12% of the world population is left-handed. So many left-handed children will not reach their full potential if they are not actively supported to develop their natural skills, or worse if they are switched to right-handed techniques.
Sadly, this is poorly understood by parents and childhood educators so our children are being disadvantaged.
Motor skills refer to the processes responsible for body movement. Gross motor skills pertain to the large muscles and are responsible for balance and movement of the limbs, head and the trunk. Fine motor skills relate to control and movement of the smaller muscles for activities such as drawing and writing, speaking and playing an instrument. All these skills are controlled by the brain.
The left side (hemisphere) of the brain directs the motor control of the right side of the body and the right hemisphere controls the left side. In most people, one side is stronger (more dominant) than the other and this determines whether the person is deemed to be right-handed or left-handed.
This is natural. Our handedness is a natural variant of the human condition, just as our hair or eye colour is. It needs to be supported and not changed.
Research has shown a strong link between motor skills, cognition and academic achievement. One study in the USA showed children with strong fine motor skills at 5 years old performed better than their peers in maths and reading at 6, 8 and 10 years old. Lettering and early writing has been shown to improve a child’s reading and comprehension of texts. If a child’s natural handedness is not supported in the development of these skills, they will not achieve the same standards as if they were fully supported.
One of the most complex fine motor skills a child will learn is handwriting. Even in this digital world, there is a place and a need for children to develop fluent handwriting. Fluent means it is legible, and it is comfortable and flows across the page. Studies have shown that there is a significant difference in memory retention and recollection when students use handwritten study notes versus notes taken on any digital platform. This is hampered if the student is more focused on the act of writing, instead of the content, when they write with the non-dominant hand or they use a poor technique.
Our focus is on the learning by the 0-8 years age group. This is when the child defines their natural handedness and when they develop the main gross motor and fine motor skills that they will carry through the whole of their lives. Early identification of a child’s natural handedness and the ongoing support using that hand will ensure the child has the best opportunities in life.
We look to parents, early childhood educators and schoolteachers to work together in supporting all children to develop using their naturally dominant hand. Unfortunately, there is little information provided to these groups on specific techniques and methods supporting left-handedness so children are missing out on being supported. Worse, some parts of the world continue to switch a child’s handedness and force them to conform to the right-handed world.
This must stop for the sake of our children.
(References available on request)
LEFT-IN is a global interest group formed in 2021 with the aim to improve the information and education available to the educators of left-handed children around the world.
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