Teach the students why they would need to know their left from right:
- Directions- turn left or right, to follow directions (for example, place the jar on the left side of the shelf).
- Directionality- how we read and write. We read and write from left to right.
- Dressing- putting shoes and gloves on the correct foot/hand.
- Knowing our handedness- if I write with my right hand, then I am called right-handed and if I write with my left hand, then I am called left-handed.
- Pledge of Allegiance- we place our right hand over our heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance.
- To describe a body part to someone- for example, if my left ear hurts, then I would want the doctor to know it is my left ear.
- To learn to march properly.
Show the students their left and right hands. Show them that their thumbs meet.
I use both the well known song, The Hokey Pokey and The Reader's Hokey Pokey to teach left and right and directionality in reading and writing. Most children have played The Hokey Pokey before reaching Kindergarten, but it is a great song to practice left and right. To make sure that the students are using the correct hand during the song, I put a sticker on their left hand to remind them where their left side is. After playing The Hokey Pokey, I play The Reader's Hokey Pokey, by Georgiana Stewart. The is a novel and brilliant song, written to the same tune of The Hokey Pokey, but the lyrics are for reading:
When I read a book, I start from left to right.
I do the same thing when I want to write.
I do the reader wiggle and I turn myself about.
That's how I read and write.
I do the reader wiggle. (repeat three times)
That's how I read and write.
Before and after the song, I show students the directionality that the song teaches by using a book and a marker and chart paper. Students enjoy pretending to read and write from left to write while singing the song. One year I even chose this song as one of our Kindergarten graduation songs.
To learn more techniques for teaching reading, by this author, click here.