According to today's FT, researchers at Melbourne University have found that left-handed children do significantly worse in nearly all measures of development - and left handed boys do even worse than girls.
You can read the whole FT article here.
I decided to look up this study on the internet and found that the researchers used a 'comprehensive range of measures covering learning, social, cognitive and language skills' to come up with their findings.
If this is true, it's probably because we have to struggle in a world that's designed for right handers. But I certainly don't feel I devleoped more slowly as child compared to my right-handed pals.
The research also said: "we find evidence that lefthanded children spend significantly less time each day on educational activities than their righthanded peers, and significantly more time watching television".
Source: Handedness, Time Use and Early Childhood Development
Hmmm, well considering I always had my nose in a book when I was child and came top of my class, I can't say I agree with this. And what about 'significantly more time watching television'? We lived in the Far East and didn't have a TV until we came to England when I was aged six. And then I only watched about an hour a day.
Tuesday 24 February 2009
Left-handed children
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1 comment:
Hey Carole,
LOL ;-)
Sorry but this post really made me laugh! I wonder why we don't get asked to participate in such studies????
I recall I was a bright child, I was even advanced one school year (so I literally graduated high school a year younger than my peers). So I am not sure about the "..nearly all measures of development" education wise.
My struggles back then were not because I did not understand academics. It was because as you said, being left handed living in a right handed world, even our way of thinking and approaching problems is different.
As for the TV, Amen! I do admit I would rather watch TV than do school work, but then, the type of programs that I watched were educational too.
I also notice that I am a visual learner, and since I'm an IT girl, spending much time in front of a screen, I am more inclined to read e-books and articles online or watch documentaries instead of reading a hand held book.
Take care and keep posting ;-)
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