I have a 6 yr old left handed son, does anyone have any suggestions on teaching him to write more clearly?

Answer 1

I am left-handed and my handwriting is so bad I can't read it. And that's if I print. My script is even worse.

Sounds like you are a rightie. Let's try and make you understand the problem. Lefties and western style writing/printing (meaning you write on a page moving from left to right across the page) do not mix. It's an awkward position for the left hand especially when called on to get a similar "slant" to the letters like righties produce naturally. Then there's the neatness problem. Unless a leftie adopts a very uncomfortable hand position which makes it even harder to write legibly, a leftie's hand smears the ink or pencil graphite as he moves across the page. Check out the heel of your childs hand at the end of the day and see how "dirty" with graphite or ink it is. On top of all this, add the fact that most binders and spiral notebooks are designed for righties. Do you have any idea how hard it is for a leftie to write with his hand being on top of the metal spiral or cramped it gets while trying to get around the binder hoops? Oh! and then there's the aspect of how few lefthanded desks there are in most classrooms. Usually few to none!! And inevitably some righthanded clown feels compelled to sit in the only lefthanded desk.

Suggestions:

1. Encourage a leftie to take their time. Don't hurry them. It's the only way my writing is legible. I have to slow down and be very deliberate.

2. Buy the leftie lefthanded products. At present, he's writing on unbound paper but that will change in later grades. Encourgae the leftie to write on unbound paper when ever possible. When writing on unbound paper isn't possible, there are lefthanded spiral notebooks and binders. Or think out of the box and use righthanded spiral notebooks "backwards" - in other words I use what a rightie would call the back side of a page as the front side of the page. This puts the metal spiral on the right side and out of a leftie's "way". I don't use both sides of the paper. I just "move" to the next sheet. Then when I have filled the spiral notebook I "flip it upsidedown keeping the spiral on the right side" and now use (what rightie's consider) the actual front side of the page but just upside down so again the spiral is out of the way. For note taking in class, I used either legal notebooks where the spiral is at the top of the page or I used notebooks that were bound without a spiral (ie bound like a hardback book but with blank lined paper). However be ready to fight with teachers especially at the elementary level. Many teachers have this irrational need for all their students to "conform" and use the same type of paper and binders in exactly the same way. They are not ready to "accomodate" a leftie.

3. Go to a store that sells art and drafting supplies. Buy what's referred to as an "eraser bag" - I don't know the brand names. This is a porous cloth bag that you "drop" a couple of times on a paper before writing or drafting on it. It leaves a white powder on the page. This acts as an eraser and reduces smudge marks and smearing marks that lefties produce when they have to write moving from left to right (see above about smearing ink and graphite).

4. Teach him to use a computer and get him typing as quickly as possible. I'm serious. This is the best solution - typing and printing out papers on a printer. However, keep in mind that a "normal" keyboard - "QWERTY" style setup of keys - still was designed with righties in mind. There are keyboard styles that are better for a leftie. I use the "DVORAK" style. Anyone even a rightie will type faster and with less mistakes if they learn DVORAK instead of QWERTY. There are even left handed versions of DVORAK. It is very easy to set up a computer in windows XP to "use" a DVORAK" keyboard setup. If sharing a computer, setup individual logon's and there will be no problem.

5. Get a lefthanded tutor to suppliment teaching your child to write. Don't listen to righthanders or righthanded parents. They mean well but they don't have a clue as to the problem that lefties have when it comes to handwriting.

Good luck. By the way, it's not just with handwriting that lefties encounter problems. It's a right handed world. There are some really good books out there on being lefthanded and what it means and how to deal with it. You might check them out.

Oh yes, if possible teach your leftie male how to pitch. Even an average ability lefthanded baseball pitcher can make a lot of money if he's good enough to make it to the majors.

Answer 2

I think it is fine for left or right handed kids to do that at 6. I am left handed and do tend to do a lot of things backwards though, just goes with the lefty. Both my kids are right handed and at that age wrote things backwards especially numbers and a few letters, the teacher told me they dont worry about it if it is in the correct sequence until the end of 1st grade. My oldest is in 2nd and rarely does it anymore.

Answer 3

I think you should buy him this book that teaches him how to write that can help him write clearly like straight words.

Answer 4

Practice, practice, practice. However, I'm 42 and my handwriting still sucks. (Yes, I'm a lefty.) It's legible, but it's not pretty. You're son is 6, though. Give him time, it will improve. My right-handed daughter is 10 and her handwriting isn't real good, yet. I wouldn't worry about it, too much, really. Practice will definitely improve his handwriting, though.

Answer 5

My second son is left-handed, don't worry about it, as he writes / prints more and more his writing will become more legible. He's only 6, give him time.
My Dad is left-handed also and has very neat writing and printing.

Answer 6

i have a six your old right handed daughter and her hand writing is not the best i think it is the age and trying to learn to write it don't matter what hand you write with

Answer 7

Have him practice! When I was that age, my parents got me these great whiteboards that had the alphabet, both Capital and Lowercase... one side it was print, the other it was cursive.

Don't worry, 6 year olds usually have messy handwriting anyway =]

Answer 8

im left handed and still write sloppy but better than when i was six just wait and be patient he will get better in time but now just let him learn how to write and spell

Answer 9

you better concentrate on teaching him to throw a fastball, they dont care if you can write clearly in the majors

Answer 10

ain't nobody gonna right clear at 6 years old. . . give it time, i can barely read some adults writing