To ask how you write a 5

[NoCryingInEngineering]

DS is in reception and this week's parent torture homework is to practice writing numbers. He has a sheet with examples down the side and a little rhyme for each one. Everything's been fine except 5 which he can't (or wont) get right. DH thinks it may be because he's left handed. And I know I don't write 5s using the school method

So I'm interested. How do you write a 5?

I'm left handed and do it the same way as MsSquiz although my 5s often look like Ss.

Down, round then back to put the 'hat' on.

I do horizontal left to right then the vertical, the 2 people with me do vertical then the horizontal. We all had to write them because we didn't know how we did it.

he tends to do a flattened s too but he really has to concentrate more r it ends up backwards
I wish my DM kept my early school books as I, apparently, used to copy down off the board in complete mirror writing, starting on the right of the page.
I've always imagined it was something to do with the mirroring of the brain between right/left-handed people.

I wonder if the opposite happens in languages where the written word is right to left and whether, historically, these populations have more left:right-handers.

Leftie here & like an S is way easier. I struggled with 5 as a kid until a left handed TA just told me to do it like that.

I start with the vertical line and then go back and put the hat on. Sometimes the end of the tail loops back round to wear I draw the hat so it looks like a rubbish 6. My numbers are all a bit weird though.

We teach "Short neck, tummy fat, Mr 5 wears a hat"

Right handed people pull the pen when writing.

Left handed people have to push it.

That makes a huge difference in how easy the task is.

For a leftie, writing a 5 like an S is pull, push pull.

Doing this is much more difficult "Short neck, tummy fat, Mr 5 wears a hat"

I’m left handed and write a 5 like an S, when I’m doing it neatly I make it a right angle then the curve. It can look a bit like an S. In most situations that wouldn’t matter but it does in equations: 2A + 5S = 135 (not real, don’t try to figure it out!)
is that 2A + 55 = 135 or 2A + 5S = 135

Start at the top right then all in one go without lifting the pen

Asked leftie husband and he said he does

Down
Curve
Top line (right to left)

He said any other way and it looks like an S.

We've been together many many years ... how did I not know this?

I work in a primary school. We teach "down the back, round the belly and then the hat".

Lefty here.....down, and around and put a hat on it.

My y2 left-handed boybeast is in bed, or I would quiz him. I’m right-handed and do the vertical/curve/top method.

I'm left handed. I do a down stroke, then the curve and then a horizontal left to right on top.

I’m left handed and start with the horizontal bit at top, right hand end, go backwards, then down, then the curve. One movement.

I had to write one to check, but I actually basically draw an s then go back and put a horizontal left to right line on the top curve to make it straight.

I'm right handed, just for reference

Left handed and like an S here too!

I'm a lefties, write it like an S with a flat top in one stroke starting at the top

You need that programme that had the pen that showed how to write letters/numbers.

I can't remember what it was called though. Great programme though, I loved it when I was little.

One movement - like as ‘S’ but flatter top.

Left handed, and have certainly written a lot of 5s in my life, but having had 2 glasses of and read this thread, I no longer know how to do a 5 Thanks a bunch OP!

Down, round and put on the hat is what we teach. One complete stroke usually ends as a s in little hands.

I have never thought about this before but upon trying it, realised I start at the left of the horizontal, draw the horizontal from left to right then go back on myself across the horizontal from right to left, then down, then round. So I do the horizontal bit twice effectively. Wonder why?!