Hand dominance FAQs

Does hand dominance affect my child's academic ability?

Whether a child is right or left-handed does not affect their academic ability or progress, if they have developed and been taught the appropriate key skills. The important thing is not to force particular hand dominance on a child. It will never feel natural for them and the acquisition of gross and fine motor skills will feel awkward and may well appear clumsy, delaying their development, skills ability, confidence and self-esteem.

Why is hand dominance important?

To use tools effectively a child needs to know which is their dominant hand and which is their supporting / helper hand.

The supporting hand role is just as important as the dominant hand in completing tasks, though the level of fine motor skills may not be as precise, it is important that the two hands work well together.

When should my child know if they are right or left handed?

Children tend to develop hand dominance between the ages of 3-5 years old, for some it may be slightly later and for a few it does not become a subconscious decision until they are 8 or 9 years old.

What is a mixed hand dominance?

This is where a child finds they have more control and greater skills for handwriting with say the left hand but prefer and display more precise skills with the right hand in tasks such as using scissors.

This is not a problem.

Only about 1% of the population are truly ambidextrous, which means they are able to perform tasks using either hand with equal skill and proficiency; a rare trait indeed.

Should I be worried my child is left handed?

Being left-handed does not affect your child's academic ability or progress, if they have developed and been taught the appropriate key skills.

The important thing is not to force particular hand dominance on a child. It will never feel natural for them and the acquisition of gross and fine motor skills will feel awkward and may well appear clumsy, delaying their development, skills ability, confidence and self-esteem.

Why does my child swaps hands when writing?

Hand swapping is a normal developmental stage in infants and young children and is not a sign that a child is uncertain of their dominant hand. However, this is not ideal for a child who has started school.

Hand swapping throughout a task is not necessarily a sign that a child is uncertain of their dominant hand.

There are two possible reasons that a child swaps hands during a task: