How to Determine the Dominant Hand With Ambidextrous Children
- 1). Provide the child with a single sheet of construction paper and a pair of safety scissors and instruct her to cut the paper. View which hand the child uses the scissors with. Have the child cut four or five pieces of paper, one at a time, to see if she ever switches the scissors to the other hand or if she continues to cut with the same hand.
- 2). Monitor the child’s use of eating utensils. When eating a meal, monitor which hand the child uses to hold her fork or spoon. Take note of the child’s technique when using the utensils and determine if she has an easier time using one hand or the other.
- 3). Play with your child to see which hand she uses most. Throw a ball back and forth with your child and see which arm she primarily uses to throw the ball. You can also play with hand puppets, dolls or action figures and see which hand she puts the puppet on or holds the doll with.
- 4). Give your child paper and pencil and see which hand she instinctively uses to pick up the pencil. Allow your child to doodle and write letters on the paper, if she is old enough to write. After a few minutes, give her a fresh sheet of paper and ask her to switch the pencil to the opposite hand so she can draw and write for you some more. Compare the two pieces of paper; based on the drawing or writing, does one hand appear to have better coordination than the other?
- 5). Analyze your findings from the aforementioned activities. Is there one hand that your child seems to use more than the other? Compare the coordination your child possesses with each hand and decide if she is more coordinated with one than the other. The hand that your child uses the most and that she has the most control with is her dominant hand.
Source...