Do left-handers have worse handwriting?

[Anonymous]

Our handwriting may be worse, but everyone knows we're smarter.

[Anonymous]

I'm left-handed and have great handwriting.

Leonard da Vinci was lefthanded.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT8qWldqaBE

[Anonymous]

The nuns forced my dad to write with his right hand and his writing is horrible. I'm lefty and my writing is pretty good.

[Anonymous]

Find a left handed person to spend some time teaching her the correct way to hold a pencil/pen and that might really help

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Find a left handed person to spend some time teaching her the correct way to hold a pencil/pen and that might really help

Exactly. Most right handed people don't hold their pens correctly to begin with either. If you hold it properly, in your left hand, your hand will never touch the ink. While writing, your wrist should be in a straight line with your elbow. Try it!

[Anonymous]

Architects are disproportionately left-handed. They draft all day long (at least they used to before computers) and it did not hold them back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our handwriting may be worse, but everyone knows we're smarter.

This is probably true. Something like 5 of the last 7 U.S. presidents have been left handed (but not W!), as well as a disproportionate number of historical visionaries and intellectuals.

[Anonymous]

I think it comes down to a disproportionate number of right handed people trying to teach left handed people trying to write left handed.

[Anonymous]

We have lots of lefties in both my family and DH's family (including DH). I think "bad" handwriting tends to be more of a gender thing than a handedness thing. I think females tend to care and practice more.

It's definitely true that it's a world made for righties, especially with school and office supplies. Even so, I'd love for DS to turn out to be a lefty. Generally speaking, lefties have lots of natural abilities and advantages like spatial visualization (PP's mention of architecture is a perfect example), ball sports, eye-hand coordination, etc.

Of course, that could just be my personal jealousy speaking. I'm so right-hand dominant, it's pathetic!

[Anonymous]

I'm a lefty with decent (if unexceptional) handwriting. DH is a righty with hideous, indecipherable scrawl.

If left-handedness is associated with artistic ability, I'd think we'd all have better penmanship.

[Anonymous]

OP here, having a hard time with DC- 4 1/2 years old learning to write, still doesn't write left to right - does the opposite at times, and DC handwriting is horrible.

[Anonymous]

Lefty with awful handwriting. My dad is a lefty - also atrocious. DD lefty, not bad. DH's uncle lefty with beautiful handwriting thanks to the nuns!

That said, it's so hard to learn to write lefty if the teacher doesn't show you which way to turn the paper, plus as PPs have said, everything is against you - the spirals, the desk shapes, the smearing pencil marks and ink etc.

[Anonymous]

Re: smarter - the number of left handers in my graduate school was far above the usual 1-% of the population typically quoted - I'd guess closer to 35% - social sciences/intl econ/affairs.

[Anonymous]

Wait till college, the tiny fold-down desks ae only for righties

[Anonymous]

The Left-hander's handwriting is only worse than righties because "Model Classrooms" show a striking example of the historical failure of American education to pay attention to the handwriting needs of left handers. From kindergarteners to Presidents,
the well-known "lefties hook", is commonly seen. Lefties who have not been taught properly suffer lifelong when it comes to the ease of writing. A 60 year old method to teach lefties properly is available at under $6.00! Teachers, parents, and adult lefties (who can be retrained) might check into www.lefthandedinfo.com.”