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Living in a world largely designed by and for the right-handed majority means lefthanders can be frustrated by not being able to use implements that are made to work against them. We, as adults, have hugely adapted (Since left handed products were not readily available) but for young children, starting to write or cut out shapes at schools, an extra burden they could do without. The first institution where children meet strangers and where they learn to act away from their home bred inclinations is their very first school. That’s where they learn how to behave at certain occasions and how to drop their timidity that often accompanies them due to their discomfort caused by strange and unfamiliar environments. And hence it is essential that schools are well equipped with articles and objects that cater to both right and left handed students so that the students feel comfortable very quickly. Kids will progress a lot faster and develop with much more confidence if they are using tools that are designed to actually work for them. Just the way it is for the right handed students, luckily in today’s day and age, there are plenty available for left handers as well but it is essential that parents and teachers know they are there and can give the straightforward advice to children on how to use them effectively.

Teachers play a huge part when it comes to nurturing kindergarten left handed students. But what if teachers aren’t trained to identify and train left handed students correctly? It has been found that a teachers’ inclination to learn methods to teach left handed students remains quite limited to the possibility of themselves being left handed. In such cases, it is imperative that the parents take the responsibility of making the child and the teacher equally aware of the tasks and the ensuing errors they may face while learning and teaching in schools respectively.

Some of the most common advices to teachers and parents to inculcate good writing habits in left handers are as follows –

1. Remember that it may take 5-6 years for a child to start showing his dominant hand. Teachers are to remain patient with children and try and figure out which children are showing a tendency for wrong letter formations and check if that child is a left hander in other day to day activities.
2. If a child is found to be a dominant left hander, parents are advised to ensure that the teacher knows this fact and school or parents equip the kid with left handed products like scissors, sharpeners, ruler scales etc.
3. Spiral books are a nuisance for left handed kids, so if possible avoid books that are spiral bound at left side, and use the ones that are bound at the top, or other type of binding.
4. If multiple students are made to sit on a desk, then make sure that left handed kids sit on the left side so that they don’t bump their elbows with others while writing or doing other activities.
5. A left handed child needs to be taught the correct methods of writing suitable for them (More on that later).