Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-12-14
Making the Most
of Our Children
Ray @. Beery, A. B., M. A.
President of Parents Association

Since most of us are right-handed,
it looks slightly awkward to see a
person eat or write with his leIt
hand.
Parents realize this and therefore
prefer that their children should be-
come accustomed to use the right
hand instead of the left
But when child has practiced
using it's left hand for a while, 1T is
not easily changed, and the question
often arises as to whether 1t really
is wise to attempt to change after
the habit is firmly established.
For example, one mother writes:
''My little 3-year-old daughter is
left-handed. From the start 1 have
tried to correct it by suggesting that
she use her right hand, and show
her the right way to use her spoon,
pencil or whatever she happens to
pick up. Some one said I was doing
wrong to try to change her. Would
surely appreciate your advice on this
subject"
Since your daughter Is only three
years old, you can easily teach her
to be right handed. For the most
part, it simply Is a matter of habit;
and, while for some reason, your
daughter may have started out to
use her left hand more than her
right you can encourage the use of
the right hand in a way that will not
handicap her development in the
least.
When you have something IN your
hand to give the daughter and she
puts out her left hand, withhold the
object, firmly shaking your head
once or twice, making a GESTURE indi-
eating that you want the other arm
to be extended. The moment the
child starts to reach the object with
her right hand, smile Immediately
and give the object to the child. You
first use the principle of expectancy
and then that of approval.
66 n i Wnad os fdOgsEE
Another mother writes:
IL have boy six years of age who
is left-handed. He writes awkwardly
with either hand. DO you think
should discourage him in writing
with his left hand altogether"
There are varying degrees of left
] handedness. If child is left-handed
| in everything he does, it is not wei
to compel him to write with his right
hand. If, however, he is left-handet
| in some activities only and right
handed in other activities, he may
we'll be taught to write with his right
hand.
In order to teach the use of the
right hand in writing to q left
handed child, begin by drawing the
outlines of various birds and animals
making them several inches across
and ask the child to blacken these
animals with a lead pencil or colol
them with a crayon. Let the chil(
pay attention only to how the penci
or crayon is held while he is flllint
in these figures. Have him continu,
this daily exercise of filling in forms
always holding the pencil properl!
until the habit of holding 1t correctl.
is established.
Begin the penmanship with thu
easiest oval and loop exercises, bu
always holding the pen correctly
gradually all the letters may b'
formed without losing the habit o
the proper manipulation of the pei
or pencil.
When attempting to change f;
habit of this kind, 1t is wise to keel
on the good side of the child an(
show him that you expect him tt
make rapid progress. Then, wher
you see the first signs of improve
ment, tell him so at once, and thu
encourage him to put forth con
tinued efforts until the new habit Il
entirely formed.
Copyright, 1918, by the Parents
Association, Inc.)