Handwriting for the ambidextrous

[runmiarun]

Last month my 4 year old decided to teach himself how to write letters. He had seen his older brother do it so he decided he need to as well. After spending the summer watching him to determine which hand he favored, I decided to teach him to write with his left. He seemed to favor that one more for writing and coloring. But in my watching, I think he is truly ambidextrous. He flips between hands for eating and shows no dominance for either side. In sports, he catches/throws/bats whichever side the ball is coming to. He's learned how to write all the capital letters left handed. He writes very smoothly for a 4 year old (better than his 6 year old brother). When we were writing birthday cards this weekend, I discovered that he writes equally well with his right hand. I asked him about this and he informed me that he practiced his letters with his right hand and his left hand so he right hand could know as much as his left hand. Then he showed me how he could write backwards with his left hand while writing correctly with his right hand (mirroring). I was floored.

 

So my question to the great forum minds is this: which handedness do I encourage for continuing to write? Or do I teach both?

 

Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom.

[Tigger]

He'll eventually pick a dominant side...I'm a true ambi myself and favor my right hand - but like your little guy, can write mirrored, upside down, backwards and concurrently with both hands. It's pretty neat. It's great in sports, especially tennis! As he learns to read, he'll probably also find he can read as fast upside down text as right side up text too and that he'll be able to read things backwards (that should be read in a mirror). I don't think you need to encourage anything, he'll use both hands and at some point prefer one over the other for daily things like writing or tying shoes, coloring or throwing a ball.

[nansk]

Wow! I am not the great mind you are seeking, but I vote for both. If and when he favours one hand, let him. But in the meantime, let him practise with both.

[boscopup]

That's pretty cool! I think I'd just not encourage either hand. Say, "Pick up your pencil and write xyz", letting him choose which hand to pick up the pencil with.

 

My youngest is left handed, but sometimes writes with his right hand. He also uses a hockey stick right handed. I just let him do whatever and don't encourage a particular hand. My DH used both hands pretty equally for a while, then chose his right hand for writing by time he was school age. He can still do a lot of things left handed also.

[MeganW]

I have 2 kids who didn't appear to have a dominant hand. We decided that as long as getting 1/2 the practice with each hand wasn't causing them to get behind, we wouldn't worry about it. At some point, both began worrying that they weren't as good at coloring as other kids. (Although they colored as much as others, each hand only had had 1/2 the practice so neither hand was as skilled as it would have been if they spent all their time with that hand.) At that point, we chose for them.

 

We chose right, only because in our society it is a lot more convenient. If there truly isn't a dominant hand, you might as well pick right. But I wouldn't pick one until you have to, just in case one emerges later. Some kids are closer to age 6 before truly choosing.

 

The only place that my kids have found that being ambidextrous is truly a problem is swimming. Learning freestyle has been a nightmare! Keeping up a kick, windmill arms, then turning to breathe to the side is a lot to remember at once, and they need to practice consistently on one side to get it. We finally put a bracelet on the arm that they were supposed to breathe to. That helped one kid, but the other continues to struggle. We figured out recently she was taking it off and playing with it while waiting her turn, and it wasn't always going back on the same wrist, so I know that's part of the problem. Hopefully we will get past this soon!

[macpuffins]

I'm from a family w/ both handedness & ambidextrous folks. I found out the hard way that my brain is mapped as if I were a leftie. I learned to write right-handed and left-handed, but Catholic School 'cured' me of using my left hand for writing. I do many things LH, including play sports. I get fewer injuries if I do it that way. I have taught calligraphy both RH & LH (and demonstrate w/ both hands).

So, now that MissB is here, I've noticed that she shows only limited preference. When it comes to handwriting, I'll teach her both. She'll decide later on if she wants to continue w/ both hands, or will become one-handed.

 

p.

(the hard way for finding out handedness in the brain: have migraines so bad that they make you do a zillion tasks w/ an EEG measuring brain function while the tasks are done w/ either hand. My brain showed more consistently when I used my left hand the same as when it was done mentally. There was more erratic activity when I used my right hand. Unfortunately this was discovered long enough after giving up my left-handed mode for fine motor skills that I couldn't just pick it back up. I triggered fewer migraines w/ left-handed/mental tasks than right-handed. Now when I do a lot of handwriting, I have to have a 'fidget' item in my left hand while I write, or else I'm guaranteed a nasty migraine).

[SunD]

DH is ambidextrous but favors different hands for different activities. For example he writes and eats left handed, but he pitches and golfs right handed.

 

He said let him practice with both and he'll choose later, but that will apply to lots of activities other than writing. It might be an ongoing thing every time he learns something new.

[macpuffins]

It might be an ongoing thing every time he learns something new.

 

:iagree:

 

The story of my life once I learned that my brain was mapped leftie. Most things I try, I specifically try BOTH ways to see which works better for my brain/coordination. I figure, if nothing else, if one arm gets broken (heaven forbid) at least the other one has a fighting chance at being able to take over.

[Jennifer-72]

I think I would just keep presenting his pencil right smack in the middle and just let him choose.

 

It might be a good idea to set him up with lots of midline crossing activities.

[laundrycrisis]

I am ambidextrous and so is DS1. So was my dad. I never had any problems learning to read or write. It works out great for skills like playing piano, typing, and playing woodwind instruments. It is also great for multitasking while cooking. However....

 

DS1 had some major visual processing problems. I am not saying they were caused by him being ambidextrous. He has severe amblyopia, and he also has many of the mental traits that are common in dyslexia..his brain is wired differently than what is typical. But his lack of directional dominance or even being able to distinguish which direction he was going was a major obstacle to him learning to read and write. It was one of the first things to be dealt with when he started vision therapy. It wasn't a little problem. It was a really big problem.

 

I know it is not automatically a problem for everyone. My dad used to use his left hand for both mirror writing and regular writing, just to keep it in practice. I do the same thing. I don't ever get the directions mixed up and start reading or writing backwards without realizing what I'm doing. But some kids have a very hard time remembering to go from left to right or being able to determine which way that is.

[LisaKinVA]

I picked right for my dd, because she showed absolutely no preference. She can write beautifully with both hands. She can also write backwards with her left hand... and draw with both hands at the same time :D

[runmiarun]

Thank you for all the great responses and words of wisdom! I greatly appreciate your insights. Now I know what to observe as he continues to learn to write and move forward in school. During his reading time yesterday, he decided to trace over his uppercase letters in his writing book with his right hand. He's a hoot. Thanks again!

[sweetpea3829]

I am ambidextrous and so is DS1. So was my dad. I never had any problems learning to read or write. It works out great for skills like playing piano, typing, and playing woodwind instruments. It is also great for multitasking while cooking. However....

 

DS1 had some major visual processing problems. I am not saying they were caused by him being ambidextrous. He has severe amblyopia, and he also has many of the mental traits that are common in dyslexia..his brain is wired differently than what is typical. But his lack of directional dominance or even being able to distinguish which direction he was going was a major obstacle to him learning to read and write. It was one of the first things to be dealt with when he started vision therapy. It wasn't a little problem. It was a really big problem.

 

I know it is not automatically a problem for everyone. My dad used to use his left hand for both mirror writing and regular writing, just to keep it in practice. I do the same thing. I don't ever get the directions mixed up and start reading or writing backwards without realizing what I'm doing. But some kids have a very hard time remembering to go from left to right or being able to determine which way that is.

 

Actually, I was just wondering about this and wanted to ask those folks that are ambidextrous and/or have kiddos that are ambidextrous...have there been any dyslexia-like difficulties?

 

And by dyslexia-like difficulties, I'm not just referring to difficulties with reading and spelling...I'm also including those difficulties that might be grouped under "dyscalculia" and "dyspraxia."