How to teach left and right to children: tips, games and nursery rhymes

How to teach left and right to children: tips, games and nursery rhymes
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From the age of 3, the child begins to perceive himself as something different from the space that surrounds him and spatial thinking becomes sharper, more effective. But it is children between the ages of four and five who are most aware of how they move in the environment. It is in this range of learning that one can begin to think how to teach children left and right, a concept that obviously is not only useful from a practical point of view, but also from a cognitive one. 




In this article

How to teach children left and right, ages and studies

The difference between left and right in children is not implied in their skills. Indeed, according to a study, its acquisition can also be delayed: R. Rigal's research called "Right-left orientation: development of correct use of right and left terms" has in fact specified that right-left orientation includes skills such as that of discrimination and recognition of space as well as a correct use of the verbal labels "right" and "left". The study involved about 400 children of different ages, on which the development of the spatial concept was studied. In some cases, 11-year-olds still could not recognize left and right on other children, only on themselves. According to pedagogists, the process in its initial phase already begins around 5 years, when children distinguish right and left only on themselves. And it is precisely the children between the ages of nine and eleven who begin to distinguish it from others as well. 



Read also: Left-handed children, since when, what to do and what to avoid

Other studies by the same expert suggest that different approaches to children's space can lengthen or decrease the learning time of concepts and the use of left and right. In the research "Right-left orientation, mental rotation, and perspective-taking: when can children imagine what people see from their own viewpoint?", Rigal wonders how processes such as mental rotation, perspective and left and right orientation develop if the child prefers the left hand.



Teaching left and right: first steps

The first step is to check if the baby is left handed or not. In this way, the dominant part is identified that the child will use as a reference point to distinguish right and left.


Based on whether he is right-handed or left-handed, small rules can then be applied to teach children to learn.

  • The first step is semantic: it is in fact necessary to teach the child the meaning of right and left. Among the simplest exercises to do in this regard are those of associating one of the two words to mom and dad (mom is right and is to the right of the child, for example) so as to make him mirror the concept.
  • The second step is graphic: the child can associate a symbol or a color to the two spatial concepts to recognize them more easily.
  • The third step is spatial: the child must first learn to distinguish right and left on himself, then on others or in space

Games to teach children left and right

The game of the beating heart

The children are asked to place both hands on the chest, one on the right and one on the left. Asking them which side their heart feels on helps them to associate the left side with the heartbeat side, a way to understand space about themselves, but in perspective.

The path of the footsteps

Children's footprints are drawn on a billboard, distinguishing left and right with colors. The blue pin will be the right, the red one will be the left. In this way you can play by creating a real path in which the child will physically move on the billboard using the right foot.

The game of presentations

Another easy association game for children aged 4 and up is that of presentations: associating the right hand with the one you give to introduce yourself to someone (or to greet someone) can be useful in the early stages of setting.

The tattoo game

Also to learn to distinguish right and left on oneself in preschool age there is the tattoo game: that is the affixing of a symbol on one of the two hands to distinguish it from the other and facilitate the child's task.

The appeal game

With this playful activity, children who have learned to distinguish right and left on themselves can begin to approach the surrounding space. Put the puppets or toys of the child on his left and right in the bedroom (or on the bed, always in the same position) and push him to identify the space they occupy slowly, without forcing it. You can associate this game with that of the roll call, for example by asking the child to do the roll call with the pupils who are on the left and on the right. At the beginning the child can help himself with a graphic symbol (tattoo on the right or left hand, for example).

Read also: Correct pencil grip: how to teach it to children

Left and right nursery rhymes for children

Right and left

With the left I take the stars

with the right I touch the beautiful waves

with the left I touch my heart

I see a red flower at my feet

I take it quickly and you know why

with my right hand to give it to you

Right and left by Maria Giacco

Right hand, right hand,

fly here, fly there,

touch the ear,

pull your hair

brat hand stop here.

Right foot, left foot,

walk fast, walk fast,

put on the shoe,

do the march

and come back here.

Right and left by Anita Romoli Borrani

To the left

you have a narcissus

Turn right

you will see a cornflower.

To your right

is a bunch of violets,

while on the left

a beautiful sun shines.

keep the sinister

what beautiful jasmine,

but to your right

you have hawthorns.

Now left

there is only a thrush.

Turn right

and see Carletto.

Fonti per questo articolo: R Rigal, Right-left orientation: development of correct use of right and left term; Right-left orientation, mental rotation, and perspective-taking: when can children imagine what people see from their own viewpoint?

TAG:
  • language development
  • learning
  • child psychology
  • left-handed children
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