Need to complain to school

i.like.cats

MackemPunk wrote: »

Actually Hendrix was a lefty, who played a right handed guitar restrung for left hand use
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_musicians_who_play_left-handed

Nah, he was predominantly right handed. A lot of people think that cause he played left-handed that he must have been left-handed. He wasn't - he wrote with his right hand. But yeah you're right in that he played a right-handed guitar re-strung for left-handed use as opposed to a "proper" left-handed guitar (there wreen't many proper left-handed guitars made at that time). To me, a guitar strung for left-handed use IS a left-handed guitar, albeit a makeshift one with the dials in the "wrong" place.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/feb/25/jimi-hendrix-ambidexterity-virtuosity

Lunar_Eclipse

aliasojo wrote: »

A left handed child learns the same but they are also expected to try to master a piece of equipment that is designed to work for right handed people, first before they can then learn how to do the task in hand, properly.

A child's dexterity is not refined at an early age, they can be clumsy and it's some time before they are physically able to cut out neatly (for example).

I'm not sure whether you mean they (have to in reality) learn the same, or they do actually learn in the same way. Either way, generally speaking, LH people don't learn in the same way as RH people, which is why you've probably read about left handed people being better at Languages & Art based subjects and RH people at Maths & Science based logical subjects. It's all to do with which side of the brain is dominant. (And lots of teaching is better suited to left brain dominant people with a preference for auditory learning.)

Also, my RH daughter was years ahead of the leftie in developing fine motor skills which I think was because her brain had to work back-to-front.

Still, if I had the choice, I'd be a leftie which I'm not. I generally find them far more interesting.

pulliptears

Another parent of a now 18 year old leftie...

The only thing I ever struggled with was when he was starting to feed himself, 18 years ago left handed angled baby feeding spoons didn't exist and we ended up bending teaspoons in a vice so he could try and feed himself without the frustration.

His writing was (and still is) abysmal, I bought him some pencil grips from here: http://www.anythinglefthanded.co.uk/acatalog/sattler-pencil-grip-moulded.html/ but Stabilo now make left handed angled pens too.
He coped with normal scissors and I can honestly say the issue has never cropped up. I bought him a left handed guitar once, he played it for a while then bought himself a regular rightie one. Kids adapt, especially if left to get on with it from a young age.

I guess if you feel strongly enough you could buy a small pencil case and equip it with childs own scissors etc, but personally I'd just leave them to work it out for themselves.

jakes-mum

My DS and DH are both left handed, DH uses a right handed mouse but on the left hand side, I once (thinking I was being really caring and thoughtful) bought him a left handed tape measure, after 3 weeks of picking it up to use it and measure something he threw it in the bin as he kept opening it upside down :rotfl: The only lefthanded thing my son had was a stabilo pen, bought him left handed scissors, he couldn't use them as he cut paper right handed, got really cross with the school keep giving him left handed ones.

Edit: he also plays golf and the guitar right handed.

Honestly just because someone is left handed for writing doesnt mean they will benefit from everything being left handed, and learning to use right handed equipment will help them for when L/H stuff just isn't available. The only thing my DH would probably have benefited from was a L/H chequebook as he would get cross trying to sign his name, the stub would get in the way. I personally love the fact he hates signing a cheque as it means he cant be writing one for any purchases that i dont know about :rotfl:

Birdy12

izoomzoom wrote: »

I have an issue at my DD's nursery / school.

I feel that she is being discriminated against because she is left handed and they are not prepared to make adaptations to the environment (changing / providing left handed equipment) and I need to take it further than the teacher.

Do you think I should ask for a meeting or do this as a letter, to the headteacher or head of dept ?????

izoomzoom wrote: »

Scissors are already provided in the school and as DD is in nursery, there isn't any formal structure to where they sit etc, so no issue about bumping writing arms with other children.

There is no specialist equipment that I am asking for. A few clicks on a computer that is already in the classroom.

So they do provide some form of LH equipment already? Only in the school or in the nursery too? (I assume it's attached?)

It was just the computer mouse aspect you had an issue with?

Why did you feel this needed a meeting or a letter?

Birdy12

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

I generally find them far more interesting.

I find lefties more interesting too. But then I'm biased ...

aliasojo

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

I'm not sure whether you mean they (have to in reality) learn the same, or they do actually learn in the same way.

I meant they have to learn the same things..i.e. draw an egg and cut it out.

A right handed egg drawer will potentially have a neater finished product simply because the scissors are a 'proper fit' and they didn't have to struggle to manipulate them.

quantumleap

I can't comment on the left vs. right handed debate but the crux of the "complaint" seems to be the issue with the mouse settings. I work in a grammar school with over 1000 pupils and there are quite a few left handed pupils. I teach I.T. and to be honest I've never had a request from a pupil or parent to do this.

The OP discusses how easy it is - well yes on a standalone home computer it is easy. However on a networked school environment where users (teachers) are not administrators it is most likely not easy. You also have to bear in mind that the computer will have to be changed and then reset every time it is used. the view, I suspect, of your average teacher would be that, quite frankly, this is not a practical thing to be doing.

Lotus-eater

Birdy12 wrote: »

I find lefties more interesting too. But then I'm biased ...

My OH is a lefty and I have a feeling alot of my girlfriends have been also. I've never considered it before. Weird.

Birdy12

aliasojo wrote: »

She just wanted to know how best to handle it. If she was going to be heavy handed, I think she'd have already been at the school knocking on the Head Teacher's door, rather than posting here.

izoomzoom wrote: »

Anyways, I met briefly with the headteacher today.

Or maybe knocking on the Head Teacher's door and posting on here?