Question for those using Getty Dubay italic with lefties

[4summergirls]

I decided to switch my dds to italics for simplicity and legibility, so ordered the GD books. My 8 yo is a lefty and has previouly completed the DHK cursive books specifically for lefties, so her cursive slants left. Looking over the GD materials, it appears as though they expect lefties to write with a slant to the right. I think it looks better, but trying it today, my daughter was resistant. I think she can adjust it she just tilts the paper the other way, but not sure if I should push it. Any of you had a similar experience? Do your lefties' italics slant right?

[Mabeline]

I am left handed and I slant my writing to the right. Yes, tilt her paper and let her experiment how far she needs it tilted. My boys (right-handed) use GD Italics. I love it for the simplicity and ease of transition into cursive.

[Maria/ME]

I have a lefty, too. We've always used GB, so it's a bit difficult to compare. I would say my dd11 doesn't really have a slant to her writing at all...and I don't enforce it. Her penmenship seems to just be straight up and down. It is usually legible... (said laughingly...we're working on legible!)

My thought is if you really like the right slant and want to see her penmenship develop this way, gently enforce it. Does her left slant really effect the readability or beauty of italics? Can she have her own legible style of writing? I have a feeling if your dd has been used to and is comfortable with a left slant it's gonna take time to correct that ease she has with it.


My dd has some writing issues that have been hard to root out...(for example, due to some eye issues she tends to write down the middle of a page instead of starting from the right) but with consistent reinforcement and noticing how others write, she's learning. So it can be done, but I'd say give it time!

[4summergirls]

Thanks for the input. I think I'll gently try to have her slant to the right, or getting just to to straight up and down. There's no rush so we'll take it slow and see what happens.

[matroyshka]

The GD books actually say to aim for anything from a 5-degree slant (which is very, very little) to straight up and down.

I'd say all three of my kids are pretty much straight up and down (2 righties and a lefty). I do try to get them to tilt the paper properly (righties to the left and lefty to the right).