Handwriting Tips for Left-handers

Being left-handed in a right-handed world brings challenges! Here are some ways to support your left-handed child. 

Sitting Posture

Make sure that the chair is at a height that allows the child’s feet to be flat on the floor with his knees and hips at 90º. The table height should be about 5cm above the child’s elbows when his arms are at his sides. This will ensure that his shoulders aren’t hunched and that he is not slouched. If the heights are incorrect, you can adjust them e.g. by using a cushion for him to sit on or placing a telephone directory under his feet.

Slant Board

A slant board facilitates the correct positioning of the forearm and wrist and prevents the “hook grasp” that left-handers often use so that they are able to see what they are writing.

Desk Position

A left-hander should sit next to another left-hander, or to the left of a right-hander so that they don’t bump each other as they write.

Paper Position

The book or paper that the left-hander is writing on should be angled 30º clockwise as this follows the natural arc of the left-hander’s forearm as he writes from left to right. The edge of the paper should be in-line with the child’s body midline to allow for easy movement.

Finger Position on the Pencil

The left-hander should hold his pen or pencil about 2,5cm from the tip. Holding a little higher on the pencil shaft (compared to a right-hander) makes him less likely to hook his wrist or smudge his work. You can put a sticker at the position where he should place his fingers as a visual reminder.

Copying Letters/Numbers

Most worksheets have a model letter, number or word on the left side of the page and then a space on the right for the student to copy it. A left-hander should have the model on the right side so that it is not covered by his hand as he writes. Worksheets should have the model on both sides that that they are appropriate for both left and right-handers. This also applies to ‘head, tummy, tail’ guidelines.

Letter Formation 

Letter formation is generally the same for left and right handers. However, left-handers can “pull” their pencils from right to left when crossing letters such as an “f” or “t” instead of pushing left to right. This makes their writing more fluent and prevents tearing the paper.

Use Left-Handed Stationary

Go to www.lefthandlearning to order left-handed stationary such as pens, pencils, scissors, sharpeners, rulers, slant boards etc.

By Jennifer McGuirk

References:

Left-hand Learning Facilitator Training Workshop notes, 2010.

www.mamaot.com