Left Hand Writing Skills

Left Hand Writing Skills

Mark and Heather Stewart

The Left Hand Writing Skills series provides a specially designed learning programme to help the budding left-handed writer. It can also help to correct any bad writing habits where these have already begun to take hold...

Learning to write well takes perseverance and practice, whether the writer is left-handed or right-handed. And handwriting remains a vitally important skill – despite the ubiquitous keyboard. Early on, children need handwriting to make notes at school and, for example, write messages and cards. Later, good handwriting is essential for homework, essays and, critically, exams – as well as all the other obvious daily uses!

For the left-handed, though, development of the skill of handwriting – in the 'right-handed' world where text runs from left to right – needs even more help. Without special guidance, the left-hander often develops very difficult and tiring writing styles and their writing can become 'messy' and smudged. This is basically because the left-handed writer has to push the pen across the paper (if you are right-handed, try writing backwards to get a feel for the problem). Secondly, the left-hander often develops a crab-like posture for the writing hand. This is done so that the writer can see what they're writing – otherwise it's immediately covered up – and to try to avoid dragging the hand over, and so smudging, what has already been written.

The real problems, though, can emerge later. Poor handwriting, which is anyway tiring to write and which others can't read and describe as 'messy' or 'scrawley', can cause many left-handers frustration and loss of self-esteem and consequent under-perfomance.

With the right practice, and the development of good writing habits, however, there is no reason why left-handers can't write just as well as their right-handed friends! That's why these new books – Left Hand Writing Skills – are so important. The series is suitable for children who are just starting to write, and even more so where bad habits are already becoming evident.

With all the other pressures on teaching staff, schools find it difficult to make special provision for left-handed children, especially when it comes to handwriting. The problem has also been that no really user-friendly materials, dedicated to the task of establishing good writing habits, were available for left-handers.

The Left Hand Writing Skills series now meets that need whether used at school or at home – or, better still, both. The books are spiral-bound at the top to give free left-handed movement from the left – and right across – the page. And every page carries icons reminding the user exactly how to hold their pencil or pen, and how to position their paper in front of them on their work surface. Just a few minutes regular practice every day using the Left Hand Writing Skills worksheets, and with the encouragement of a parent, grandparent, or other accomplished writer, can make a real difference to the child's future achievement.

The series is available in two formats, each consisting of a total of over 80 enjoyable, highly-illustrated worksheets.

Mainly for use at home, where parents or others can work with the child, there are three separate full colour books:

Book 1 fabulous fine motor practice (28 worksheets)
Book 2 funky formation and flow (28 worksheets)
Book 3 successful smudge-free writing (27 worksheets)

Mainly for use in schools, the series is also presented in a combined photocopiable book edition, and as a CD-ROM from which the exercises can be printed out in either colour or mono. (The CD is registered with Curriculum Online and is eligible for e-credit purchase.)

To help you decide which version is most suitable for your situation, click here for more details of:
Book 1
Book 2
Book 3
Combined Edition
CD

(Take a look, as well, at The Left-hander's Handbook, packed with helpful guidelines and suggestions for parents and teachers of left-handers!)

The Authors

The Left Hand Writing Skills authors, Mark and Heather Stewart, are highly experienced in helping left-handed children. Heather is a former Primary Teacher and Mark runs specialist courses for teacher training, “Left-Handed Children – The Right Way to help!”, in Schools, for Local Education Authorities and Early Years practitioners as well as for Child-minders and Pre-School Learning Alliance Groups. His training guidelines have been endorsed by the Department for Education and Skills and have been incorporated into The National Literacy Strategy.

Together they spearheaded the campaign for addressing the problems of left-handed children within teacher training in the UK. (For more information go to www.lefthand-education.co.uk)

The series is brilliantly illustrated by Fred Chevalier.

"... an excellent series..."

John Clare – Daily Telegraph

“... a unique, much needed resource which will help left-handed children avoid or overcome many common handwriting difficulties. Highly recommended."

Lauren Milsom – Left-Handers Club

"The Left Hand Writing Skills series... provides a structured and attractive course that could help a left-hander to become a competent, confident writer."

National Handwriting Association Journal – Autumn 2005

"... a very well researched series that covers all the basic skills – in an interesting and lively way – to help children who are left-handed develop the art of writing.

The presentation of the series is attractive to children, with excellent drawings and graphics that enhance the developmental exercises in the books. The crucial elements of handwriting development are covered in an easy-to-follow way that children should find enjoyable as they practise their writing.

This series will help to improve the writing skills of all left-handers – and is a valuable resource for teachers and parents."

Clive Wilkinson
Head of School Improvement and Achievement Division
Worcester CC Educational Services

"... invaluable for left-handers learning how to form their letters and numbers. Beautifully presented, the series makes learning to write fun. For the first time, left-handers will have the advantage over right-handers and won’t be overlooked in the classroom. Just having the spine at the top makes it so much easier for the left hand to relax. I would recommend it, with no hesitation, to parents and teachers."

Diane G Paul – Broadcaster and author of The Left-hander's Handbook