Few parents give more than a passing thought to their child’s handedness, yet being left-handed can create many additional challenges for your child, as they spend much of their daily lives adapting to a right-handed environment. In a new book 'Your Left-handed Child' leading expert in left-handedness Lauren Milsom gives a fascinating insight into life from a left-handers viewpoint and invaluable advice to make life easier for your child.
Essential skills such as writing and cutting are covered in detail with beautiful illustrations and clear, concise explanations. However, this book goes much further than any previous work into the many and varied challenges your little left-hander will encounter on a daily basis, from starting to feed themselves to using power tools in their senior school years. Lauren explains simple advice and techniques - many drawing on the strengths left-handers share for lateral and creative thinking, and building on their inherent adaptability to overcome and avoid myriad small frustrations. The aim is to ensure your child develops a positive approach to problem-solving, and always considers their left-handedness a strength rather than a problem.
The need for such guidance has become increasingly obvious in recent years. Drawing on results of a unique study among left-handed students, this book details difficulties and bias in areas of the curriculum not previously considered, but which affect many left-handed students on a daily basis.
Lauren explains 'From a detailed survey of over 1,000 left-handed schoolchildren, the feedback brought to light difficulties in a wide range of subjects, such as IT, Art, Science and Design Technology, often relating specifically to poor layout or equipment with a strong right-bias. It was obvious suggestions and solutions were needed to overcome difficulties not just in core skills for children, but in these specialist subjects encountered by older students.'
Lauren Milsom has worked with left-handed children for over 20 years, is co-founder of the Left-Handers Association, the leading organisation for left-handers worldwide and a Director of Anything Left-Handed, the specialist providers of equipment and advice to left-handers.
"Your Left-Handed Child†by Lauren Milsom is available online from www.anythingleft-handed.co.uk RRP £9.99 (+p&p) and from all major bookstores. 128 pages full colour. Published by Hamlyn 16th April 2008. ISBN 978-0-600-61480-7.