Left handed writing practice books?

[GwynAndBearIt]

My DS is 6 and in year 1. He is left handed and is really struggling to improve his handwriting. I have bought some practice books from WHS which involves tracing over letters within tramlines.

He has particular difficulty with the lead ins and outs, kind of adding these on after forming the letters. I often think he will never 'get' the joined up writing and why not let him write the best way he can?

But that I suppose will be undoing the teaching and may confuse him more?

Are there any handwriting practice books out there aimed and left handed children?

I'm not sure this helps but I recall from a thread a little while back that left handers write in the same way as right as far a lead in etc. I couldn't be sure for certain.

My DS 5 joined in writing practise with his big sister and is doing ok and it's really helped him. The things I noticed were that he needs to angle his paper and he gets better with the practise. He can't see what he is doing very easily so it's a lot about feel rather than visual. I have a cd that through each letter and they then trace over the letters. It's not something I do very often (perhaps 3-5 days every 2 months) but when I notice that grips are slipping etc and they are starting in the wrong place I bring it out. It's really helped motor skills, letter names and 1 side of the sheet takes about 7.5 mins so I would just stick it on straight after dinner whilst I cleared up the food the little bubba had thrown over the side. I also found it calmed them down because they had to listen and concentrate on something. 7.5 peace for me :)

Unfortunately I have an Australian version called Easy write so not sure if the UK has something similar.

Try the anything left-handed website!

Try googling "left handed handwriting worksheets" or something similar. I also got some off an SEN handwriting website which were quite good.

Get him some stabilo[sp]left handed pencils, they have finger places marked on them and are slightly thicker but write nicely.Morrisons had them recently, the way he holds his pencil is really important.

Anything lefthanded do a writing mat which will teach him to rotate his paper slightly so that he can see his writing.

I have 2 lefties and know how triky writing can be for them.

good luck

Great responses, there's some really helpful stuff there.

He's been really keen to practice, I think it's really be bothering him that he finds it so difficult.

Thanks for the help.

dd(8)is very strongly left-handed and has the most beautiful joined-up handwriting, so it's not a given that lefties will struggle with writing

I think what helped her was doing lots and lots of drawing and fine motor skills stuff like threading beads, making clay models, playing with lego etc

She did a few handwriting work sheets but found them boring and preferred to write and illustrate her own stories - all good practice and seemed less pointless to her so easier for her to get on with

6 is still very young - my right=handed ds was really struggling at that age (and even at 11 his writing is nowhere near as neat as his little sister's!)

Another vote here for the stabilo pencils - the "easy ergo" ones. Just bought for 2x DDs who are left handed and have noticed a vast improvement with both of them.