Tips for Left Handed Writers

We live in a predominently right-handed world, where everything from notebooks to scissors are designed to be used by right-handed people.

Many of our left-handed writing tips are similar to the ones we would give to parents of right-handed children, they just have an extra lefty twist.
Taking a bit of extra care will help your children’s handwriting journey be much smoother. Try some of the following suggestions to help you and your child overcome some of the difficulties of being a lefty who's trying to write!

Get the right tools. Using the correct pen or pencil can make a left-handers handwriting much more enjoyable. In the beginning, when a child is writing with a pencil, you can get a pencil grip that helps your child to hold their pencil in the correct place - about 3cm above the nib. When they begin writing with pens, there are plenty of bright and colourful pens for left-handed writers that your children will enjoy writing with

Help them master grip. When people write with their left hand, they tend to have a different grip to right-handed people. This is usually in an attempt to be able to see what they’re writing but can result in a hooked or arched hand. We want to avoid this because these grips can cause strain on the wrist, and we don’t want to add any extra tension to learning how to write. Using the right tools as we mentioned in the first tip can help with this. If you don’t have access to the tools, some parents like to place a rubber band 3cm above the nib of the pen or pencil to remind their child where to grip the pen.

Tilt the paper to the right. Tilting the paper your child is writing on is important for both left and right-handed writing. The main difference is with a left-handed child, you want to tilt the paper clockwise, whereas with a right-handed child you would tilt it anticlockwise. Tilting the paper between 30-45 degrees will keep your child’s hand underneath the writing line, which gives them a clear view of what they’re writing.

Give them space. Make sure your child has enough space to move. Left-handed writer’s movement is already a little more restrictive, so it’s important we give them space to explore their new skill. This might mean you place them further away from right-handed children or on the left side to avoid bashing elbows.

Add in some sensory activities. Like all new skills, practice is important. But we all know what happens when you sit a child down to do one activity for too long, especially if they find that activity challenging. One way to get around this is to add in some sensory activities. Writing on misted up windows, finger painting and even writing in mid-air, is a great way for your child to deepen their knowledge letters and their formation.

Make it fun. You could try getting them some bright and colourful left-handed writing tools, or a new themed pad of paper decorated with pictures of their latest obsession. Using a range of activities is also a great way to keep them motivated. Pencil control activities, for example, can be a good way to break-up the more hard-hitting activities.
Patience! Children pick up skills at their own pace. All these left-handed writing tips will help your child on their way to mastering handwriting, but ultimately, time and practice are the two key ingredients. As parents, it’s important for us to remember there isn’t a specific time frame for a child to learn how to do something. With our encouragement and patience, they will get there when the time is right.

0:00 How can I help my left handed child?

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