Lefthanded Children in School

[Robins]

Just a bit of a general query really at this stage as I have only just started to think that my just turned 9 year old daughter may need some help in the classroom with her lefthandedness!

Do any of you have lefthanded children that have struggled with anything in the classroom but with particular reference to handwriting? I have done a little research on the net and know there can be difficulties if the proper support/teaching methods are not used and I now want to bring this up with the school. (I have done tentatively after listening to one or two moans from my little girl!)

folkgirl

The OP asked for advice on how to support her child as she thought her left-handedness was hindering her at school. Good for you, it never made any difference to you. Well done. God help the children in your class if that is your attitude: "I'm fine so just suck it up."

You've given your point...you don't feel any concessions should be made, it's not a disability. We've heard. If you don't have any further constructive advice for OP maybe it's time for you to leave the discussion. This isn't AIBU. OP has disappeared as she didn't expect to be attacked on a simple post asking for advice.

I didn't say I insisted. I said that I taught them the standard way. If any of them found that difficult then they'd be free to adopt an alternative direction of cross stroke, or I would show them myself. It hasn't arisen yet. Lots of young children find letter formation tricky. It is tricky! But immediately attributing a child's difficulty to being LH is the issue for me.

I've just done some handwriting and tbh, other than the letters f and t, it only applies to upper case letters, doesn't affect cursive script so it's not really an issue. I do my cross stroke L-R on the letter t but R-L on the f. I was honestly expecting to see completely different letter formations for whole letters!

ds formed like bs and the like.

You have misunderstood me. Either that or you haven't read what I've actually written in my posts. I'm not highly opposed to having them do anything differently. My point is that I am left handed. I have no idea how well or not I have 'adapted'. Having reflected on my own handwriting, I do one thing the LH way.

I don't think LH should be forced to learn to be RH. I am LH or did you miss that bit

I just have an issue with labelling children and providing reasons for expecting less of them. I've heard all sorts attributed to Left Handed children (all have been said about me on the basis of being LH at least!) - LH children can't learn to play musical instruments well; LH children can't sew; LH people can't knit. I can't knit, but that's nothing to do with my being LH!

It just bothers me that rather than being used as a way to identify a difficulty and identify a solution, it's used as a reason to excuse.

I don't want to argue with you. You clearly have some issues with your DD's school. You've seen that I've said I'm a teacher and you haven't been able to get past that. You're ignoring what I'm actually saying and all you are reading are your assumptions about all teachers whatever the words say.

MyChild fair enough. The thread has taken a different turn to the one the OP wanted and for that reason I'm going.

I had no idea LH was such a big deal tbh! I haven't said concessions shouldn't be made.

You're right, it's not AIBU and I don't want to 'attack' anyone on here or otherwise. But I'd read a lot of things said as fact about all LH, they're simply not and I've said that.

I'm sorry if I've offended/upset anyone.

The OP asked for advice on how to support her child as she thought her left-handedness was hindering her at school. Good for you, it never made any difference to you. Well done. God help the children in your class if that is your attitude: "I'm fine so just suck it up."

You've given your point...you don't feel any concessions should be made, it's not a disability. We've heard. If you don't have any further constructive advice for OP maybe it's time for you to leave the discussion. This isn't AIBU. OP has disappeared as she didn't expect to be attacked on a simple post asking for advice.

I think that FolkGirl has been totally misunderstood by you,MCDNSAX (sorry-too long to write), other people don't seem to have a problem with it. She isn't saying (and neither am I) 'hard cheese,I'm fine so cope'. Of course left handers should be helped by a teacher, and who better than a left handed teacher who can appreciate the problems? It is sensible to use products, give concessions and give advice to help.
OP wasn't attacked-she was given good advice. The one bit to note is don't draw attention to it, don't make it an excuse.

There is only one thing that I hate, and that is the DC trotting it out as an excuse because they believe it, because they have been continually told it is a problem. It would be so nice if right handers saw it as a positive thing!

Some left handers have problems, some don't. Some left handers are messy writers, some are very neat. Some left handers are very slow writers, some are exceptionally fast. In my experience you could say much the same about boys and imagine on here if you said that boys are inclined to have messy handwriting and be slow writers. Lots of posters would come on and say 'my DS doesn't have a problem' and my DS is neat and writes with speed'. When I say this as a left hander I get 'bully for you!'

It really isn't a handicap. I am one of the older posters and I was always allowed to be left handed at school. I think that you have to be almost 70 to have had a problem in some schools.

I perfectly happy being left handed, there are minor irritations, but we live in a right handed world. Most people are going want peelers for right handers or irons for righthanders, but it is easy to get them for lefthanders these days.

Tell a DC that they are going to have difficulty and they will!

I go the impression folkgirl was saying "Hardcheese"
Nobody is telling their dc they will have difficulty, but lefthanders do come up against more problems than rh and they needed to be sorted out ie the elbows banging.

She wasn't at all-she is a reception teacher and a left hander and helpful!! She just refuses to let it be made into a disability by right handed parents.

I have 3 DSs.
DS1 is right handed and left footed.
DS2 is left handed for writing, right handed for sport e.g. tennis and left footed.
DS 3 is completely right handed and right footed.

It doesn't tell you who has the nicest handwriting!

People also seem to forget that a right hander is just as disadvantaged if they sit next to a left hander!

Several people have said she came across like that. In fact, the hard 'cheese comment' was by somebody else, not me, so you must have come across the posts too.

She has apologised for offending so why can't we just leave it there?

I am sure people will take on board both of your views that you shouldn't highlight it to the DC as a disability. I think that is a good point.

However, the OP was just asking for tips on how to help her daughter. She felt she was jumped on (I don't think it was by folkgirl...it was back on page 1 or 2) and said she wouldn't be reading anymore because of it.

I just found it quite horrible that you are both teachers and using this hard attitude at someone just asking for a few concessions that would make their lives a bit easier. I don't want to be rude, but it comes across as a bit of a chip on your shoulder. You both said these types of parents 'irritate the hell out of you.'

Anyway, we have heard your point. You have made it several times. I am sure people will take it on board. It makes sense. Don't make it a big issue. OK. Now please just leave the conversation to people who have more to add on what can be done to support left-handers?

'hard cheese comment'

MyChildDoesntNeedSleepAtXmas:

Here, here! Well put.

I think that she went off quite upset to be misunderstood. I think it was quite telling that she was left handed. My guess is that most of the parents who see it as a big deal are right handed. I never worried when I had a left handed DC, I see it as quite normal.

I think I was the one who upset the OP in the first place - because as a 3rd generation lefthander with two right handed children I rather objected to the concept of needing "help" with lefthandedness

you may need help with holding a pen
you may need help with the angle of the paper
you may need help with bumping elbows
you may need help with forming letters
you may need help with seeing how to use scissors accurately

but ALL of those apply no mater which hand is in use at the time

I think that the problem is, TalkinPeace,that all the angst comes from right handers with left handed DCs. If we are left handed as parents we can't see a problem and then get into trouble for saying so!

Exotic -

1/2 family (DH & DD1) is left handed - other half (me & DD2) is right handed. Grandpa forced to write right handed in 1940s/50s as child - only just realised he was actually left-handed when taking up golf again in retirement - also forced to learn right handed as child.

Is there an attidunal issue here towards parents. Lord knows I have one toward teachers. I (a lowly whinging card waving Mum apparently) supplied TES info + very useful website addresses - where were you guys - you two professionals? Oh yes - that's right insulting OP & other parents.

I stress that you & folkgirl and a few others (but you two stand out - as you're allegedly professional teachers) seemed to take pleasure in...

denegrating parental concern
informing people posting that the problem was us (including offending OP)
not offering any helpful suggestions (except we're all whingers)

and frankly convincing many parents that there are teachers out there that when a child/ parent asks for help automatically treat us as 'difficult', 'whinging' or 'card waving' - rather than seeing it as concerned, confused and struggling and admitting we need advice/ help/ guidance. It's not easy as a parent to say help, this isn't working and I don't know what to do.

Kind of feel I am agreeing with you guys now being left-handed isn't the problem here - it's teachers like you two, God help your pupils.

Fortunately many of Mumsnet (parents and teachers alike) are helpful, inventive and supportive. I just want to say thank you to those who have been over the past two years. It has made such a difference to my family.

Whoever monitors this - apologies for losing my rag - but can I seriously ask you to warn exotic and folkgirl regarding their judgemental behaviour. This is for parents - to ask for help in situations relating to school. This isn't for teachers to come on and abuse us. Come and offer suggestions. Sure tell us we've got it all wrong - what teachers are trying to do here is x or y - but don't come on and tell a concerned parent who has identified an issue (in this case difficulties with writing as a left-hander - which even Times Education Supplement recognises is REAL!) that the parents are the problem.

I think that have have always stood out as being helpful and non judgemental. I actually have a letter that I have kept from a parent thanking me for being so helpful and understanding so I think that it is you are being very judgemental from posts, when you don't know me!

As I thought PastSellbyDate, you are right handed.

DCs can cope. Scissors for left handers are nice but they can manage-I say exactly the same to right handed DCs when they say they can't manage scissors for left handers. (The poem Scissors from Please Mrs Butler comes from the experience that anyone in school recognises-scissors disappear and finding a pair for everyone is the problem!)

I would say that my main problem as a DC was my mother thinking it was difficult and saying so. I can imagine her wringing her hands and going in and saying 'what can we do about exotic writing from right to left and backwards?' -it wasn't a problem I just learnt to follow convention.

I think that I probably missed my usual, and general advice, use this mail order for products, advice and even talking to other left handers. Therefore-ignore what you don't like in my advice and use the website!

I'm sorry if I wasn't helpful-I joined rather late and just got annoyed with people making out that people like me have a handicap! (we don't-we merely happen to live in a world where the majority are right handed and we have to adapt).

Of course I help them adapt-I just don't go for the trotted out line.

Again Exotic

I think I have to ask why as a professional - as the teacher in this situation most likely year after year - you weren't suggesting how to make letter formation easier - working on grip/ pencil grips to help hold hand in correct position/ left-handed pens.... You didn't pass on little gems of how to make it easier - you only offered insults to the poor OP. Shame on you!

you weren't suggesting useful resources/ websites

you just out and out were insulting to a Mum who was asking for help.

I don't believe that I was.
I don't see how there is a different letter formation other than crossing letters.
I help individual DC with how to hold a pen or the grip-all lefthanders are not the same! They don't all find the same advice helpful. You wouldn't say 'all right handers need to .....'. I don't slope my paper and so I wouldn't want a teacher saying 'left handers should do this'-some do and some don't.
I apologise for not giving the mail order link-I gave it elsewhere this week on here-I looked back and see that it wasn't this thread.

The letter formation for LH& RH is the same except for the cross stroke which left handers should make right to left and right handers left to right (as this avoids pushing holes in the page) . Both should generally adopt a similar pencil grip and for most children whether left or right handed special pens or pencils aren't needed unless they have motor development difficulties.

That is my understanding mrz and I would never offer a pencil grip to a left hander unless they had motor development difficulties.
I take them as individuals. You would never get a left hander saying, 'my DC is righthanded-how can they get help?' The assumption is that lefthanders will have problems. My assumption is they won't and if they do and need help I will give it and advise the parent.
My one mistake was not replying to OP, who did ask for help, but to all those who see it as a handicap.

mrz Wed 07-Dec-11 18:50:10

I think the fact the OPs daughter is left handed isn't the issue ... she is having problems with writing in particular and the teacher should be aware and looking for ways to help help

I'm left handed and have mixed experiences of it. I did struggle with handwriting until my teens when I developed my own style which made letter formation much easier for me. We were expected to use fountain pens or rollerball pens at school. Fountain pens were more than hard work - I ended up with painful muscle spasms from pushing them across the paper and, yes, I was constantly covered in ink. I couldn't even get rollerball pens to work. I pleaded to be allowed to use biro.

I've just got on with it with everything else, though. Some things more successful than others. Some difficulties i put down to being left handed, such as using tin openers and opening bottles or jars have turned out to be due to me having hypermobile joints and very weak wrists as a result.

Little oddities: I browse books and magazines backwards, because it is so much easier for me. I've learnt to use a computer mouse with either hand without having to change the buttons. This reduces the strain on my wrists and means I can plug a mouse into my laptop wherever I'm sat if i want more control than with the mousepad. It also means I can mouse and make handwritten notes at the same time without any implement shuffling.

I'm glad that chequebooks are pretty much a thing of the past. Writing in them was a pig.

I've all but given up crochet because of my wrists, but ended up learning to do it left handed, which meant all patterns were written backwards for me.

And those stupid all in one seats with a writing rest fixed to one side are useless for me. Something else I'm glad I no longer have to use.

I certainly don't regard left handedness as a disability (if any handedness is an indication of disability, it's the inability to choose a favoured hand or give each hand a role and make them work together that so often goes along with dyspraxia - my 5.5 year old has only just learnt to use a spoon because of this). A largely right handed world does present us with a lot of annoyances, though, which some people will be better placed to learn to overcome than others.

I always point it out, ouryve-for example I have told them in our local M&S that whoever placed the card readers at the checkouts didn't think about left handers.

PastSellByDate I agree with everything you said there.