Hand dominance

Lack of established hand preferences and the inability to know left from right is a common feature amongst children who are uncoordinated in motor skills and is often reflected in handwriting difficulties. However, it is normal for some children to not have established hand dominance when they start in Reception but they should be beginning to develop this by the end of Reception/beginning of Year 1.

How to discover hand dominance:

Place items directly in front of the child in the midline and take note which hand they use to pick up the objects. Keep a tally of how often they use which hand.

It is okay for a child to have different hand dominance for different tasks as long as they always use the same hand for the same task.

Put a watch or bracelet or other identifying marks such as a coloured sticker on the dominant or writing hand if established, as a visual prompt.

See Coordinating my body for play and activities and Using my hands advice sheets.