Learning to Write with Your Other Hand?

[justinram11]

Hello!

I was thinking of trying to learn to write w/ my right hand (I'm a lefty) over the summer as I hear it makes your brain faster by crossing both sides of it. Has anyone ever tried it? Did you have any noticeable differences?

Also, I was wondering, are people who sign alot able to cross their signing hands? Like if your a righty, are you able to sign with your left hand just as easily? I tried fingerspelling with my right hand for a day and it was terrible xD

Thanks guy!

 

[KristinaB]

I used to be able to switch from right to left when writing, but not anymore. I am learning to sign and am unable to do the ASL signs with my left hand, but I can fingerspell with both hands.

 

[rockin'robin]

I'm a rightie...and my handwriting is really "scrawled" if I try to write with my left....as for signing...I do fairly well with my left hand. There are a lot of "lefties" im my family.

 

[deafskeptic]

I learned to write and draw with my left hand when I shattered my elbow and broke the bone just above my elbow. I had to wear a cast for a month. I do so well that most people can't tell the difference. However, I'm a rightie most of the time though I use my left hand for things like steering the car or my bike.

 

[KristinaB]

Now, my son is total ambidextrous. His writing used to be clearer when writing as a leftie, but teachers in public school really got onto him (yes, in the 90's) so he switched and now, all of his handwriting is sloppy. He eats with his left, his gaming is primarily with his left, but he writes with his right. He fingerspells with his right, but he can do some ASL signs with both hands.

 

[jillio]

Now, my son is total ambidextrous. His writing used to be clearer when writing as a leftie, but teachers in public school really got onto him (yes, in the 90's) so he switched and now, all of his handwriting is sloppy. He eats with his left, his gaming is primarily with his left, but he writes with his right. He fingerspells with his right, but he can do some ASL signs with both hands.

Danged teachers.

 

[jillio]

Just learning to write with your nondominant hand is not going to impact your brain in any significant way.

 

[Bottesini]

Just learning to write with your nondominant hand is not going to impact your brain in any significant way.

What does it do? I was forced from right to left and back again...

 

[Bottesini]

Never mind. I thought you said it would affect the brain.

 

[jillio]

What does it do? I was forced from right to left and back again...

Creates confusion in processing info in the brain. Your dominant hand also indicates which side of your brain is dominant, and that, in turn, influences your learning style.

Too late...I answered anyway! LOL

But my answer was based on forcing a child to switch. Children are born naturally ambidextrous. Once they decide on a dominant hand, the brain has already decided what the natural learning style will be.

 

[KristinaB]

Maybe that's what's wrong with son. He will write out a school report with his right hand and at the same time, type up something on the netbook with his left hand at the same time.

Kind of like my grandfather watching the football game on TV, and listening to the horse race on the radio.

 

[deafskeptic]

According to my MSSD teachers, I'm one of those rare people who's both right brained and right handed. We did a series of tests to see if we used right or left brain more often when I was a senior at MSSD.

 

[jillio]

Maybe that's what's wrong with son. He will write out a school report with his right hand and at the same time, type up something on the netbook with his left hand at the same time.

Kind of like my grandfather watching the football game on TV, and listening to the horse race on the radio.

Sounds like he is just one of those naturally ambidexstrous people. There are a few of them around. They simply don't have a dominance.

Either that, or you have taught him to multi-task really, really well, lol.

 

[jillio]

According to my MSSD teachers, I'm one of those rare people who's both right brained and right handed. We did a series of tests to see if we used right or left brain more often when I was a senior at MSSD.

Very unusual. You may, however, have been a natural lefty, but your parents discouraged it at a young age so you learned to use your right.

 

[deafskeptic]

Very unusual. You may, however, have been a natural lefty, but your parents discouraged it at a young age so you learned to use your right.

That's odd. I have no memories of my parents trying to discourage me

 

[jillio]

That's odd. I have no memories of my parents trying to discourage me

It could have happened before you have any conscious memory. Something as simple as , when you were an infant, reaching for things with your left, and them not giving it to you until you used your right. Or taking the spoon from your left and placing it in your right. Being a lefty used to be considered a no,no.

 

[deafskeptic]

Could be. There are no lefties in my family. I do remember my first grade teacher forcing me to write with thumb and single finger on my pencil instead of 2 fingers and a thumb. She wasn't able to break me of this habit. I write this way with either hand.

 

[jillio]

Could be. There are no lefties in my family. I do remember my first grade teacher forcing me to write with thumb and single finger on my pencil instead of 2 fingers and a thumb. She wasn't able to break me of this habit. I write this way with either hand.

LOL, I use 2 fingers and a thumb, too. And my teachers all had fits trying to get me to "Hold my pencil properly." I used to think "It's my pencil. I'll hold it however I want to!"

 

[deafskeptic]

LOL, I use 2 fingers and a thumb, too. And my teachers all had fits trying to get me to "Hold my pencil properly." I used to think "It's my pencil. I'll hold it however I want to!"

Poor you, Poor you. It was only my first grade teacher who did this to me.

 

[jillio]

Poor you, Poor you. It was only my first grade teacher who did this to me.

Yeah, it pretty much stopped after grammar school. But they all had to tell me I was holding my pencil wrong.

Hey, it was in my hand and I was writing legibly with it. What dif does it make?