DD left-handed and writes from right to left ......

[sandyballs]

...... is this quite common in left-handed people?
She's only 3.5 so I'm not worried about it, just curious. She has just started to show an interest in trying to write her name and when I print it for her she tries to copy underneath but works from the right hand side of the page towards the left.

Anyone had experience of this and at what age did it change back to "normal".

I have also noticed her pick up books and start at the back occasionally.

I don't know whether it's anything to do with the left handedness, as DD used to do this at the same age and she is right handed. I thought at the time that it was quite strange but I suppose it's one of those things that we take for granted ...? I wouldn't worry too much.

my ds1 still does this sometimes, he is 4.5 - other difficulties are scissors, knife and fork it must be so frustrating. i try and correct him sometimes but he has real conviction and it must feel right to him. have you tried following the words in story books with your finger to help reinforce left to right. or could you pencil in very lightly one letter of her name at a time then get her to use a pen over the pencil?

you could also try asking her to put her hand over yours and keep practicing writing her name that way?

one of my nephews did this until quite recently and he's 6. i think it's completely normal.

I wouldn't worry at this point either. Maybe you have a female Leonardo da Vinci on your hands!

My dd is left handed and often writes from right to left, it seems more natural to her I think. I remind her if I see her doing it, and she then writes the other way, but she doesn't really realise she's doing it. She's 5 by the way.

Sandy - I did it when I started writing, and I'm left-handed.

I think is normal, it's just natural to go in the other direction if you are left handed, she will learn no to do it soon, but it's fun, I could write comfortably right to left until I was a teenager. :)

Both my dd's are l-handed and have done funny things when writing. It all sorts itself out eventually and 8yo dd2 has beautiful writing. There's a website called Anything Lefthanded which can be useful but I've never needed to buy anything special except scissors for my girls.

DD1 is right-handed and sometimes writes her name from right to left in perfect mirror writing, Kind of freaky but I guess having started off in teh wrong direction doing it in mirror writing kind of makes sense.

I am left handed and also do mirror writing and backward ticks sometimes. I have a great book all about left handeness that tells you that it is because we are using the creative, artistic right hemispheres of our brains as opposed to the methodical, mathematical side - still no answer as to why we are born that way though!

I am left handed and proud!

Am glad this has come up. My two youngest dds are left-handed. They are he'd and I am finding it quite hard to teach them to write as they automatically write from right to left. I find that they cannot see what they are writing when going from left to right. Does this make it more difficult for left-handed children to learn to write and is there anything I can do to make it easier for them?

MIAM, there are books to buy to help you with your dd's handwriting. It's easier for them to turn the paper rather than hold their hand in a funny position. My dd1 turns the paper through 90deg to fit her handwriting, though dd2 has her paper in a more conventional position.

Thanks suedonim. Have looked at the site and will buy the handwriting book. There are so many things there that I wouldnt have thought of too - left handed sharpeners!! Thanks again.

my ds2 is left handed and in infant school i got a sheet of paper for him to copy the letters of the alphabet - this showed how left handed people form letters differently - am not explaining myself but its easier if they start certain letters at a different point ( to formt hat letter) than right handed people do.

gosh does ayof that mumbling make sense - hopefully someone will know what it means and explain it better than i can!

Do know what you mean, honestly Custardo! Ive noticed that dd3 does form letters differently, goes round the loop in a's and o's the opposite way round etc. But she still gets the letter written in the end, so Im wondering if there is any point in forcing her to write them the way we do? She obviously finds it easier her way. Then again, I dont want her developing bad habits (if that what they are) at this early stage.

This is really interesting - ds is left-handed but only 3.8 so not realy writing as yet. He can write is name, sort of, and yes, it often goes from right to left although recently he seems to be favouring vertical writing, or even forming a square with the four letters of his name. I'll be on the lookout for troubles when he starts writing properly, might get one of those books too.

Well, dd2 wrote something for her homework upside down last night!!! These left-handers huh? I'm sure your children will eventually get the idea - if it's any consolation, dd2 has the best writing out of my four children, left and right handed, even though she's only 8.