As you watch your little baby grow into a kid, you realize there are so many things that need to be taught to your tiny tot. Even simple things like teaching them left and right becomes such a big ordeal sometimes. The concept of left and right needs to be introduced to your little one at an early age. However, sit back and relax as there are umpteen ways and simple means to help your little one learn this pretty quickly. Even though you as parents feel this concept is too tough for your little one to master at such a young age, there are some wonderful ideas to make sure they learn this without any confusion or difficulties. Here , we a listed a few tips to teach your child left and right direction.
In This Article
- What is the Best Age to Teach a Toddler ‘Left’ and ‘Right’?
- Tips to Teach Your Child Left From Right
- FAQ’s
What is the Best Age to Teach a Child ‘Left’ and ‘Right’?
The question that naturally comes to your mind is what age is ideal to help them differentiate left from right? Experts say that kids can learn to differentiate left from right from when they are three years old. The earlier your kid is introduced to these concepts, the better as they learn other concepts speedily. One most important rule to be kept in mind is never to introduce left and right together to your little one. If you introduce left, stick to that for a few days until they have learnt that rather than confusing them with right immediately.
Tips to Teach Your Child Left and Right
Here are a few simple tips to teach your child to differentiate left and right:
1. First Find Out Which is Your Child’s Dominant Side
As soon as your child begins scribbling or eating on their own, you will be able to discover whether they are left handed or right handed. Focus on this aspect and begin teaching them left from right. If they are right hander, tell them that the side with which they eat or write is the right side. This becomes quite easy for them to grasp. Automatically, the less dominant side will be the left.
2. Sorting Activities to your Child Left and Right
Playing sorting activities are a good means to help your child differentiate right and left. For example, ask your child to sort out their big cars to the right side and the tiny cars to the left side. This will naturally help them learn the concept quickly.
3. Play Hokey Pokey to Teach your Child Left and Right
Playing hokey pokey with your child is yet another way to help them grasp the concept of left and right without any confusion. This game is also ideal for developing the muscle memory of your little one.
4. Encourage Your Child to Dress by Staring on their Dominant Side
Make it a habit to tell them to always put on their dominant side first. Like tell them to put their right leg inside in the pants first or the right sleeve first , if they are right handed and so on. Or the right shoe goes in first. This way they will realize left and right very soon.
5. The Letter L
For a child who is totally confused about left and right, it would be a good idea to tell them to put both their palms down. And the hand that shows the letter L between the thumb and forefinger when you lay your palm flat is the left hand. This is indeed a simple and sure way of helping your kid understand left from right.
6. Body Features
If your little one happens to have a mole or scar on one side of the body, it makes it much easier for them to remember the sides. On the other hand, suppose they do not have anything like that, just sticking a tattoo or a temporary stamp is ideal enough to help them differentiate right from left.
7. Perfumed Hand
Dab a little bit of fragrant cream or lip balm on either the left or right hand daily for some days and ask them to show you their perfumed hand. Little ones love this and will very soon learn to understand left from right hand.
8. Crossing the Road
Whenever you stand to cross a road with your little kid, always make it a point to ask for their right hand to hold while crossing. This is another practice that can help your child to differentiate right and left.
9. A Walk Around the Corner
When you step out with your kid for an evening walk, just make a rule that they can only do right turns round your block. No left at all. This way, they can easily learn which right is. After a week, change the rule to only making left turns. Within a month they will surely be able to turn left and right without your assistance.
All of the above mentioned simple activities are sure to be useful in helping your child grasp the concept of right and left. However do bear in mind that this left and right concept has always been quite confusing for little children. And it requires continuous and repetitive activities and lots of patience to teach this to your kid. And surely your little one will soon learn to distinguish right from left without any hassles.
FAQ’s
1. My Child gets Confused Between Right and Left, is it Normal?
Yes it is perfectly normal. Though children know which hand they eat with or write with, they can still get confused. It takes them time to learn this important concept.
2. How Long Will it Take my Child to Differentiate Between Right and Left?
It depends on the child. Each child is unique and takes their own time to learn things. Teach them repeatedly with patience and follow our tips to speed up the process.
3. If my Child Gets Confused With Their Left and Right Constantly, Could it Indicate a Learning Difficulty?
Not necessarily. Do not rush to that conclusion. Of your child is having a hard time with their ds and bs, even after writing regularly, then you can probably get it checked.
4. Why is it Important to Teach my Child Left and Right Concept?
Left and right are commonly used communications words and means to tell directions and other things. If your child does not learn this early, it will make things difficult for them. They might even feel left out when they play with other kids.
Read Also: Back To ABC – Teach Your Toddler!
