Left handed 5yo - what to expect from school

[PyjamaFiend]

Just that really. My DS2 is 5 and in year 1. He is very definitely left handed and always has been. His writing is coming on and is legible but is clearly weaker than his contemporaries.

The biggest issue is with spelling tests, we religiously learn his spellings each week. I know he can spell the words (we learn them on squeebles and then tackle the writing later), but he often scores pretty low marks on his test. It’s getting to the point where his confidence is crushed. He has just cried his little heart out over his writing and I’m at a bit of a loss.

School are being pretty inflexible and I know that they will be wanting his writing to improve, but it seems reasonable to adjust their methods when it comes to him proving that he can spell. There really is such a massive difference between his writing ability and his knowledge and understanding.

I guess part of me wonders if this will eventually show as dyslexia, but I also guess the mechanics of writing might make it entirely normal for a child who is left handed to take much longer to get the hang of good pencil control and letter formation.

My biggest worry is that neither of his class teachers seem to have any strategies to help. Surely being left handed is not that unusual!

Both my boys are lefties and yes writing is a struggle. My eldest is Yr 6 and now writes beautifully. It was starting cursive that really helped him, joining the letters just seemed to help.
My youngest is Yr 2 and his writing is hopeless and yes we’re having the same trouble with spellings. He does fine at home but it’s the speed the test goes at school that is his problem. It takes him so long to form his letters that he gets lost. His yr 1 teacher sat him where she could see him so could remind him the words he missed. We haven’t started yet with his Yr2 teacher but we do use a spelling app so she can see he is practicing. Thankfully he couldn’t care less

It’s not unusual, but there’s also very little we can actually do. It’s just unfortunate as they block their writing with their hand as they write but there isn’t a way around that. What would you suggest?

I get the spelling thing - the only option I guess is for him to verbally spell them out or type them - but ultimately the goal of practising spelling at this age is to support them with writing simple sentences.

If it does turn out to be dyslexia there are other strategies such as coloured overlays that can help, but it often isn’t screened for until Y2/Y3 as at a young age it is often just developmental.

I’m left handed and the only issue I’ve ever had is that I smudge the writing by pulling my hand through it, making it harder to make out. Teachers must be used to this though so sorry I can’t be more help. I’m not bragging or anything but my handwriting is pretty nice (everyone asks me to write for them etc). I’m sure he will get there and being left handed won’t matter. :)

I visited a top primary school recently. Its results are very high.
They told us that in reception they don’t even begin to introduce handwriting until the summer term. They said they do phoenics etc daily but that they found their children were much more successful if they didn’t tackle handwriting too early.
They said they focus on getting their ‘big muscles’ ready before their ‘small ones’

They said the reception coass who had been homeschooled had the best handwriting he had seen of any class because they told the parents just bit to even attempt to teach it. Do the kids did it that bit later.

Your son is halfway through the first term of year 1!
I’d be very annoyed if he was already upset about his ability and really wonder about the school ethos

Sorry. So they told the parents not to teach it and therefore the kids started in year 1

My two DDs are left handed as am I. The school did nothing differently. DD2 in particular has messy handwriting but her handedness has never been discussed. You can help by encouraging drawing for example (or anything with pencil control). It didn’t have to be writing.

Left hander here and never had any issues.

Those of you who are left handed and don’t struggle, that’s excellent, I’m really pleased for you. But the issue is that I have a small child who is struggling. Crying his eyes out and calling himself stupid over it. And it’s mostly because of the spelling test. Verbal testing might work in the interim.

And his drawing is coming on actually. So that’s something. He drew a very recognisable shark the other day which was excellent. He also drew a llama which was not so recognisable 😁

Also a left handed and never had any issues, always used to get comments on how beautiful my handwriting was.

My sibling is also a leftie but has mild learning difficulties and found handwriting a struggle. They still don’t hold their pen the conventional way but can write fine even if a bit child like. I remember at school them having these rubber triangular sleeve things on their pencil to encourage them to grip it correctly. Might be worth looking at writing aids but also wouldn’t stress too much about it at this age.

My one twin is left handed.
He had the usual issues with smudging, used left handed scissors at school etc.
He's 15 now snd has far neater handwriting than his right handed twin.

Try not to worry. I know it's hard when he's upset, but re left handers, there's really nothing different you/school need to do.

I don’t get why there’s a spelling test in year 1! Spelling tests are a terrible way to teach spelling. Lots of 5 year olds will struggle with letter formation too.
He needs lots of fine motor skills practice and a year 1 teacher should know that. What spellings are they testing?

I'm a left hander. I have a left handed dc.
I don't think his issues with spelling are because of his left handedness.

No his ability to spell is not related to his handedness. He can spell all of his words. But he is struggling to write them down in the time allotted to him. It must feel awful, he must be running out of time the rest of the day too.

My ds didn't have issues but I did buy him left handed scissors.

You can get pencil grips and other left handed items that can help

I don’t think schools pay any attention to handedness. They just intervene if children are struggling with writing generally. School didn’t even notice my DD was left handed until she mentioned it when she was already in Y2.

I have my page at virtually 90° to write (I'm left handed) and that way I'm not covering my writing. Drove school mad but it worked. Could you try moving his paper round?

Is his handwriting so bad they can't read the words and that's why he's losing points on the spelling test?

What's the issue with his handwriting? Letter formation? Spacing? etc

Is it down to the fact that he is left handed that is causing issues with his spelling and writing? Many right handed children have similar issues.

You can get pens/pencils with left handed grip that might help.

DS is left handed as is DH. I am right handed. I began to make a big deal about DS being left handed and DH couldn't see why, as DH has never really struggled.

We did get the left handed pen grips etc and had left handed scissors at home, but that really was the only things we did. If he shares a desk with someone, useful that they sit the right way so they don't knock elbows!

www.anythinglefthanded.co.uk/acatalog/writing_equipment.html

I would speak to the teacher for advice and if they can give him some 121 help

What's the issue with his handwriting? Letter formation? Spacing? etc

All of the above 🤣 letter formation is a bit wobbly, size non uniform, writing is generally slow. But actually if you pay close attention he’s good at capitals and full stops!

My dc has fine motor issues related to disability. We finally had to get a formal accommodation because her teacher kept failing her on everything even though she had the answer correct. Her teacher wouldn’t budge in the handwriting. She was allowed to type after that. It’s kind of a nuclear approach because you want your child to work on handwriting, but there does come a point where the child can become so demoralized that something as to be done.

It's probably repetition that he needs as lots of practise should improve speed and technique

We are both right handed so didn’t really think about DD being left handed, no one else in either side of our extended families are lefties either. So although DD writes with her left hand she has grown up using right handed scissors and eats with fork in left hand and knife in right hand with no issue. when we realised she was left handed we tried her using cutlery the other way around but she said it felt wrong. She has very neat writing and has never struggled but some kids do struggle with writing and formation whether left or right handed. School will no doubt pick up on this in Y1 and give support. Some kids in our Y4 are going to handwriting intervention groups so it seems schools do keep the focus on throughout, not just in early years.

DD left handed and has dyslexia.

School were next to useless.

My eldest is year 2, age 6 and left handed. I’m not sure why being left handed would impinge his ability to spell? Main issue we’ve had is so much homeschooling involving a dry wipe board for zoom lessons - left hand rubbing out then pen as he writes!