Teaching Good Handwriting to Left-Handed Students

Teaching good handwriting to left-handed students can be difficult at times, but there are a few tips that can make it easier for both you and your students. Holding the writing instrument in the proper position and setting up the paper at the correct angle can go a long way toward eliminating common left-handed handwriting problems. Here are some suggestions to help you teach good handwriting to your left-handed students.

Teaching good handwriting to left-handed students: Adjustments to make

While the basic principles of handwriting remain the same for right- or left-handed students, there are certain physical adjustments that must be made in order to properly teach handwriting to a left-handed child. The biggest problem for a left-handed student is that the hand is in front of what is being written instead of trailing behind. This leads to hook-handed writing or smudging of the written words.

Teaching good handwriting to left-handed students: Holding the writing instrument

The most important adjustments a left-handed student can make are to the way he or she sets up the paper and writing instrument to begin writing. Many students hold the pen or pencil too far down and are unable to see what they are writing because their own hand is in the way. Teach your left-handed students to hold the writing instrument about an inch back from the point. This gives them more visibility when they are writing, along with lifting the hand off of the paper so the ink is not smudged as the student writes across the page.

Teaching good handwriting to left-handed students: Setting up the paper

Once your left-handed student has learned how to comfortably hold a pencil in the proper position, it is time to teach them how to angle the paper correctly. Problems with hookish handwriting occur when left-handed writers hold their writing hand parallel to the lines on the paper. Most students default to this position because it is the easiest way to get their palm out of the way so they can see what they are writing. Adjusting the pencil position is usually enough to improve visibility and correct the hook-handed writing style, but sometimes the paper must be tilted at an angle instead of sitting parallel to the writing hand.

Teaching good handwriting to left-handed students: Be patient

Teachers must be patient with left-handed students, especially when they are first learning good handwriting. There is a lot of inherent difficulty in learning a language that is written from left to right. Over time, the left-handed child will be able to write as fast as his or her right-handed counterparts, but the learning curve is steep at first. At least now, left-handed students are accepted by the educational system and not forced into writing right-handed.