Don't Blow Up on Your Lefthanded Child

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LEFTOGRAPHY

NEVER BLOW UP ON YOUR LEFT HANDED CHILD A LEFTOGRAPHY GUIDEBOOK b WRITTEN & DESIGNED BY CHERRY VANESSA KU

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CONTENTS0 . Understanding your left handed child

0-2 . SMILINGThe Precious one

2-4 . CURIOUSThe “Blur-Blur” one

5-6 . PATIENCEThe Adaptable one

4-5 . FRUSTRATEDThe Problematic one

0-8

9-16

17-22

23-34

35-40

PAGE NO.

01

UNDERSTANDINGYOUR LEFT HANDED

CHILD

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First, let’s understand that handedness is a trait that’s innate. One’s hand dominance can be seen as soon as the child begins thumb sucking in his mother’s womb. As an understanding parent, you should never criticize your child for being left handed.

It is sad to know that due to superstitions, many left handed children are often forced to conform to their right hand. This will cause them to act clumsily as they are conditioned to do daily tasks with their weaker hand. By using their less dominant hand, left handed kids are deprived of their left handed abilities and this may result in poor self-esteem and even psychological damages.

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this guidebook will give you valuable solutions that will prevent you from blowing up on your left handed child this guidebook will give you valuable solutions that will prevent you from blowing up on your left handed child/ this guidebook will give you valuable solutions that will prevent you from blowing up on your left handed child.A

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this guidebook will give you valuable solutions that will prevent you from blowing up on your left handed child this guidebook will give you valuable solutions that will prevent you from blowing up on your left handed child/ this guidebook will give you valuable solutions that will prevent you from blowing up on your left handed child.A

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We will reveal the many challenges left handers face and give you solutions to help your child cope with the right handed world. Now, let’s cool down your minds and learn how to guideyour left handed child.

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Being left handed is NOT a

DISABILITY or a

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DISABILITY or aDISADVANTAGE.

It’s simply a

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DIFFERENCE

........ ..................................... ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

ACCOMMODATE IT WHERE NECESSARY, AND ALWAYS CELEBRATE IT. IT IS PART OF WHAT MAKES HIM THE PERSON HE IS.

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0 - years

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2 old

EXCITEMENTSMILINGNAIVE

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Why is your baby left handed

?because of you

2 THEORIES

Genetic left handers, also known as natural left handers, are left handed because of genetics. An international group of scientists, led by a team of Genetics at Oxford University have found a gene that probably modifies the development of asymmetry in the brain, increasing an individual’s chance of being left handed.

GENETIC or NATURAL A

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BBI

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secret word: birth

Pathological or forced left handers are caused by birth stress (such as prolonged labour, premature birth, breech birth, Caesarean or multiple births). Early signs of pathological left handers may include favouring the left hand very strongly, and restriction of growth in one hand or foot. Pathological left handers were intended to be right handed.

PATHOLOGICAL

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EMOTION SECRETS

Don’t feel upset when you realize that your child is a pathological left hander. You can still help your child overcome his or her difficulties. You play an important role.L

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secret word: birth

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WHICH HAND DOES YOUR CHILD USE TO REACH FOR...

OOOO OO

Most babies don’t show any preference before they are 9 months old. However handedness may sometimes be determined by the baby’s preferred hand when thumb sucking in the mother’s womb.

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WHICH HAND DOES YOUR CHILD USE TO REACH FOR...

FACE

BELL

SHAKER

MILK BOTTLE

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2 -years

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4 old

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Now that your child begins exploring around the world, looking lost and blur. Look out for hints when he feeds herself, reaches for your face and plays with toys. Then observe which hand is used naturally. You can place the toy robot on the right side of his body and see if he uses his left or right hand to reach for it.

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If your child happens to become your baking assistant, look at how he/she stirs. Left handers tend to stir anticlockwise.

If you have a little artist at home that can’t stop drawing all over your house. Don’t be angry or frustrated; give her space to express her right brain talent. Instead, observe the way she draws and writes her name. Left handers instinctively draw and write from right to left, so as not to cover their own drawing and handwriting.

If you have a little mechanic at home, watch your baby frown as he winds up a toy by unwinding it.

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4 -years

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5 old

By the age of 4-5, you should have determined your child’s hand preference. Now is the time when most parents blow up and get frustrated at their child. This is the most important stage of learning, yet the most difficult stage to handle your left handed child.

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Their biggest problem derived from the expectation of writing from

EMOTION SECRETS

At this is stage, patience is needed in teaching your child in writing as they tend to write differently from right handed children.L

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It would have been much easier for them if they could write in Boustrophedon. Unfortunately, it is never the case.

LEFT to RIGHT in the English Language.

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TOP FOUR COMMON HANDWRITING PROBLEMS

PROBLEM01 ‘HOOKED’ HANDWRITING POSITION

The hand is hooked around the pen naturally to ease themselves from blocking what they write and to get ink or pencil stain all over your palm.

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Slant the table at a comfortable angle, and

encourage your child to maintain a good posture.

TOP FOUR COMMON HANDWRITING PROBLEMS

‘HOOKED’ HANDWRITING POSITION

SOLUTION

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Blame this all on the direction of writing, not your child! If your child is using his or her left hand, it is natural and understandable that all his or her work smudges as the hand pushing the pen across the page is running over newly written work.

PROBLEM02-

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Tilt paper 45 degrees

clockwise, so that there

is room to bring the

hand under the line

of writing or use non-

smudge fibretips.

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Tilt paper 45 degrees

clockwise, so that there

is room to bring the

hand under the line

of writing or use non-

smudge fibretips.

SOLUTION

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Overtight grip on pencil.This can be caused by many factors: bad desk positioning, tension because of concern about handwriting, wrong pen.

PROBLEM03-

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KKUse the tripod grip (pencil should be held lightly between the thumb and forefinger, and rest lightly on the bent middle finger.)

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SOLUTION

Place your child with other left handers when writing in school.

Praise your child when he relearns a better position.

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This is the most common and most frustrating problem faced by teachers and parents. For left handers, they naturally start writing from the right to left so as to happily see what they have written. The pencil is pulled towards their body comfortably without their hand getting in the way. You should never chastise your child for writing mirror image as it is perfectly natural when they just begin learning how to write.

MIRROR WRITING

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MIRROR WRITING

Do not worry; this will usually stop by the age of 6, whereby your child has accustomed to the direction of reading and writing. Place a coloured sticker or draw a star at the top left margin to remind your child where to start writing.

SOLUTION

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5 -years

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6 old

LLCongratulations to all parents,

you have already overcome

the most challenging part of

teaching your child how to write

with their left hand. Now is the

time to help them cope with the

rest of the right handed world.

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secret word: corpus callosum

L CORPUS CALLOSUM

You may want to introduce your child to the “corpus callosum,” as it is what sends messages between the two halves of our brain. This connection is very important as left handers are right brain dominant.

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Although a left hander can feed himself with the same cutlery as a right hander. Take note that he will often end up blocking you when using the chopsticks and knife with his left hand.

If you don’t want your child to hurt himself! Please invest in a left handed scissors. There is no other way.

Stand opposite your child when demonstrating how to tie a lace. This provides them with a mirror image to mimic.

DEALING WITH THE RIGHT HANDED WORLD...

Shoelaces

Eating

Cutting

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Leave enough room for your little artist to stand more to the right of the easel as she works. This is to prevent her tendency to hook her arm around.

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For left handed boys, buttons and zips are ‘back to front,’ allow them more time to get this right. Also, remember that your little boy will tend to balance on their left foot first, regardless on whether you are helping them put on their trousers or shoes. This is extremely important as the child will be super clumsy when parents misguide them.

Drawing

Dressing

The most important writing problems have been stated before. You may also log on www.lefthandedchildren.org for writing resources that may farther assess you and your child.

WritingLLO

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This book is dedicated to all parents of left handed children.

Give them a chance to nurture their talents in this right handed world.

Remember that there’s nothing wrong with being left handed, it’s simply a

difference to be celebrated.

CHE YDesigned & Published by

Cherry Vanessa Ku Choi YokePublication Date 19 April 2011

Published in Singaporecopyrighted 2011

CHERRY LEFTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

design

a series of interactive lectures on leftography from a modern perspective

Cherry Vanessa Ku Choi Yoke is a left handed graphic designer, currently based in Singapore. Her goal and focus as a Graphic Designer is to create designs that visually communicates, educates, and entertains her audiences. Her works originate mainly from her inner feelings and experiences as a hermit crab, constantly changing homes and adapting to new environment. Travelling experiences serve as a growing pool of inspirations.

ABOUT ARTIST. AUTHOR