Step 1 Establish a sense of left and right
Just how old were you when you grasped the concept of left and right? You may be surprised to know that establishing a sense of left and right is also the very first step to learning how to read and write. Founder of Launch Literacy, Alison Lee, explains how this works.
Left, right, read, write.
Children need to have an internal sense of left and right in order to progress with identifying, retrieving, linking and producing letters. Once established, they will begin to accurately match letters to sounds and sounds to letters.
What exactly is an internal sense of left and right? Often called laterality, an internal sense of left and right is different to an external sense of left and right – and can only be achieved once a child has established what is known as a midline. Try thinking of it like this:
No matter in which direction we face, even if we are standing on our head, our left is always our left and our right is always our right.
The midline is not the same as directionality which is an external awareness of left and right. This is why some children may still reverse their letters while knowing exactly which direction the shops are in.
Without establishing an internal sense of left and right and in turn the midline, correct letter formation will be hit and miss. This is because the child will not:
- be able to automatically find and apply correct starting points of letters
- have an understanding of which direction to move in
Feeling a little confused? Don’t worry, Launch Literacy provides you with a wealth of clinically proven expertise.
Our Step 1. Activity Books have been specifically designed to develop a young learner’s internal sense of left and right. Here is the fun and simple way to ensure a child’s letters are facing the right way, enabling them to begin linking sounds to correctly formed letters.
Click on the Activity Books below to gain a deeper understanding of the process.