| Never attempt to
change the hand the pupil uses for handwriting
without adequate dominance tests, which should be
carried out by a qualified and experienced
diagnostician. Handwriting movements should be
modelled with the left hand for left-handed
pupils.
The writing tool: The left
hander needs to hold the pencil about 4 cm rather
than 2.5 cm from the tip so that he can see what
he is writing. Encourage the pupil to keep his
hand below the line at all times so that he can
see what he is writing. Ensure that the pupil has
a sharply pointed pencil and a pencil sharpener
to hand. When the transition comes to using an
ink pen, the rollerball or fibre tip pen are a
great help as they do not blot or smudge (unlike
the ink pen).
Paper: The best advice that
can be given to a left hander is to angle the
paper correctly. tilt the paper in a clockwise
position, at about 20-30 degrees angle to the
right.
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This helps to
prevent the adoption of the 'hooked' held grip
with its attendant problems. This advice is
backed up by research of Enstrom (1962) which
concluded that it is better 'to turn his paper in
a clockwise direction but certain degrees of turn
are more efficient than others'. Tool
grip: Some hold their pencil too
tightly.
Drawing their attention
to this can help.
Finger and hand
relaxation exercises can help.
In severe or persistent
cases, put a sheet of carbon paper under
the page and compare the pressure used
with a sample copied simultaneously by
the teacher. This heightens awareness of
the error.
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