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Enjoy sweet savings of 10% off all orders over $35.00 from now through February 16th. Customers must register and use the coupon code "LOVE" to receive 10% off your product order subtotal.
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| Offer Expires: February 16, 2009 |
Hands-On Information for Teachers and Parents
The establishment of hand dominance is a complex brain process. Predominant and proficient use of one hand over the other for handwriting, feeding, and performing other functional activities in daily life usually emerges in a young child between 4 ½ and 6 years of age. Up to 90% of the population is right-hand dominant and 10% is left- or mixed-hand dominant. Encouraging or forcing the use of a particular hand in functional activities such as handwriting may actually lead to stuttering, stammering, and increased levels of stress within young children (Meng, 2007). Research supports us in our effort to honor the natural development of handedness in every young child as we guide children in the hand, head, and heart toward handwriting.
While it may be tempting to help a young child "decide" which hand will be the dominant mover and which hand will be the non-dominant stabilizer, research recommends a facilitative role for teachers and parents. We must encourage children's use of hands in play and daily activities where two hands are performing different jobs in order to develop hand dominance. Presenting toys and other items at the midline (belly button level) allows young children to use the preferred hand to grasp and use the object spontaneously, which reinforces hand dominance.
Observing the emergence of hand dominance or any other aspect of child development is a gift to the teacher or parent. So, don't worry when a young child is switching hands when coloring - instead realize that you are watching that child's brain working through his/her hands to determine hand dominance for a lifetime.
Happy Valentine's Day...Write Out of the Box!
Marianne
Reference:
Meng, L. (2007). The rate of handedness conversion and related factors in left-handed children. Laterality, 12(2), 131-138.
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Make Your Little Valentine Smile!!!
Check out our wide variety of adorable wind-ups for land and water. Wind Up toys naturally reinforce use of the tripod grasp! Children use two hands to perform different jobs to make these motivating critters go, go, go on tabletops or the floor. We have over 40 different wind-ups to choose from.
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