Connections
Tools of the Trade
Make your classroom more inclusive with these handy tools for lefties.
BY LEIGH DOYLE
How do you accommodate left-handers? Share your secret to making classrooms more inclusive and you could win these featured products and more. Forward your tips to ps@oct.ca by September 30th and look for the winning submission in the Letters to the Editor section of our December 2013 issue.
Stay sharp
Even sharpening a pencil can make a left-hander feel rather gauche. The trick is to find a sharpener that works its magic when you turn it counter-clockwise.
TRY: igloo Lefty 1 Hole, 99¢, scholarschoice.ca
Made to measure
Noticed any lefties struggling during math? Making left-handed rulers (read from right to left) available will help. You could also recommend a left-handed geometry set. Instead of fumbling over measurements, they’ll be able to focus on your lesson.
TRY: Lefties Rule, $3.95, bit.ly/1anSGCH; Maped left-handed geometry set, $3.99, deserres.ca
Write left
Sick of ink-stained hands? Look for pens with tailored grips and offset necks that keep fingers from slipping and a clear field of vision. Have a thank-you letter to send? Show off your calligraphy skills with a set made especially for left-handers. Notice smears on assignments? Suggest a quick-drying ink to keep work tidy.
TRY: Visio Pen, $3.50, scholarschoice.ca; Panache Basic Calligraphy Left Handed Set, $17.99, currys.com; uni-ball Jetstream Rollerball pen, $7.92 (3/pack), staples.ca
Ultimate handbook
Keep up-to-date with The Left-Hander’s 2014 Calendar. It’s an agenda that flips the traditional layout; its weekly planning pages are on the left and bound on the right.
TRY: The Left-Hander’s 2014 Weekly Planner Calendar: Left-handed legends, lore & more, $12.40, amazon.ca
Get a grip
Make practising penmanship easier with a triangular grip! Add a comfortably shaped accessory to a pencil to guide fingers into place and reduce writing fatigue. For budding artists, offer a trilateral coloured pencil or ergonomic crayons — perfect for ambidextrous use.
TRY: Merangue Pencil Grip, $2.96 (5/pack), Staples; Crayola Jumbo Triangular Coloured Pencils, $4.99 (10/pack), Staples; Left Right Ergonomic Crayons, $6.95 (10/pack), currys.com
