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Handwriting tips for your left-handed students

Writing Time 11/8/22

Much of the world has been designed for right-handed people – including handwriting. Luckily, there are a few tips and tricks you can use to help make the process of learning to write a little easier for your left-handed students.

Seating arrangement

If your students’ desks are positioned closely together, ensure that your left-handed students aren’t placed too close to the right of a right-handed student. This will prevent their elbows from clashing as they write.

Pencil grip

Guide your left-handed students to hold their pencils slightly further back from the pencil point than your right-handed students, so it’s easier for them to see their writing as they go along.

Paper position

Unlike right-handed students who should have their paper rotated slightly anti-clockwise, encourage your left-handed students to sit with the paper rotated slightly clockwise to help them see the tip of the pencil as they write.

Paper stability

As a lead on from paper position, both right- and left-handed students will benefit from using their opposite hand to hold the paper in place when writing. This will prevent the page from shifting as they move across the page.

Wrist position

You may notice some of your left-handed students placing their wrist in a hooked position to help them see their writing more clearly. Encourage these students to straighten their wrists to prevent arm strain and smudging.

Letter examples on the right-hand side of the page

When students are first learning letter formation, it’s important that left-handed students have an easily accessible example to use as a reference. A good handwriting worksheet or activity book will include a letter example on the right-hand side of the page. For example, in the lower years Writing Time Student Practice Books, you’ll see a letter example included on the right-hand side of the activities to cater for your left-handed students.

Tip: To get all students into position for handwriting practice, use a handy visual prompt that services both left- and right-handed students such as the 3Ps (posture, paper position and pencil grip) from Writing Time Online.

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