left-hand writing - any advice?

[granted]

My DS (4) is left-handed - only one in our family. I want to do lots of writing with him over the holidays, and he seems v keen. Does anyone with experience of teaching left-handers to write know what differences I should be aware of, esp letter formation?

Looking online, I've read the stuff about altering the angle of the paper and watching how/where they hold the pencil, but any info on letter formation would be good. It seems that the cross line in letters like t and f is done the other way around. Any other letters different?

Any other things I should be aware of?

Thanks.

And what about writing numbers - any differences there?

The only real differences are the way the paper should be tilted and that cross strokes "t" and "f" should be made right to left rather than left to right as you have said.

My DD is left handed and just found her own way.. iyswim

some left handers find it easier to write capital M N V W as a series of diagonal downward lines rather than the down up (^) or up down (v)

Thanks - I just wanted to avoid doing a load of stuff that he'd only have to unlearn again - he's v keen to do lots of it, as I've promised him a trip to see Thomas if we do a bit every day...and that is a treat worth concentrating with a pencil for.

Actually, we did a bit this morning, and he did fabulously well and really enjoyed it.

Only occured to me afterwards it might all be totally different for left handers.

Cross post - can you explain the diagonal downward lines thing, mrz? I don't think I can picture what you mean...

Also, are numbers like 7 different at all?

www.lefthandedchildren.org/left-write.htm

for a capital M a left handed child may find it easier to write

line straight down - back to top down diagonal line left to right to bottom - back to top another downward diagonal line but this time right to left meeting other line at the bottom finally a straight line from the top of this line to bottom

|/| type action rather than |V| hard to explain sorry

Gosh, sounds complicated - don't think we'll get there for a while - I may just let him do what feels most comfortable for that one.

Still on c, o, a, d and g at the moment, so that seems a long way off...

Thanks for advice. :)

Most letters are exactly the same as for a right handed child. Four is still very young as far as physical development for writing is concerned so lots of time. The most important thing is to remember to begin in the correct place and the correct direction.

That's what I was worried about.

I just feel bad because I've had so little time recently to help him, compared to the hours and hours I spent helping his sisters. I think at this age they need someone to just sit patiently with them and get them to actually do it - I was v impressed with how good his pen control was when we did - because otherwise, there's always something better to do/a game to play etc.

But you're right, I don't 'worry' about it, in the way I did with my PFB - by no 3, I know they do get the hang of it all eventually. I also know, though,that being viewed as one of the cleverest ones in your class from early on doesn't hurt your academic chances or self-esteem either. It's easier to start ahead than catch up later; maybe more so for boys, as I get the vague impression that expectations are slightly lower for boys?

As a leftie myself I had similar worries about how to show my annoyingly right handed children how to do things (I would have liked a leftie like me for some random reason). As it happens I form all of my letters exactly the same as a right hander and never had any special treatment as a child. Personally I would teach them to form their letters in the same way as you would a right hander. If they can't see it or are struggling then you can take special action but don't assume you will need to. I guess there are plenty of right handers who need assistance too.

Also I don't cross my t's or h's differently not sure how common that is.

expectingno2

ditto
DH and I are both LH
DS and DD are both RH
never an issue
pick the pen up and write
praise what looks right
they will work out the best way

at least they do not switch kids from LH to RH as was still being done when I was small.

One thing for in the classroom a leftie should not have a rightie sitting on their left.

Wel, they all sit round a circular table, and I have no idea who else is left-handed, so not sure how that's going to work!

Thanks for all the feedback - I just didn't know if there was something major I ought to know and didn't - thanks for setting my mind at rest. :)

My only other suggestions as a leftie is to also be careful of the pens you buy for him - smudgey ones are the bain of our existence!

Most important is that he develops a good pencil grip. LH's often develop a very bad hook grip... Grip should be same as for a RH.

granted the reason it is important and worth mentioning to a teacher is that if a child is writing right handed to the left of a child writing left handed their elbows often nudge jarring the writing.

I'm left handed and it never occurred to me that helping my righthanded dd to write might be difficult for either of us. She's never had a writing problem and nor have I although I've received very occasional comments about my 'spidery' writing. My obsersations on other left handers is that some hold their pens/pencils in a very tortuous way so I suppose it would be important to make sure your dc held his pen in a conventional manner

I'm a leftie, and so are half my dc's, never had a problem with teaching any of them, all good writers.Probably good idea to go the non smudge pens as suggested by Chunky just in case - none of us drag our hand over fresh work but I know some lefties do. But as a right handed household, please, please can you buy your little one left handed scissors - right handed ones are agony (know off topic but right handed scissors drive me nuts, and hurt if cutting a lot of stuff)

Thanks for tips - did get left-handed scissors, but sadly he ignores them and uses any pair of (terrifyingly grown-up) scissors far too successfully for my liking, to chop things up.

Thanks - am now relatively chilled about leftyness - just as we have absolutely no left-handers on either side of the family, I was worried we might be missing something crucial.