4Real Forums: hand position for lefties

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Topic: hand position for lefties

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cornomama4
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Joined: June 20 2007
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Posted: Oct 02 2009 at 8:50pm \| IP Logged

Hi everyone,

I have 2 lefties in the house, ds9 and dd3.5 I have recently decided to start a regular copywork routine (5-10min/day) for ds9 and ds8 righty because their writing is really horrible.

I'm curious what hand positions the lefties in your house use. Do they curve their hand over the top or do they hold their pencil like a traditional right-handed grip, just in the left? Ds does over the top, but I think it won't be too much trouble to adjust it if I should since his writing is sporadic at best. I think I may observe him while he's drawing (which he does very well) and see how he handles the pencil. Funny how I can't see it in my head..his hand position while drawing. I've only seen him draw like a million hours or so!

Dd (3.5) totally suprised us all today when she decided to write her name "all by herself" and did so legibly and spelled correctly (her name has 8 letters). I realy didn't know she could do that. It was bizarre and wonderful at the same time. She uses the "mirror" of the right hand position, such as it is at her tender age.

It's also funny how 1 and 3 are lefties and 2 and 4 are righties. Plus so many other things that the pairs match up on..that's another post (or dissertation).

I guess I'm just curious about ds9 and the over the top position. Any opinions? Thanks!

cm4

ekbell
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Joined: May 22 2009
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Posted: Oct 02 2009 at 9:12pm \| IP Logged

I'm the only leftie in our house so far.

Generally it is better to move the paper and keep the wrist straight (slanting the paper to the right can help -let your child practice since it's not the same for every leftie) even though this can be a bit messy and does make it hard to read what one has just written.

That said if a child is working well and without tiring too quickly then they are doing well enough.

mathmama
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Joined: Jan 07 2006
Location: Pennsylvania
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Posted: Oct 03 2009 at 5:45am \| IP Logged

I am lefty and fought for years in public school with the teachers about the whole paper slanting thing. If I am remembering correctly they wanted me to slant my paper like a righty which forces the hand to smudge over the work or for the lefty to use "the hook" (which is what my dad does). Anyway, what I always wanted to do and what I eventually prevailed in doing (they got sick of fighting with me I guess

) is just slanting my paper the opposite way and holding my pencil without the hook. This way the wrist does not drag over the writing at all. I have no idea if this is the correct way, but it certainly makes the most sense...no one should have to walk around with ink or lead smudged on their hand/wrist all the time and also have smudgy work

Beth

MichelleW
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Joined: April 01 2005
Location: Oregon
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Posted: Oct 03 2009 at 3:36pm \| IP Logged

All five of us are lefties. We slant the paper so that it is parallel with the arm and the wrist straight. I suppose it does look like the mirror image of the right handed way. It is much less tiring for us that way.

My dh did the hook thing all through school. When we were in college he was amazed at how quickly and easily I took notes. He was incapable of writing quickly and of writing for long periods of time without tiring. He ended up reteaching himself to hold his wrist straight. He still doesn't go as quickly as I can, but he tires less.

I don't know if that works for every lefty, but it has worked for the lefties in my house.

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Michelle
Mom to 3 (dd 14, ds 15, and ds 16)

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