How is left-handedness different from left-handedness? Which lefties think faster? What subjects can left-handers have problems with in school and how can you help them adapt to school?
It is no longer fashionable to worry that the child is left-handed. Now they buy special pens, scissors and computer mice. Lefty parents are increasingly referring to them as unique. Such children can really think outside the box, because their brain works a little differently. However, left-handedness is not at all a gift from God. Many day-to-day tasks are more difficult for left-handers than for right-handers. What is the difference between children with left-handedness, what are their strengths and weaknesses, how to recognize a "hidden" left-handed child in a right-handed child - our experts told about this and many other things.
Where do left-handers come from and what they are
In infancy, all children are free to use both hands / istockphoto.com
Every seventh person on the planet is left-handed. This is the name for people who write, eat, greet and open doors with their left hand. This feature depends on how the brain works. The fact is that the two hemispheres are connected with our body "in reverse": the left hemisphere receives information from the right side of the body, and the right - from the left side. In this case, the left hemisphere is considered "rational" (responsible for logic and analytical thinking), and the right hemisphere is called "emotional" (it controls images, feelings and imagination).
A newborn child, by definition, is left-handed, because "rationality" has not yet been included in the work, and the right, emotional hemisphere is the main one. Gradually, it will (or will not) transfer leading functions to the left hemisphere, so that by the age of 4, the parents are already can understand whether their child is right-handed, left-handed or ambidextrous (a person who is equally good at both hands).
A little left-hander, as a rule, is immediately recorded as a "creative person" (after all, it turns out that he is "led" by the emotional hemisphere), and the ambidextrous is expected to manifest some kind of supernormal abilities. But if "high-handedness" really testifies to good interhemispheric interaction, then with left-handedness everything is not so simple.
“Most left-handers have the same functional areas as right-handers,” explains Olga Orel, PhD in Psychology, Neuropsychologist. - Therefore, their speech abilities and cognitive activity may be higher, because information is transmitted faster. However, there are left-handers whose brain areas are located opposite to the brains of right-handers. Such babies are called "mirror" left-handers. "
“The third variant of left-handedness is when the child was supposed to be right-handed, but during the pregnancy of the mother, part of the left hemisphere was affected. The brain launched a compensation mechanism: the affected areas moved to other areas. In this case, the left-hander will have difficulties with the speed of information processing, problems with spatial thinking, and sometimes with speech, ”notes Olga Orel.
What problems can left-handers face at school
Lefties may have difficulty writing and science / istockphoto.com
It will not be easy for any left-handed person initially at school. "Mirror" left-handers can get confused in writing and reading from left to right, drawing, and subsequently geometry can be difficult for them. "Compensatory" left-handers (when the right hemisphere has come to replace the left one) can more slowly assimilate sign information, lag behind their peers in reading and writing speed.
Recipes for left-handers are generally a big problem. It is difficult for them to write with the generally accepted tilt to the right, it is difficult for them to master the continuous spelling of words. Neither the teacher, let alone the parents, should in any case reproach the child for inaccurate writing or “dancing” handwriting.
In primary school, the left-hander definitely needs to be supported. Somewhere more to sit with him, somewhere to work out longer. “If a child has difficulties in solving certain problems, you need to encourage him and find what he is good at,” advises Olga Orel. - Do not reproach the baby in any way. His mathematics "does not work" not because he is lazy, but because left-handers have neuropsychological limitations. If parents have the opportunity, classes with a specialist will be useful for such children. But the most important thing is not to retrain him to be right-handed. "
Can a right-handed child be left-handed?
Right-handed children also tend to be left-handed / istockphoto.com
If suddenly your little right-hander writes letters in mirror image, rushes to read from right to left or cannot tell in order what was discussed in the lesson - this may indicate that he is "hidden" or partially left-handed. This is another variant of left-handedness that affects 62% of people on the planet. In this case, a person automatically brushes his teeth and writes with his right hand, but his left eye and / or left ear "dominates" in the perception of information.
This feature is laid in childhood. For example, babies can use their hands, feet, eyes, and ears in much the same way. However, by the age of four it becomes clear not only which hand is more convenient for the child to work, but also which eye and ear he uses more actively.
Why is it important? In the “ideal picture of the world,” a right-handed person should have the leading organs on the right side. However, combinations are common: for example, the leading ear and leg are left, and the eye and hand are right. This "inconsistency" leads to the fact that the transfer of information between the cerebral hemispheres takes longer. Therefore, "hidden" left-handers are characterized by weak stress resistance.
“It's like in the kitchen: if you are frying eggs, and you have eggs, butter, a frying pan and a stove on hand, things are going well. And if there is a stove in the kitchen, eggs in the room, butter in the hallway, plus you are nervous because you are late for work, it will be more difficult to have breakfast, - explains child psychologist, psychotherapist of the MEDIKOM clinic Irina Sitkareva. - Perhaps you have met children who stand at the blackboard, are nervous, they are prompted, but they do not hear. Their hearing is all right, just because of stress, their auditory perception suffers. This means that the leading ear is in the opposite main hemisphere. "
How to identify the leading parts of the body in a child
You can determine the "hidden" left-hander using game tests / istockphoto.com
You can determine the leading parts of the child's body and organs of perception at home. “To determine the dominant ear, you can invite the baby to“ overhear ”what is happening behind the wall, listen to the ticking of a mechanical clock or observe which ear he is holding the phone near, - advises Irina Sitkareva. "To determine the leading eye, we suggest looking through a telescope or looking through a crack, or even just winking (the leading eye remains open)."
The dominant leg is visible from physical exercises: they jump on it, kick the ball with it, put it forward first to take a step, push it back, it is on top when crossing the legs. For a hand, more samples are needed, since the activity is complex too - they comb their hair, clean teeth, hold a spoon, handle, greet, catch the ball, unscrew the bottle cap, applaud (the presenter above).
It is better to offer samples at different times and by chance, in order to determine which option is more common. So you will better understand what is the peculiarity of your child. This must be taken into account in everyday life. For example, at school, you should not sit the baby with the leading ear or eye to the window - attention will be scattered, and the child will be thinking on the street. It is important to take into account the hidden left-handedness in sports: for example, it is easier for a right-hander with a dominant left eye to swing and throw objects with his left hand. Please note that children with such a feature should not be rushed in processing information and making decisions.
“If a child has a“ confusion ”in the leading parts of the body, it is necessary to develop interhemispheric interaction, - advises Irina Sitkareva. - Any homework that is done with both hands is ideal for this: washing socks, washing floors and dishes, sweeping with a broom and a scoop. Modeling and drawing with both hands at once, singing into a microphone in headphones is very useful. It is worth paying attention to sports that require coordination: cycling, rollerblading and ice skating. The main thing is not to force the child. Brain training should be fun and not stressful. ”
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