righties turned out fine! Just teach them to write the way you write only opposite. Like Lindina said, have them slant their paper to the right and don't hook over the top. I write like a right handed person. I never drag my hand over my writing and use spiral notebooks all of the time with no problem. Just make sure they have the proper pencil grip and there should be no difference.

    I recommend buying clear Pyrex measuring cups for cooking. Don't force left handed scissors. If they pick up the scissors and can use them in their right hand, let them learn to cut that way.

    Good luck! You should have no problems.
     
    Last edited: Oct 15, 2013
  7. Lindina

    Lindina Active Member

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    Vantage, every single handwriting program I have ever seen shows proper right handed posture and paper position, and proper left handed posture and paper position which is exactly a mirror image. What I'm saying is that the lefty should turn their paper even a bit farther to the right than the picture shows - not necessarily as far as mine, but definitely tilted to the right. Are you saying the paper should be tilted to the left like a righty? Then you have to hook over the top. If that works for you, fine, but my way is considered correct by the "experts" on that sort of thing.

    Public school started my DS and his DS out in kindy (they're both righties) with the paper straight in front of them, and I never could break that habit with either one for a proper cursive! :x

    And everybody's talking about fast-drying ink --- I get the impression that this mom is talking about a young child just beginning to write, not a junior high kid. Pencil!
     
  8. Emma's#1fan

    Emma's#1fan Active Member

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    I am a lefty, my daughter is a righty, no problems here. :D

    I drastically slant my paper, to the point that I write toward my body.
     
  9. sixcloar

    sixcloar New Member

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    I have two lefties. I didn't really do anything different than I did with my righties. I encouraged proper pencil grip. Neither hooks their hands over to write. Each puts their paper where they are comfortable with it. One lefty does not like spirals, but the other doesn't mind them. We really don't use them much anyway.
     
  10. hermione310

    hermione310 New Member

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    I am a leftie, my daughter is a rightie. I agree with the poster that mentioned that positioning the paper however it's comfortable works best. If a proper slant is achieved with the hand positioned wherever your child is comfortable (ditto with the paper), great! I struggled with teachers that insisted I hold my hand in a particular position. That was REALLY difficult for me when I was young and as far as I'm concerned, achieved nothing in the end. I know plenty of lefty adults that hold their hands in funky positions ("hooked" being a primary example) and their penmanship is fine.

    I always ended up with pencil on the side of my hand when I wrote (still do when writing with pencil). This was unavoidable and the cure was.....more hand washing! :)

    Good luck to you and your southpaw!
     
  11. DucksBigBrain

    DucksBigBrain New Member

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    I say BOTH!

    I recommend having him learn to use both.

    I am a dominantly right-handed human. However, since sometime late last or early this year, I've taught myself to be ambidextrous in all things.

    Not only is it "handy" (hahahaha!) in many different circumstances; like using a drill in awkward tight spaces, but the whole experience has offered fresh new perspectives as a whole.
    Like, how I subconsciously would stand to the right of something, such as the kitchen sink to wash dishes, the stove when cooking or turning to the left instead of right when turning around. I even used to only stand under the shower so that the water was always running over my left shoulder & never my right. I surmised it was because my brain said "hey, you'll be warmer if you stand facing the wall where there's a heavier concentration of heat". Subconscious cognitive human patterns are so fascinating!

    I digress...

    I didn't read any tips or tricks from any lefties, I just do something until it feels comfortable & then I just stop thinking about the dynamics of the process & let it floooooooooooooow. It has been very rewarding.

    I don't use just my left or right, I like to mix it up so neither one feels neglected & refuses to perform properly. Exercise is key!

    NOW, sometimes my left handwriting is nicer than my right! Hahaha!
     
  12. ebrookelyn

    ebrookelyn New Member

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    Thank you so much. We just started today, and things are going well so far. And yes, this is my youngest who's just learning how to write.
     

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