According to the Handedness Research Institute, it is important to actively teach left-handed children proper techniques on how to use their left hand to write. Without proper guidance, left-handed children develop techniques that can lead to slow and messy writing, as well as discomfort when writing.
Step 1
Purchase pencils and other writing supplies that are specifically made for left-handed children.
Step 2
Use a left-handed desk to teach the child to write. If the child sits at a table, make sure that she has ample room on her left side to move her arm.
Step 3
Teach the child to gently hold his pencil between thumb and forefinger. The Handedness Research Institute recommends that children be taught to hold a pencil approximately 1 to 1.5 inches from the tip. The child needs to be able to see what he writes. Place a mark on the pencil to indicate where the child should grip it, if he holds the pencil too low, according to Handedness Research Institute.
Step 4
Tilt the paper so that the top right corner of the paper points up.
Step 5
Teach the child to keep his writing hand below the writing line when writing. According to the Handedness Research Institute, the goal is to make sure that the child's hand does not block what he writes. In addition, this technique keeps the child's wrist from bending or assuming a “hooked” position. The hooked position results from attempts by the child to see what he writes and to minimize smearing, according to the Handedness Research Institute.
Step 6
Draw a colored line down the left-side of the paper to help the child orient the left-right direction that writing should follow. Left-handed children struggle with writing from left to right and may engage in mirror writing, according to the Handedness Research Institute. Mirror writing is the circumstance wherein a child writes backwards so that writing appears normal if held up to a mirror and reflected. Handedness Research Institute recommends other techniques to combat mirror writing. Provide the child with a correctly formatted writing example to copy. If mirroring problems continue, provide the child with a tracing exercise wherein she traces over correctly formatted letters and numbers.
Step 7
Allow the child to write with bigger letters and numbers in the beginning. According to Handedness Research Institute, the size of letters and numbers will decrease as he becomes more proficient at writing.
Step 8
Give the child positive encouragement. Both Parenting.com and Handedness Research Institute stress that positive feedback fosters good writing habits for left-handed children particularly as they struggle with the task.
Tips and Warnings
- Allow the child to practice writing on a chalkboard or whiteboard. This technique helps the child master writing with a straight wrist, according to the Handedness Research Institute.
Things You'll Need
- Paper
- Left-handed pencils
- Marker
- Left-handed desk
