The brochure, titled “When Will I Know Which Hand She Will Use”, goes on to explain when children establish hand dominance.
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Zayde is like most kids in pre-k, learning how to read and write.
The boy’s mother, Alisha Sands, who is also left-handed, told KFOR that she kept her son, Zayde, at home Monday after a dispute with his teacher at Oakes Elementary in Okemah about a letter that was sent home with him highlighting the evils of left-handedness.
In many western cultures, right-handedness was/is considered the “correct” or “right” hand to use, and left-handedness was unlucky or inauspicious.
There is surprisingly little data on left-handedness, notes the Washington Post, though in America, geography seems to play a factor as does era-lefties hit their low point (about 3% of the population) in the early 1900s, probably as a result of these old attitudes along with the rise of machinery for the masses.
“I just asked is there anything his teachers ever asked about his hands”, Sands told NBC affiliate KFOR.
Alisha sent the teacher a note and got a strong response.
“It breaks my heart for him because someone actually believes that, believes my child is evil because he’s left handed, it’s insane”, his mum said. “It’s insane”.
Sands took the article to the district superintendent to make a complaint.
“There was no suspension of any kind, there was basically nothing done to this teacher”, she said.
For Ms Sands this is not something her son will have to face as Zayde will likely transfer to another class. After approaching the school’s superintendent she said nothing had been done.
Sands complained to the school but, for now, the teacher hasn’t been disciplined.
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“I don’t feel like the school did what they were supposed to for him”, said Alisha. A spokesman said the accreditation office will investigate.
