Demons, Brain Damage and Sinistrophobia: the Horrible History of the Left-Handed

How to help your left handed child at www.bettertuition.co.uk

Did you know that until late Victorian times, left-handed people were considered to be demon-possessed? Or that until the 1970s, left-handed children were labelled as brain damaged? Did you also know that only a couple of decades ago standard classroom practice was to encourage/ force left-handers to write with their right hand?

Poor lefties: there is even a word – sinistrophobia – to describe the fear of left-handed individuals!

Luckily we live in a much more tolerant society today and while lefty children are very much in the minority (around 15%), nobody sees them as inferior or, one would hope, forces them to use their right hand.

It is true, however, that our world is better equipped for right-handed people, scissors being a good example.

Why are some people left handed?

Left-handedness is partly heriditary: if both parents are left-handed there is a 30-40% chance their child will be left-handed. Scientists (and there are many who study ‘handedness’) are not sure whether this is due to genetic factors or because children copy their parents.

While many possible explanations for left-handedness have been explored (genetic, hormonal, cultural, developmental and evolutionary – it’s a long list, isn’t it?), it seems unlikely a definitive ’cause’ exists.  Of course, left-handedness is not any sort of ‘disorder’: problems only arise because our world is set up for right-handed people!

How to help your lefty child at home and in school

Lefty writers find using a pencil easier, as it doesn’t smudge.  It can also be helpful to write on every other line (i.e. leave a line blank after each line of writing) and to use portrait format.  Paper should be leaning diagonally to the right on the desk or other writing surface.

Buy the Left Write Mat from anythinglefthanded.co.uk

The Left Write Mat (above) “shows the perfect paper position, pen hold and angle of the arm to achieve the most comfortable and effective style of writing as a left-hander.”

Sitting position is important: we all need somewhere to rest our elbow.  It goes without saying that your left-handed child should have access to left-handed scissors.  You can also buy left-handed pencils, pens, rulers and sharpeners.  Anything Left Handed is a great website that sells all manner of left-handed gadgetry.

If you have concerns about your child’s left-handedness, ask to speak to their teacher.  They are likely to be very happy to help make his or her life easier.