Is this a problem? Left hand related?

[mrsXsweet]

My dd (2yrs 9months) is showing a strong preference for using her left hand when drawing, my dh and I are both left handed but due to our age are fairly adaptable to using right handed equipment.
I am concerned that when dd pretends to read she runs her fingers from right to left across the page, also we live at number 27 but she tells us we live at 7 and 2. She has also started 'writing' and again 'writes' her name from right to left- the only identifiable letter is the A (her initial) and this is always at the right hand side of the scribble.
Do I need to be worried about this? When reading to her we have started running our fingers from left to right but it is currently having no impact on her 'reading' style. I know she is still very young but I'm wondering if there is anything I can do to help her. I work in a secondary school and when I mentioned it to my colleagues they were quite alarmed.

[hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman]

Sounds completely normal to me. I would just continue to do what you're doing, follow the text the correct way, show her the way to read the number etc and she'll pick it up.

[ilikemysleep]

Yeah, it's normal in a littley. Especially a left hander. Left handers tend to complete their brain lateralisation later than right handers and 'naturally' operate right to left. My left handed son occasionally mirror wrote until he was about 4 1/2. Worry again if she is still doing it aged 5 or so :)

[knackeredmother]

This is normal and will correct itself by about 6 years. Nothing to do with being left handed I dot think. Your teaching colleagues need to read their old notes about education/children's development!

[KenDoddsDadsDog]

I did this as a child - I remember being told off for it at school and crying (in the 70s) . But really it's not an issue. (I'm a lefty)

[HenriettaChicken]

I did this & am left handed. I also wrote my name right to left. Awkward as in rl my name is a palindrome so it looked right!

I grew out of it with no problems.

[mrsXsweet]

Thank you for the quick responses, it is very reassuring to hear it is normal!

[MelangeATrois]

I am left handed and can clearly remember mirror writing in Reception and being mortified when the other kids laughed. I don't think I did it again.
I am a teacher now!

[WannabeHarrietVane]

Both my Dds did this as toddlers and both are left handed. No problems in their later development as far as I can see - both are strong readers and write and spell well ( now aged 11 and 8). If she carries on tho perhaps you could start her learning Arabic, she might be a natural!

[steppemum]

she might be a leftie, but actually she may well not yet have settled at this age. The theory goes that they switch several times until about 4, when they settle. The switches happen at certain developmental stages, to do with left brain and right brain.
mixing left to right reading and writing is normal even after beginning school (would be a mild concern if they weren't moving on from it during reception year as they do more reading and writing)

dd1 was very left handed until about 3.11, then she switched to right and has never gone back. She remains very ambidextrous though, much more than ds (older)
ds didn't follow the theory and was very right handed from very young. he is also very mathematical and logical - very right brain, and was a slow beginner with reading and doesn't 'do' languages - all left brain activities.