How do you deal with margins for a lefty?

[ExcitedMama]

DS has started indenting A LOT on the left. He didn’t used to do this. How much do you enforce margins with a lefty? Do kids even write papers anymore? If everything is done by computer should I just let it go? Obviously he needs to know how much to indent and why but should I let him leave wider margins to be comfortable?

[Tanaqui]

How much is "a lot"?

[ExcitedMama]

“A lot” is about double a normal indent. 

[Tanaqui]

Then I wouldn't worry about it. (Especially if he's pretty young.)

[silver]

If you're using spiral notebooks, he may be doing it to avoid having his hand drag on the coil. My youngest is left handed and always complains if the worksheets I bind with our ProClick require her to write on the far left side, near the coil binding.

[ScoutTN]

On 6/26/2018 at 3:58 PM, silver said:

If you're using spiral notebooks, he may be doing it to avoid having his hand drag on the coil. My youngest is left handed and always complains if the worksheets I bind with our ProClick require her to write on the far left side, near the coil binding.

Yes, this is very irritating. Choose looseleaf paper and notebooks with binding or spiral on the top for lefties.

 

[Tanaqui]

Or, if you can't, one really easy workaround for spiral notebooks is to simply write on the OTHER side of the page and leave the right-hand side blank.

 

Edit: And, of course, whenever possible arrange materials so what he's reading is on his right side, and the place to write is on the left side. I don't want to admit how long it took me to figure this out as a young lefty. I wish my teachers had outright told me to do the opposite of what my classmates did! (I still can't remember that I have to sit on my kids' left side if I want to see what they're writing!)

[BlsdMama]

On 6/26/2018 at 3:58 PM, silver said:

If you're using spiral notebooks, he may be doing it to avoid having his hand drag on the coil. My youngest is left handed and always complains if the worksheets I bind with our ProClick require her to write on the far left side, near the coil binding.

I thought of spirals immediately - I'm left handed too.

If it's loose leaf, I'd explain about proper margins and have him do it correctly.  There's nothing uncomfortable about that.  If it's because of the spiral, then I'd let it slide but teach proper margins for loose leaf.  Use loose leaf if it's an option.