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From: lizv@tektools.UUCP (Liz Vaughan)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Re: switching lefties, and nearsightedness
Message-ID: <379@tektools.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 22-Aug-85 17:29:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: tektools.379
Posted: Thu Aug 22 17:29:38 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 25-Aug-85 05:22:47 EDT
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 44

Draconian teachers switching left-handed kids is not as long-gone as you might
think - I had a real beast in first grade (about 1969) who was sure I was the
spawn of the devil and kept telling my mother to pray for me.  Needless to
say, we left THAT school in a hurry.  I'm mildly dyslexic anyway, so I can't
imagine what switching would have done for me, but my grandfather was switched
and routinely wrote/read words backwards all his life (was <=> saw etc).

The thing with twins having opposite hand dominance is quite common; so are
hair whorls in opposite directions, mirror image birthmarks and fingerprints,
and the like.

Why are people so uptight about this?  It really isn't much of a handicap.
Eating isn't nearly as much of a problem as you'd think; just be polite and
don't stick your elbows out.

The biggest problem I've ever had is "army" style can openers, and no-one to
teach me sports.  I think this is why lefties get a reputation for being
klutzy - frequently there just isn't anyone to teach them to do it
left-handed.  For example, I was AWFUL at tennis for years because people kept
trying to teach my to play right handed.  I finally had a lefty camp counselor
and discovered I was quite good at it!  The thing someone posted about righty
parents teaching their kids things using a mirro was helpful; even easier is
just to face them - I learned to tie my shoes this way.

Along the sports line, another pet bone to pick with teachers: DON'T make the
kid take off his/her glasses.  If they WANT to wear them for gym, chances are
it's because they need to.  I've worn lenses since I was 4, and literally
can't see my hand in front of my face - objects come into sharp focus at about
4 inches.  Especially with younger children, gym teachers  tend to force kids
to take off their glasses so they won't break them.  Great - instead the kid
gets a broken nose from a baseball coming out of hyperspace 8 inches in front
of him.  If your glasses-wearing child HATES gym/sports, find out if someone's
making her/him take them off; often even insensitive teachers will respond to
pressure from parents on this.  Also, if your non-glasses wearing child has
trouble with sports and/or a significant drop in school, attention level, etc,
try having her eyes checked.  Many a "slow learner" is discovered to be
nearsighted years too late.  You can monitor this yourself even with very
young children; when riding in the car, get them to "read" signs (many of
which don't use words these days), point out people and things at a distance
etc.  If the child says "what tree", take her to the eye doctor!


Liz Vaughan
...tektronix!tektools!lizv