The realization that a child is left-handed often makes parents worry. Will it be difficult for him at school and everyday life, where everything is designed for right-handed people? Maybe it’s still worth retraining a child if left-handedness was noticed at an early age?

First of all, psychologists say, you need to take it for granted that left-handedness is not a disease, you don’t need to get rid of it! Accept this personal characteristic child and do not break him, but gently adapt him.

Right-handed or left-handed?

Until the age of four, many children use both hands equally actively and it is too early to draw conclusions. However, it is worth observing which hand is more active in everyday activities, and try to transfer a pen, spoon or toy to the right hand. Many children don't notice the difference. If the baby stubbornly returns the object to left hand, you should not force him to use the right one; by the age of five it will be clearly visible which side prevails. Many left-handed people can use their right hand to write, but in the rest of their lives they use their left more actively.

It is possible to develop the hemispheres equally on purpose - this gives impetus to perception and memorization large volumes information, success in different activities and good studies. One of the techniques that perfectly develops both hemispheres is mental arithmetic. These classes are shown to children from the age of five and take place in game form and give incredible results.

Is it worth retraining?

If a left-handed person was retrained in childhood without consequences, then he is ambidextrous (can boast of equal functioning of both hands) and therefore did not experience much stress. Retraining a true lefty is always excessive load for a child. The most harmless consequences of such retraining are loss of appetite, fatigue, and headaches. In more serious cases, they may develop nervous tic, stuttering, delays in speech development and even enuresis.

Therefore, the task of parents is to find a teacher for their child who will have an idea of ​​the learning characteristics of left-handed children and take them into account.

Features of teaching left-handed children

IN junior classes Such children may get tired faster than others, so at first classes with a complicated program and strict discipline will not suit them. When learning to read and write, they will have to overcome some inconveniences, so even the Ministry of Health draws the attention of teachers to the fact that other requirements for the quality of handwriting apply to left-handed people. For example, continuous writing is contraindicated for them; tilting letters to the left or writing them evenly is considered acceptable.

All teaching aids and light sources should be located to the child's right. When choosing a sport, you should focus on sports that require the use of both hands: swimming, basketball, skiing, horse riding. Additional activities such as modeling, playing the piano, and handicrafts will give excellent results.

How to teach a left-handed person to read and write

Before sending a left-handed child to school, you need to prepare the ground so that basic classes are easier for him. Development fine motor skills should be a must in the daily schedule. One of the skills that prepares the hand for writing is folding a mosaic from left to right in rows. This is necessary for the future correct perception test.

When teaching a left-handed person to read, it usually doesn’t matter which part of the sentence he starts reading from; he loses lines. When writing, such children often mirror, skip letters, and do not complete words.

Overcoming these manifestations is only a matter of consistent and gentle correction of errors and the gradual development of writing and reading skills from left to right. You can somehow mark the child’s left hand, for example, with a bracelet. By paying attention to this hand, the child will mark the beginning of the row.

In the classroom, it is better for a left-handed person to sit on the left side of the table, then the child will not intersect with the hand of a right-handed neighbor on the desk and the children will not interfere with each other.

The notebook should be positioned so that the lower left corner of the work page is opposite the right shoulder. Then the hand gets less tired, and the child sees what he is writing. The child adapts to holding a pen on his own, because it is also important not to smudge what is written. It is also important to monitor posture - children often “leave” their body after their hand.

Being left-handed: pros and cons

Highlight general features, which are often characteristic of left-handed people. This is excellent spatial orientation and mobility, good coordination. Left-handers are successful in sciences where it is required spatial thinking and generalization, grasping a general image. They are excellent at living in changing circumstances and have quite a quick response, imagination, creativity.

Left-handers are worse at activities that require strict self-control, consistent logical thinking, there may be problems with literacy. In addition, from childhood you need to learn to live in a world that is geared towards being right-handed.

Help a left-handed child fully understand the world, and he will surprise you with his success. There are only 10% of left-handers in the world and many of them are famous and unusual people.

Only 10 percent of the population are left-handed. And although there are not many of these people, they derive amazing benefits from their peculiarity.

This will help you succeed as a leader.

When lawyer and motivational speaker Robert S. Herbst attended law school at Columbia University, one of the most prestigious universities in the United States, he noticed that most of the students were left-handed. This observation did not surprise our hero at all, since left-handers are credited with remarkable creativity, analytical warehouse intelligence, the ability to persuade and demonstrate eloquence.

All of these skills are necessary to become a successful lawyer. When Mr. Herbst was a Scout, he met other lefties who went on to become successful leaders. The most striking example is Michael Bloomberg, billionaire and former mayor New York. As we can see, the ability to write with the left hand forces people to demonstrate their leadership abilities and discipline from an early age.

Lefties earn more

A study conducted by Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, found that left-handers earn more money compared to their right-handed opponents in a similar position. The study's author, Ph.D., economist Christopher Rubeck, says the difference was most pronounced between left-handers and right-handers with a college degree. higher education. It turned out that on average the income of the former was 15 percent higher.

They train their cognitive abilities

Throughout many years Los Angeles-based public relations specialist Ernestina Sclafani learned to cope with everyday difficulties. Our world is right-handed. This is indicated by the doorways, school desks, buttons on your jacket and much more. Some left-handed activities cannot be performed without using the other hand to help. Scientists now know that doing ordinary things with the help of your non-dominant hand perfectly develops both hemispheres of the brain, which provides certain cognitive benefits.

Lefties stand out from the crowd

When artist and designer Daniel Becker was in school, he was the only student in his class who was left-handed. One day the boy was told that in the future he would be able to gain an advantage over his peers. As an adult, Daniel realized that the prophecy had come true. He always held his pencil a certain way and followed his left hand for several years. Our hero found his passion and became professional designer with your own unique handwriting.

They are great conversationalists

People willingly start a conversation with left-handed people, marveling at their dexterity and ability to control ballpoint pen or cutlery. This observation is a great place to start. casual conversation. Additionally, many left-handers are introverts, which helps advance their careers. They are smart, focused on business and very punctual.

Problems make them stronger

Despite the fact that left-handers value their individuality, it is quite difficult for them to live in the world of right-handers. Overcoming obstacles, these people always challenge themselves, which only strengthens their character. They have to adapt to conditions real world, but they never despair and see only advantages in this. It is unlikely that you will meet inveterate pessimists among left-handers.

Thinking outside the box

According to one scientific study, far more than the standard 10 percent of musicians, artists and writers are left-handed. Ph.D., psychologist Michael Corballis explains this phenomenon this way: “When information passes between the hemispheres of the brain, new solutions are more likely to be born. Right-handed people may reject the idea as too radical, and only left-handed people can turn an unconventional thought to their advantage.”

There are also many left-handers among presidents

Among American presidents there were 8 left-handers, including Harry Truman, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

There are lefties in your extended family tree too

The chance that a baby will be born left-handed is determined by many factors. Among them, genetics and environment. Initially, it was believed that just one gene controls the trailing hand, but now scientists are confident that this trait is formed by 40 genes. Each of them individually has a weak effect, but together they represent a real force. Because the overall likelihood of being left-handed is relatively low, parents of left-handers are more likely to be right-handed. However, if you look at your family history, you will probably find relatives who were also among these 10 percent of the “chosen ones.”

Low risk of some medical problems

One new scientific study found that left-handers have a reduced risk of arthritis and peptic ulcers. This is probably just a coincidence and is not directly related to the leading hand. Researchers are not entirely sure of the mechanism by which this defense arises for left-handed people. They believe the answers must be found in DNA, which creates the genes that shape dominant hand selection.

Left-handed people are better at locating their surroundings

You or your left-handed buddies must have excellent navigation skills. This makes it possible to perfectly remember parking spaces, read maps, and figure out how to get from point A to point B. According to one scientific study, left-handed people perform better low level errors in the test spatial orientation. It goes without saying that these skills will always be important, even in the era of GPS navigators.

These people recover faster from brain injuries

Research shows that left-handers recover faster from strokes or other brain injuries. In these people, both hemispheres are involved in information processing, so cognitive functioning is concentrated over a larger volume. If we're talking about about a stroke, only a small area of ​​the brain is affected during an attack, so left-handed people have more optimistic prognoses for recovery.

These people are more competitive

Your success in professional field depends on how competitive you are. Scientists have found that left-handers, with their lateral thinking, are more likely to stand out for their creative ideas and win the competition against their right-handed opponents. One-type thinking is not valued by modern employers. It is worth noting that even in physical competition, left-handed boxers have some advantage over their opponents.

They achieve better results in video games

When playing video games, left-handed people show better reactions, control the joystick faster, and rely on their lateral thinking. It is worth noting that the scientists’ conclusions can be extended beyond computer games. For example, left-handed people remember a shopping list better by hearing. This is probably not the most valuable skill, but it will really help you in real life.

Lefties have better self-control

It may not surprise you, but left-handed people have better self-control than their right-handed opponents. They have no problems refusing a cake or restraining themselves during a quarrel with a colleague and not saying too much. Left-handers do not need to spend enormous effort to control their emotions.

Your relatives understand you better

Latest scientific research they say that it is quite difficult to draw a clear line between the thinking of left-handers and right-handers. If you are the only “special” person in your family, you can take comfort in the fact that your relatives have learned to understand you.

Was committed fatal mistake, when they concluded that there are 2 types of people, only left-handed or only right-handed.

In the last century, millions of left-handed children were forcibly weaned from using their left hand.

If there are no left-handed or right-handed people, then where did this come from, and why am I right-handed?

It's very simple. We are born with the ability to use both hands equally. In general, our body is designed to act synchronously.

As we grow up, we begin to eat. While eating, hold the spoon in either your left or right hand.

But our parents correct us by putting a spoon in our right hand, and from here the right hand begins to grow as a slave.

This is where more right-handers come from than left-handers. Hence the stupid stereotypes.

I hope I convinced you.

Who is better to be, left-handed or right-handed?

It's better all together. There are no particular advantages to owning one or the other driven hand, but there are huge advantages to owning both hands.

1) If both hands are equally developed, then both hemispheres of your brain also work, in the first place - equally, in the second - better.

2) - Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo are famous for working with two hands. If their first hand got tired of creating sculptures, they simply changed hands.

— The great baseball players Henk Aron and Stan Mugel constantly changed the hand with which they threw the ball, misleading the batters.

— The top boxers, Mohammed Ali and Ray Robinson, beat and defended with both hands. Their opponents never knew which side to expect the blow from.

— In some sports, for example, hockey, football, swimming — best athletes spending hours training an unknown body part to balance strength and technique. Well, start using yours already physical abilities to the maximum.

These are the only advantages of using both hands, and it’s up to you to train this skill or leave it as is.

How to train this?

If your child is not yet used to being right- or left-handed, then use the following recommendations. If you are already used to it, or you are already used to it, also use the following recommendations:

1) One day eat with your left hand, another day with your right. So alternate daily.
2) Similarly with putting on clothes. One day, thread the jacket or pant leg through your left arm or leg, another day through your right.
3) Play the ball often and throw/kick it with the secondary part of your body.
4) Comb and brush your teeth different hands.
5) Draw with your non-dominant hand. Improve your creative intelligence at the same time.
6) Learn to juggle. (Maybe later I’ll post a video on how to learn this in 30 minutes)
7) Exercise with both arms or legs, not just the trailing arm.
8) Play the piano.

March, left march! Pros and cons of left-handedness. Problems of left-handers at school Mirror writing. Neuropsychological diagnostics.

About 10% of people are left-handed. And despite the fact that children do not sit in class with a mitten on their left hand (as was the case during the time of retraining left-handed people), nevertheless, some parents and teachers sometimes consider left-handed people simply as not wanting to work “like everyone else” with their right hand and showing stubbornness. Left-handedness is very important individual feature child, which must be correctly diagnosed within the framework of neuropsychological diagnostics and taken into account in the process of training and education.

Reasons. Left-handedness has not been studied enough, and there is no consensus on why people prefer to use different hands. The main existing theories are the following:

Given the perinatal origin of left-handedness, often accompanied by other disorders, it is important to understand that left-handedness is not the cause of these problems, but a feature that, like those disorders, became a consequence unfavorable factors development.

Hand asymmetry, i.e. dominance of the right or left hand, or an unexpressed preference for one of the hands (ambidexterity) is due to the characteristics of the functional asymmetry of the cerebral hemispheres. In right-handed people, as a rule, the left hemisphere is dominant, specializing in processing verbal information (in 95% of right-handers, the speech center is located in the left hemisphere).

In left-handed people, the arrangement of basic functions between the hemispheres is more complex and is not simply a mirror image of the brain asymmetry found in right-handed people. Functional asymmetry in left-handers is less pronounced; in particular, speech centers can be located both in the left and simultaneously in the right hemisphere, and visual-spatial functions, usually performed by the right hemisphere, can also be controlled by the left. Thus, left-handers have less clear specialization in the functioning of the cerebral hemispheres.

Left-handedness or right-handedness is clearly established only by 3-5 years. In the early preschool age Parents and educators do not always pay special attention to which hand is the child’s dominant. When learning new actions, children try to do as the adult says: take a spoon in the right hand, hold a pencil with the right hand, etc. And the left-handed child, fulfilling the adult’s demands, does what many parents may not even suspect of non-violent retraining. that their child is left-handed.

When mastering everyday skills, a child’s hidden left-handedness, as a rule, does not affect the success of performing actions, however, when starting systematic education at school, especially when mastering writing and reading, such children may encounter difficulties.

Therefore, it is important to determine the direction of the child’s “handedness” before starting training: in kindergarten or upon admission to school. Together with the diagnosis of other mental characteristics development of children, the determination of the leading hand, eye and ear is included in the complex of neuropsychological diagnostics.

Methods for assessing the dominant hand, dominant eye and dominant ear:

Based on the relationship between all three types of asymmetry identified by this technique - “hand - ear - eye”, 27 individual profiles can be identified, where P is the predominance of the right function, L - the left, A - equality of functions.

Left-handed children have certain characteristics cognitive activity determined using neuropsychological tests. This applies to both true left-handers and overeducated ones, whose cerebral hemispheres perform functions unusual for them. Most often, left-handed children encounter difficulties in developing writing, reading and counting skills. The point is that the starting point for mastering these skills is visual perception, which leads to difficulties. Not all of the features listed below can be found in every left-handed person. Some will appear clearly, others only slightly, and still others will be completely absent.

Advantages of being left-handed:

Ways to help left-handed children:

You also need:

1. Help a left-handed child organize his workplace, change the tilt of the notebook when writing, the position of the forearms, grip the pen correctly, make sure that the light falls from the right;

2. Do not require right-handed writing; it would be more appropriate to write straight;

3. Do not require a left-handed child to write continuously;

4. Break down any motor actions into elements, explaining them step by step; each element must be performed consciously;

5. Execute special exercises, play games with your child that develop visual perception and hand-eye coordination (especially in cases where there are problems, for example, “mirror writing”)

6. Do not show a negative attitude towards left-handedness, talk to the child about his strengths, the advantages of left-handedness.

Morozova Irina Mikhailovna, child psychologist

Today they are no longer so noticeable, since the old-fashioned habits of retraining so that the child is “like everyone else” are becoming a thing of the past. Many parents are quite calm about the “left-handedness” of their children, without even thinking about retraining their child to manipulate the right hand more. But won’t a child whose leading hand is his left be disadvantaged in some way in a society that, in its overwhelming majority, has the right hand as the dominant one? The question is, of course, interesting...

Hand or Shuytsa?

What does “right or left” mean in translation from the language of the ancient Slavs? In fact, there are actually a lot of left-handed people: about 10-15% of the world's population have left-handedness, which manifests itself not only in which hand a person writes, but also in dominance, the leading direction of one of the hemispheres, opposite to the leading and dominant hand. Today there is no longer a policy of retraining children from the left hand to the right hand in kindergarten or school, but some parents still fear that left-handedness that is not retrained will become a disadvantage for the child at school or will put him in trouble. later life. In fact, this is absolutely not the case, and left-handedness, with the exception of any minor shortcomings, will not hinder its owner in any way in life, and sometimes it will also help a lot!

Today it is believed that left-handedness is determined by heredity - usually in families it is inherited, and the other part of left-handers are “forced” left-handers who suffered perinatal brain injury in childhood, as a result of which right hemisphere took on some of the responsibilities, including in terms of hand dominance when writing.

Of course, the dominance of one hemisphere affects the character and behavioral characteristics, abilities and development of children. But such things do not make them any worse or better than right-handers. They will simply manifest their own inclinations and abilities, talents and mental characteristics, inherent precisely in the dominance of the right hemisphere. Forced retraining of left-handers to be right-handed leads to failures at the level of neural connections.

Left-handedness or left-handedness?

Let's understand the terms. The predominance of the left hand when writing does not at all mean the predominance of the right hemisphere as a whole. Left-handedness refers to the predominance of the left hand, the left eye, and even the entire left half of the body during life. Therefore, if a person writes with his left hand, but listens with his right ear, points with his right finger, and steps with his right foot, he is left-handed, and if he does everything more actively on the left side, this is a true left-hander.

In right-handed people, the left hemisphere is predominant, which “specializes” in analyzing verbal information coming from the center of speech. In left-handed people, the functions between the hemispheres are distributed somewhat differently than in right-handed people, and they do not have a clear connection with the predominance of the right hemisphere because of the hand; their functions are more evenly distributed between both hemispheres. In addition, left-handed children have more pronounced spatial-visual functions, which are dealt with by the right hemisphere.

When and how to detect?

The predominance of the left hand can be identified no earlier than four to five years; before that, all children are ambidextrous - that is, they use both hands equally or demonstrate a change in the period of dominance of the left and right hand. The first difficulties may arise when a child first attempts to learn to write; right-handed parents find it difficult to demonstrate the correct grip of a pencil or pen with the other hand. But this matter is quite fixable. How to identify left-handedness in a child? Give him pencils and see with which hand he produces more correct and clear drawings, with which hand he is more comfortable using. But sometimes it is possible to accurately determine left-handedness only closer to the age of five or six, when learning to write begins.