Coping With Being Left Handed
The vast majority of us work with our right hand, but there are a couple of interesting facts that most people don’t know.
1) You are more likely to be left-handed than the general population: One in ten people is left-handed and this number is rising in the Western world.
2) You can actually get quite far in life working with your left hand if you have dexterity in both hands, so it isn’t too much of a hindrance.
3) Although there is no scientific reason for why some people are left- handed, some theories point to genetics/breastfeeding.
4) Left-handed people can make a better job at drawing with their left hand than those who are right-handed.
5) The ability to write and draw with your left hand has been considered part of good handwriting!
6) Many famous authors were left- handed, including George Orwell, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe and J.K Rowling
If you're still reading this blog post then you're definitely a bit of a nerd! School isn't everything!
Left Handed Authors: George Orwell (1903 - 1950), Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870), Edgar Allan Poe (1809 - 1849), J.K Rowling (1965).
What are your thoughts on being left handed?
(Article by Emily Prentice)
Title: Coping With Being Left Handed
Left-handers, who make up around 10% of the population, face a few different challenges. The most obvious of these are the challenges we as right-handed people face when holding a pen -- trying to write with both hands at once. But there's another challenge -- and it's one that I've been facing for over twenty years now. It would be enough to make one want to curl up in a ball and cry, but the fact is there's no reason to be depressed.
The fact is that the human race has evolved the ability to use both hands in a coordinated manner. The problem with many left- handers, though, is a lack of coordination between their two hands. It's like having two cars, which can go in almost two different directions (hence the metaphor). My left hand is my primary tool of communication, but it can't write as well as my right.
There are a few basic things you can do to help improve your coordination and teach your hands how to work together. I'll list these and suggest methods you can try out right now.
To improve your coordination, here are a few steps you can try out:
1) First, take a pencil in your left hand, and try to draw a straight line. Just one line. It will probably look far from straight. After that, take your right hand and try to draw the same line. Your right hand should be able to trace along the same general path of your left -- but it will be far more straighter than the line drawn by your left hand. If you can't draw a perfectly straight line with either hand, have someone else trace it with a ruler for you (or use an actual ruler).
2) Next, try to make an "L" shape with your hands. Take your left hand and put your thumb on top of the other fingers, so that your left hand is forming an "L". Have someone hold up a pencil as you try and make the "L". You can't do it -- but if you try to force it, you'll just end up with wobbly lines.
3) Then having some kneading skills, take a crayon in your right hand and put it flat against the palm of your left: Now try to draw a line across the palm (and not on top of it). Now put a crayon in your left hand, flat against the same part of the palm, and try to draw a line across your palm. You may have to tilt the crayon slightly -- but be sure that you're covering the same area of the palm. You'll find that your crayon will draw neat lines without any problems -- and if you've done it correctly, both hands should be working together.
4) Now try writing numbers in a basic math book with either hand. If you're right-handed you'll probably have no problem at all. But if you're left-handed, you may have problems with your left hand starting from the number 3 and up. This is based on a more general rule that the left side of your brain controls the right side of your body, and vice versa. If you struggle to write numbers with your left hand, try printing them instead. Even if this doesn't work perfectly well, at least it will show that both hands can be fairly coordinated together.
5) Finally, sit in front of a mirror and try writing out the alphabet backwards with both hands. Hopefully you'll be able to do so without any problem or hesitation -- but if not, there's a good chance that your two hands aren't working together as well as they should be. If you can write the alphabet backwards flawlessly with either hand, then there's a good chance that both hands will work together quite well on most other tasks.
In short, left-handed people don't have to be depressed! There are a few simple things that anyone can do to improve their coordination and help their two hands get used to working together. You'll find that it will take time to get used to writing with your left hand (as you'd write with your right) -- but if you just keep practicing, you'll soon find yourself able to use both hands in a coordinated manner. You'll soon find that you're no longer using one arm as a crutch!
(Article by Emily Prentice)
Title: How To Make Your Handwriting More Standardized.
When you write something down, like an essay or a letter, it is not just the words that you write that matter, the format of your letters is also very important. You have to decide which way each letter goes across the page. If you are writing in cursive and have been taught to do so (most people were), then your handwriting will naturally be messy. Cursive handwriting requires shaky strokes and many times more muscles than "normal" print does.
Most people tend to write in Print because it is faster, easier and looks better. Writing in print is how you were taught to write when you were younger (unless you went to a special writing school). You may not think about it, but this often means that you will go back on your lettering style later on so that the letters look alright.
If necessary, consult with a professor or professor of handwriting for advice or an opinion on lettering. It is likely that you need letters curved differently depending on what material your paper is made from and what type of pen you are using. Be sure that the letters are strong and can be used by anybody.
Conclusion: You need to decide which way the letters should go across the page. Whether you choose to write your name in a clear print or go back and change the way that you had written it, rewrite whatever is necessary. If it is not necessary to write something differently, then do not change anything.
If your writing is very messy then learn to make sure that what you are writing is clear and easy for others to read. Practicing your letters will help improve them, so try practicing them online! Make sure that whatever you practice looks good on paper, no matter if it has a different font or color from what it looks like online.
Take a class from a teacher of handwriting if possible.