What left-handed equipment should schools provide?

[karise]

Just been into school with triangular pencils, left-handed ruler, left-handed pencil sharpener & a write-well mat! Oh and just had DD moved- she has been sitting to the right of a right-hander, bashing elbows & getting cross since September .
Teacher says she might not be able to use the mat as it maybe a space issue (maybe she expects her to sit in the corridor as punnishment for being different?).
This is after all the problems with spellings needing to be covered with the left hand (see previous post).
What does your school provide/accept?
I am trying to stay calm & rational

These threads always make me a bit bewildered, because left-handedness is really not that much of a big deal.

Of course it can be a bit of extra hassle for some people learning to write, cut, etc, but lots and lots of people are left handed and we survive!

For the most part, special equipment seems like a bit of a luxury -- though normal scissors are a bit sore to use I suppose.

I'm a left handed mum with two left-handed children - it does matter. I found racket/stick sports impossibly hard at school to the point where I was so put off that I would do anything to avoid PE. I'm now and over-weight adult who still can't pick up a tennis racket and won't even try these things because I've never found anyone who could show me how to do these things well being left-handed. I struggled hugely with hand-writing as well and see my little girl who has just started in reception doing the same. Of course there is more too it than just scissors - I used to be a teacher and is was really tough - when I was writing on the board I was always stood in front of the writing, imagine having a class of 30 teenagers shouting 'miss, you're in the waaaay!) - I can't help it, I'm left-handed.

I think being left handed can b a big deal for some kids, and that the school's should provide anything which makes it easier- grips, scissors, rulers etc.
My dd's first school tried to change her to her right hand.
They also made her knit right handed. It was very cruel. She felt "wrong" and "bad" for being left handed.
I don't think special equipment, if it helps and speeds thenm up, is a luxury atall.

The problem is that the school budget simply doesn't stretch to it-they have enough trouble providing the basics. If you read the AIBU thread about school fund raising you will see that a lot of people would be unhappy about it! The solution is to get your own and send it in with them. Just about everything available from
this shop

I was wondering about the left handed tennis racket! I just hold it in my left hand-it doesn't need to be different like a hockey stick.I don't think you can expect the school to provide much, sometimes there are only a couple of left handers in a class, sometimes more-just take your own equipment.
A lot of things you have to get used to, a keyboard and mouse is shared, since I don't want to keep switching the mouse I now use it with my right hand.

I am left-handed and never had any equipment at school. As a result I play badminton right-handed, use a mouse right-handed etc.
DD is right-handed but DS may be left-handed so would definately look for school stuff eventually for him.
I am clumiser as a result of world being for right-handed people, I was always a liability in the lab at school .

Just curious, as a left hander,what would be different about the badminton racket-I merely hold mine in the left hand.It doesn't feel odd in any way.

Sorry making the kids tea. It just didn't look or feel correct in the left hand - perhaps due to coach demonstrating everything with right hand.
I would have been a more useful player being left-handed maybe?

Being left handed often takes your opponent by surprise. I think it is right hand demonstrations that are difficult to follow.

Surely rackets are neither-handed? And a right handed coach would demonstrate everything with their right hand. I would demonstrate with my left hand.

I really don't get all this left handed angst.

Left hand rulers are more of a novelty than a useful tool.
Left handed scissors are useful so is a writing mat and remembering to sit a left handed child to the left of a right handed child when writing
Triangular pencils can be helpful to both left and right handed children initially.

how on earth does a left-handed ruler help you draw a line better?? It's exactly the same shape as a so-called right-handed ruler!

It's the same shape devout but the numbers run the other way so you can actually see what you're doing. I remember peering over my hand to try to see if I was doing the right length etc!

I had no left handed equipment at school, but DS has and I've got him some stuff too. It is surprisingly helpful. When you're right handed the world is set up for you and you don't realise!

One of the best things funnily enough is a left handed pencil sharpener! You're turning easily rather than against yourself if that makes sense.

My ds really benefits from that, and from left handed scissors.

oh and a write well mat/paper is a REALLY good idea.

Easier for drawing a line of a specific length, not just a line. I would tend to draw a line from right to left, and so numbers going from right to left seems natural. But I can of course survive with a bog standard ruler.

not all left handed people need special things to get through their day

I've never had a problem with using regular scissors, and actually find using left handed ones incredibly awkward

The one thing that I would stick up for is a left handed ruler - it's not about drawing straight lines - you can use anything with a straight edge to draw a straight line, its more about numbers moving right to left and counting that way when measuring. hard to explain if you're not left handed.

I wouldnt' expect the school to provide anything apart from
scissors

without parents approaching the school to see if anything else would be helpful. YOu can get too caught up in these things I think

I am left handed and find the ruler pointless as you say different people have different needs

Thing is, I do think it's sensible to learn how to use the RH stuff, because that's the default version. I can use RH scissors. For accurate work I would use LH, but I can use RH if necessary, and it quite often is.

left handed chequebooks - now THEY are fabby