Most handwriting advice is written with right-handers in mind, so it’s natural to wonder how to teach a left-handed child to write. The good news is that left-handers learn the same letters in the same way. What changes is the set-up: where the paper sits, where the hand holds the pencil, and where the model letters are on the page. Get those right, and writing becomes comfortable, neat and smudge-free.
First: let your child choose
If your child picks up a crayon or pencil with their left hand, let them. The Raising Children Network is clear: “When children choose their left hand to write with, there’s no need for them to swap hands.” Your job is to make the hand they chose comfortable, not to change it.
Some young children use either hand for a while. Offer things in the middle, in front of them, and let them reach with whichever hand they like. One thing to notice: Raising Children lists swapping hands during the first year of school as one of the early signs of handwriting difficulty. If your child is still switching back and forth in Prep (Foundation), mention it to the teacher. It isn’t a cause for alarm, just something worth keeping an eye on together.
Paper position for left-handed writing
This is the single biggest change, and it costs nothing.
- Move the paper slightly to the left, so it sits in front of the left shoulder rather than in the middle.
- Tilt it the other way to a right-hander. Turn the page a little clockwise, so the top-left corner is higher. Raising Children explains why: with the left-hand corner highest, your child “can more easily see what they’re writing or drawing.”
- Hold the page still with the right hand. The helper hand matters as much as the writing hand.
Use the same set-up everywhere: at the kitchen table, on a clipboard, and with a small strip of tape on the table to show where the paper goes.
A left-handed pencil grip
Left-handers don’t need a special grip. Guidance from the Victorian Department of Education notes that there is no particular pencil grasp recommended for left-handers. Aim for the same relaxed, comfortable hold any child would use, with the pencil resting between the thumb and pointer finger and on the middle finger. Two details help a left-hander, though.
- Hold a little further up. About 3 cm from the point is a good guide, so the fingers don’t hide the writing. A rubber band around the pencil can mark the spot.
- Use a soft lead pencil. A soft pencil, such as a 2B, moves easily with light pressure. That suits a hand that is pushing the pencil across the page rather than pulling it.
A comfortable grip that lets your child write clearly and keep going matters more than a picture-perfect one. If the grip looks very tense, or your child tires quickly, ask the teacher before trying to change it at home.
Our guide to pencil grip by age shows what’s typical at each age, and when to see an occupational therapist.
Avoiding the hooked wrist
You may have seen left-handers curl the wrist right over the top of the line, writing from above. A hooked wrist often starts as a way to see past the hand. Usually the fix is to give the eyes a clear view another way:
- Tilt the paper clockwise, as above, so the line runs away from the hand.
- Keep the hand below the writing line, with the wrist fairly straight and resting on the table.
- Hold the pencil higher up, so the pencil tip is visible beyond the fingers.
- Check the model is visible. If your child has to lean over to see the example letter, they’ll hook to see it. Put the model where the hand won’t cover it (more on that below).
If a child has written with a hook for years and writes comfortably and clearly, don’t force a change. Talk to the teacher first.
Stopping smudges
Left-handers push the pencil across the page and their hand follows the writing, so smudging is common. The same habits help here: hand below the line, paper tilted, and a light touch. Start with pencil rather than textas or felt pens, which smear more easily. If the side of the hand is grey at the end of a page, that’s a sign the hand is resting on top of the writing rather than below it.
Victorian Modern Cursive for left-handers
Victorian Modern Cursive is the handwriting style the Victorian Department of Education provides models and fonts for, and most Victorian schools teach it. Left-handers use the same letter shapes and the same starting points as everyone else, with a few allowances:
- Cross-strokes can go right to left. Crossing a t or f, or the bars on capitals such as A, E and H, from right to left is fine. It’s often more natural for a left hand.
- A few letters may be formed a little differently. Victorian Modern Cursive guidance notes that left-handers may form some letters, such as f, o, t and x, differently. Follow what your child’s teacher shows the class.
- Start points still matter. Most letters start at the top. Letters like a, d, g and q still begin like a c, curving anticlockwise. Our post on Victorian Modern Cursive at home explains the letter families.
Put the model where the hand won’t cover it
On most worksheets, the example letter sits at the start of each line, on the left. For a left-hander, that’s exactly where the writing hand lands, so the model disappears as soon as they begin. Your child may end up copying their own last letter instead of the model, and small mistakes creep in along the row.
The fix is simple: put a model at the right-hand end of the row too. KidStudy’s worksheets have a Left-handed option that does exactly this, and adds a short tip for left-handers under the title. It works on every sheet, from patterns and letters to name practice and words.
Left-handers on an iPad
The same ideas apply on a screen. On KidStudy’s Trace page, children trace Victorian Modern Cursive letters with a finger or an Apple Pencil. For a left-hander:
- Turn the iPad a little clockwise, just like paper.
- Turn on Left-handed in the settings. The buttons move to the right, away from the writing hand.
- With an Apple Pencil, turn on Apple Pencil only, so fingers and a resting hand won’t draw. Your child can then rest the hand below the line, as on paper.
Questions parents ask
Should I make my left-handed child use their right hand?
No. If your child chooses their left hand, there’s no need to swap. Help them find a comfortable position for the hand they prefer.
How should a left-handed child hold a pencil?
There’s no special left-handed grip. Use the same relaxed hold as any child, about 3 cm up from the point so the fingers don’t hide the writing. A soft 2B pencil helps.
Which way should the paper tilt for a left-hander?
Turn it a little clockwise, so the top-left corner is higher, and move it slightly to the left of your child’s body. This is the opposite tilt to a right-hander.
How do I stop a hooked wrist?
Tilt the paper, keep the hand below the writing line with the wrist fairly straight, and hold the pencil a little higher up. Make sure the model letters aren’t hidden under the hand.
Do left-handers form letters differently in Victorian Modern Cursive?
Mostly no: the shapes and starting points are the same. Left-handers may cross t, f and some capitals from right to left, and may form a few letters such as f, o, t and x a little differently. Follow your child’s teacher.
My child swaps hands. Is that a problem?
Young children often use both hands while they settle. If your child is still swapping during the first year of school, mention it to the teacher, as it can be an early sign of handwriting difficulty.
Sources
- Handwriting in children, Raising Children Network
- Teaching materials and methods: handwriting fonts, Victorian Department of Education
