Teachers spend time teaching children how to write with the right hand, but often left handed children get lost in the shuffle because teachers do not know how to write with the left hand. Here are some tips to correctly teach a left-handed child to write, or correct poor writing habits of a left-handed child.
Angle the Paper for a Left Handed Writer
When writing with the left hand, paper angle is very important. Start with the paper just to the left of the student’s mid-line. Likewise, a right-handed writer should have the paper just to the right of mid-line. The paper should be angled for the left-handed writer so that the top right corner is closer to the body than the top left corner. Different children may prefer more or less angle to the paper.
How to Hold the Pencil
Students should hold the pencil the same way whether they are right handed or left handed. Students should grip the pencil between their thumb, middle and fore finger about an inch away from the tip. The middle finger should curl slightly underneath the pencil to provide support. The child should hold the pencil far enough away to see his writing as well which will also help prevent him from smearing his words.
A common mistake students make is to grip the pencil too tightly. This strains the muscles and can cause tension and pain that increases as the child writes more. The teacher should encourage the child to grip gently and relax while writing. Allowing the child to write with larger letter will aid in a more relaxed hand grip, and making sure that the child is not gripping the pencil too close to the tip will help as well.
How to Position the Hand to Write
When writing with the left hand, it is important that the arm be perpendicular to the bottom edge of the paper. This ensures that the paper is in the correct position. In addition, the wrist should not bend as left-handed writers often do. The wrist should be straight, and the hand just under the line the student is writing. If the wrist is bent, this is an indication that the hand is too far up the page. By bringing the hand down slightly, the student's wrist will naturally straighten.
Just as important as not forcing a student to write with one hand or another, is the importance of teaching the child how to write with which ever hand is dominant. Lack of instruction, particularly in learning to write with the left hand, has left many children struggling to write legibly. Teachers who provide proper instruction for writing will begin to see improvements in handwriting and writing ability.
Source: Holder, M.K. , PH.D.Teaching Left-Handers to Write. Handedness Research Institute Papers, 2003.
Read more information on how to teach students how to write, including information on dysgraphia, a specific learning disability in the area of writing.
You may also be interested in how to improve students' handwriting.
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