Ambidextrous children have a very rare and special gift that can bring them strength in many areas. Using both hands gives them more than just a party trick, but can benefit them in being things like athletics and academics.
The connection between ambidexterity and academic giftedness is unclear. Though there isn’t a lot of consistency in the research, your child is unique and can use their ambidexterity in several areas of life.
Handedness comes from both nature and nurture. You can foster your child’s ambidexterity to help them grow it into the dominant skill it can be, just as you can help nurture so many other areas of your child’s personality.
What Does It Mean to Be Ambidextrous?
Being ambidextrous means you can use either hand to do any task and not lack efficiency either way. Only about 1% of the population is truly ambidextrous, meaning they have no dominant hand, while 90% of people are right-handed, and 9% of people are left-handed.
Some people have different dominant hands for different tasks. For example, they may write with their right hand but swing a baseball bat with their left. This is called being mixed-handed, and those people could not switch to writing with their left hand and batting with their right hand without those tasks becoming incredibly difficult.
Because ambidextrous people do not have a dominant hand, they also generally do not have asymmetrical brains like the majority of the population does. This can sometimes lead to certain health complications but also provides these people with unique advantages. However, whether gifted children are ambidextrous or vice versa is hard to say, and no studies prove for sure one way or the other as the brain and how it connects to our bodies is still such a mystery.
Are ambidextrous children gifted? There is no direct correlation between ambidexterity and giftedness in children, though using both hands can give children advantages in various aspects of their lives.
The Benefits of Being Ambidextrous
All ambidextrous people have a unique set of advantages, but we’ll focus on the specific advantages for children.
Improved Memory
Some experts believe being ambidextrous correlates with having an improved memory. This is because the areas of the brain that make someone ambidextrous also relate to their memory and, in some cases, can improve it.
Improved Motor Control
When a child uses both hands, it may take them longer to develop certain motor skills because they have double the skills to master compared to most people. However, the way their brains are wired can often lead to more motor control than most people. This can help them achieve great success in athletics, music, and art because they will likely be able to multitask more efficiently than most people.
Better Stamina
Daily tasks can be less trying for someone using both hands or both feet. Being able to write with either hand is especially useful in school. Say a child is handwriting a stack of notes or filling out a lot of worksheets. A cramping hand won’t stop them if the minute they feel discomfort, they can pass their pen or pencil to their other hand and keep working without missing a beat.
Athletics
There are many scenarios when being ambidextrous could give players advantages in sports. As a kid, there likely aren’t quite as many benefits because the level of competition is not as high, but they should begin building these skills in their youth.
For example, think of a soccer striker being equally good with their right and left feet in front of the goal and not needing set up on one side over the other. Consider a batter who knows the pitcher thinks they are a right-handed hitter, but they can switch and force the pitcher to change their tactic. A quarterback who can switch to his opposite hand if he is pressured from one side would be a huge advantage to his team.
Unique Opportunities for Students at Commonwealth Charter Academy
Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA) strives to provide opportunities that fit each child’s specific needs. Whether they need more challenge, a slower pace or somewhere in between, we want them to thrive and learn in a way that fits them as an individual. We also offer many extracurricular activities to help students explore their other interests.
Honors Program
At CCA, our Honors program allows students in third through 12th grades to experience unique opportunities. The rigorous and challenging schooling sets your child up for success in high school and beyond. We are committed to identifying specific characteristics in each student individually and then catering to their specific needs.
The Honors program incorporates project-based learning, class discussion, and problem-solving. If ambidexterity is your child’s unique gift, we will create projects that will grow their motor skills as well as foster their intellectual understanding of the world around them.
Special Learning
If an IEP or 504 plan is in place to ensure your child is properly supported, our special education program can fit their specific needs. What is unique about our program is children participate in it from the comfort of their own homes. This helps students who are easily distracted stay more focused by eliminating the distraction of a full classroom. If your child learns at a different pace, they can match whatever that looks like for them because of our flexibly learning options.
The online format also eliminates concerns regarding how your child would be able to communicate about their day as you will be with them and have a better understanding of what they are doing and learning.
Personalized Programs
We also develop personalized learning plans which allow for more in-depth communication between the parent, student, and the student’s team of teachers. Using sources of information such as grades, proficiency tests, the student’s strengths and needs, career counseling, and family input, we strive to develop the perfect, custom path for your student to succeed.
Extracurricular Activities
At CCA, we offer various clubs and extracurricular activities to allow students to engage in their interests outside of schoolwork, try new hobbies, and meet other students. Our art clubs cover traditional art, photography, graphic design, crafts, theater and dance, and print and broadcast media. We also have a chess club, gaming and computer club, science club, and brainteaser club for students interested in logic problems. If your child is interested in a club we don’t offer, they can apply to start a new club.
Learn More About CCA
Contact us today to learn more about our programs and how your ambidextrous child can be well served so they succeed. If you want to learn more about CCA and the opportunities a cyber school holds for your child, call us at 844-590-2864 or email us at [email protected].
