5 Year Old - Ambidextrous

[MiserableMama]

My DD is 5, she started school in September 08 and is doing well. Her reading is very good, but her writing much to be desired, and I am worried that part of the problem is that she still hasn't chosen which hand she wants to use and writes with both hands (although her teacher says she favours her left hand and I agree).

Whilst writing, she will often start with one hand and then swap to the other and I am sure it must break her concentration to do this. I cannot see any difference in neatness, but when she writes with the right had, she has problems forming some letters, such as a and d.

Her teacher isn't overly concerned - I have discussed it several times with her - but she did however say that they will need to look at it soon to see if it is having a definite impact on her writing and letter formation.

Does anyone have a child witht he same prblem? And advice would be appreciated.

Hi My son is now 10 and did not decide which hand to write with until he was about 6. His handwriting was atrocious and is still not fantastic. He made a conscious decision on which hand to use to write but will still use both hands to colour in, with a pencil in each hand! As he is getting older his handwritting is improving, but he can either write quicly or neatly, both together is not an option

I was like that, and still am. I can do most things with both hands including writing. To write I use my right hand, as I was made to choose at school. I remember my first teacher repeatedly taking the pencil from my left hand and putting it into my right and it wasn't exactly done done gently! I'm sure they'd do it differently nowadays, but why not wait a bit. I'd say she'll chose naturally. I think I would have done if they'd let me.

hi. My son is 5 and is left handed. When he started school he was writing terribly with his left hand. Suddenly he just started using his right hand for writing and said he finds it easier that way and the writing is better. He continues to do everything else with his left hand. I just left it to him and didn`t mention it as he seems to know whats best for him.

Hi,

I was exactly the same when I was 5. When one hand got a bit tired, I would just swap to writing with my other hand. I finally stopped swapping when I was 6 and am now right handed (although still very dextrous with my left hand). It did have an impact on my writing - but frankly, it doesn't matter at age 5 or 6, and by the time I was 7 my writing was just as good as anyone else's in the class.

Also, my eldest ds appeared to be left handed until he started in reception. He is now writing with his right hand...

Basically, so long as your daughter has decided which hand she wants to write with by the time she's about 6, it's unlikely to have any impact on her in the long run (I think the thinking goes that if a child hasn't established handedness on their own by 6, then they probably need a bit of help, as clear natural dominance of one side or the other is unlikely to happen on its own much later than this). I would probably therefore only be concerned about this now if your daughter is showing general signs of poor co-ordination, which would impact on more than her handwriting and maybe make her appear a bit clumsy, generally. If this is the case, then maybe she could benefit from a bit of extra attention before 6.

My DS was like this - is now 7 and uses right habd for writing, but left hand for lots of other things, and plays footbal left footed. His writing is still a bit untidy but no more than an average boy.

On the positive side, he should be really good at tennis.

i was like this and so is my DS (4).

i wouldn't say its a problem as such- if she's writing happily enough and not backing away from it because she finds it too hard or confusing, then her ambidexterity be a bonus! apparently ambidextrous people are highly creative intelligent people and your DD will probably settle into preferring one over the other soon enough anyway. if she was being educated in france (i hear) she wouldn't be expected to be using a pencil 'properly' until 7!

if you have any concerns at all about her coordination generally (falls over a lot, can't catch balls, misses mouth when eating, limited sense of spatial awareness, very easily distracted) i would suggest taking her to your GP. my DS has just been diagnosed with coordination developmental disorder (dyspraxia) which was an immense relief to me as he will get the support (and patience!) i didn't!

The only thing I would check is that she can 'cross the midline'. It's the imaginary line down the centre of your body. Some kids have difficulty crossing that line and it causes some difficulty with writing and for some it causes problems with gross-motor coordination. That might be why she's swapping hands half way.
You can play games to help her do that and do drawing activities which mean she has to continue holding the pencil in that hand (whichever one she starts with).
There are lots of resources for this sort of activity like drawing in a 'path' connecting a rabbit to his dinner (or something like that!) where they have to draw a line from the left of the page to the right. It just makes it more fun than saying 'draw a line from here to here'! Ask the teacher if they have things you can photocopy.
You could do things like put a green stamp on her right hand and a green cup over on the left. Put a whole lot of green things on the table and get her to put them all in the green cup. Do a different colour on the left hand with a cup on the right. As she gets better you could time it, just to make it more exciting!
Anything you can think of to encourage her to cross the midline.
At dinner, ask her to pass things to you on the table that are on the opposite side to you. See if she crosses or if she hands it from one hand to the other.
She'll most likely sort it out pretty quickly. If you continue to have concerns you could ask for a referral to the paeditric occupational therapy team in your local area. They'll do an assessment and give you more specific advice than I have here. Good luck!

Not sure if you're still looking at this but just in case -
More info:
I just copied this off a website. There seems to be lots of sites that have info on related topics. I've copied bits from 2:

www.ccs.k12.in.us/Hbm/Topics%20in%20OT.htm
What is bilateral coordination and crossing the midline?

Bilateral coordination is the ability to use both sides of the body at the same time. This can mean using the two sides for the same action (like using a rolling pin) or using alternating movements (like climbing stairs). Bilateral coordination can also refer to using each side of your body for a different action, such as stabilizing a paper with one hand while writing with the other.

Crossing the midline, which relies on good bilateral coordination, means using part of one side of the body in the space of the other part. Some examples of crossing the midline include sitting cross-legged on the floor or drawing a horizontal line from one side of the paper to the other without switching the pencil to the other hand.

Why is bilateral coordination and crossing midline important?

Having efficient bilateral coordination enables both feet or both hands to work together. This allows you to play and work with fluid body movements. Bilateral coordination and crossing the body?s midline also support a child?s development of fine motor skills, ability to use tools, and ability to visually track a moving object.

How can I promote the development of these skills in my child?

Here are some suggested activities that you can try:

o Play Simon Says (?touch your left elbow?)

o Kick a soccer ball (balance on one foot and kick with the other)

o Blow bubbles and reach with both hands to pop them

o Pull cotton balls apart (can glue onto a picture, make a project, etc.)

o String beads to make a necklace

o Spread peanut butter on toast or frosting on cookies (and open jar first)

www.proteacher.net/discussions/showthread.php?t=1858
Some children actually have a problem "crossing the midline" of their bodies (an imaginary line down the center of the body from head to toe). They cannot reach across their body with their right hand to pick up an object that is on their left, or vice versa. They get "stuck" in mid reach & will have to switch hands. This can also apply to the legs, but is more noticeable with the hands/arms. Not being able to cross the midline may affect a child's ability to read, write, participate in sports & physical activities, etc.
As the previous poster noted, this all has to do with "brain programming", etc. Brain Gym exercises that involve crossing over to touch the opposing shoulder, elbow, knee, toe, heel, etc. can help "program " the brain to do this. You may have to physically assist the child to make the movements across the midline.
If the child is very young, you can try table exercises to cross the midline. While sitting at a table, have them pick up a marker, toy, cheerio, etc. that is placed on their right, but gently restrain the child's right arm and make them use their left. If the item they are reaching for is an item of great interest (favorite toy or treat), they will make a greater effort to get it. Again, you may have to physically assist the child to move the arm across the midline.
Another suggestion is drawing large lazy figure eights (the infinity sign, or an 8 laying down). This can be done on a chalk board, in the air or on large piece of paper.

I looked at this thread today as I am having the same concerns regarding my DS (5). Have there been any developments since you wrote the initial post ? I have discussed DS's "multi- handedness" with his reception teacher and she was very relaxed about that and his less than brilliant writing (which he has decided to do left handed for now). Any more pearls of wisdom ? I am planning to have another word with his year one teacher when term starts. Compared to my 2 older daughters DS is definitely behind on the writing front and is holding himself back by swapping hands.