4yo - left handed, but writes backwards and draws pictures upside down

[Neeerly3]

My 4yo DS has been obviously left handed since he first picked up a pencil. He is very precise, holds the pencil perfectly and his colouring in is so neat, I would be proud to say i did it!

However, he writes letters backwards and across the page from right to left. This weekend we also saw him draw a person perfectly, but upside down.

We switched the pen to his right hand and although he is more clumsy with it, wrote his letters the right way round and the person the right way up.

Any thoughts? Encourage the left hand and guide him to write the right way round, or move to the right hand?

He's at nursery full time currently, so I have asked them to keep an eye on his writing and drawing exploits, but would like to advise them how I want to proceed.

[Neeerly3]

bump

[HRHSaintMamazon]

how strange.

[Dior]

Message withdrawn

[mrsmaidamess]

A little boy that I support at school does this, draws things perfectly going 'up' the page or upside down.

You ds is still little, and will learn through encouragement that words normally go from left to right.

You could give him some tracing to do if you wanted, of yellow lines or zig zags going in that direction to make it familiar for him. But it may be something he loses as he gets older

[Neeerly3]

thanks all - DH and I concluded that he's either a genius in the making or destined for the 'special' class.....

[Maveta]

Leonardo daVinci did this! I am left handed and never did this, have always been very envious of the ability

see here

[Maveta]

sorry, if it doesn't go straight to it, just scroll down there is a section 'mirror writing' hth

[MmeLindt]

DD is right handed and has sometimes writes backwards. I taught English to two little boys who did the same. I don't think that it is so unusual.

I am impressed with the upside down drawing though. Maybe he is destined to be a spy, it would be handy to be able to read upside down.

[ib]

I used to do this!

I was kind of sorry to have given it up when I was a teenager - I thought it would be cool to still be able to do it.

Pretty common in lefties, I'm told.

[lljkk]

There is definitely something odd interesting about the spatial awarenes of left-handers. DS often looks at the letter M and thinks it's a W, or looks at a N and thinks it's a Z -- he's rotating the letters around as he looks at them.

[Neeerly3]

lljkk, how old is your DS, as mine will sometimes say W for an M or vice versa

[MadameCastafiore]

DS is right handed and writes everything back to front - he only knows Max (xam), dog (god) and cat (tac) - its normal to write back to front and start anywhere on the page at this age.

DS has just turned 4 by the way.

[mrsmaidamess]

Ooh I can mirror write...does that mean I'm as clever as Leonado Di Caprio?

[cluelessnchaos]

My ds does this but not the upside down bit, he writes both ways but I hadnt thought anything of it, he will learn soon enough when he begins to read,

[Neeerly3]

yes maid of course u are!

Actually i can mirror write myself, as (this is sooooo sad) i used to go to school on a bus so learned over those 7 or so years how to write messages on the window for people OUTSIDE to read....sigh, I'll get me coat.....

[shitehawk]

Lots of four year olds write back-to-front or upside-down - left and right handers alike. Lots will still be doing it in Reception, and some even longer.

Let him use whichever hand he feels right to use. He's still very little and there is nothing to be achieved by trying to get him to use his right hand.

[Neeerly3]

cool - he's 'normal' then!

[basementbear]

My left handed DS2 does this - he's in Reception year. He also writes his numbers from the bottom to the top rather than starting at the top. Funnily enough DS1 who is right handed also used to write perfectly backwards! He's now 6.5 and it's sorted itself out.

[Dior]

Message withdrawn

[shouldbeironing]

I used to be amazed when my DC did mirror writing. I sort of miss it - they have outgrown it. Please dont try and make your left-handed DS change hands. He will be fine

[lljkk]

Neeerly -- dS is 4y+5 months.

[muppetgirl]

both my lefty brothers wrote backwards and they turned out fine! They sort of corrected themselves.

My mother is a lefty also and my dad 'blamed' her for 'making' my brothers left handed.

[starbear]

Maveta, Thanks for the link. I've got a leftie and haven't a clue how to help him. I'm also dyslexic and hope he hasn't inherited it. It's early days he's only 4 yrs old. Also don't want to put to much pressure on him.

[bigbaubleeyes]

I am left handed and I can remeber being shown over and over how to write my name as I used to write it backwards - my handwriting and levels of literacy were fine all they way through the rest of my school. Like with any newly aqcuired skill gentle ecnouragement to practice without fuss.