Handedness facts for kids
Handedness means preferring to use one side of your body, usually a hand, for different tasks. For example, if you write with your left hand, you are left-handed. If you write with your right hand, you are right-handed.
Most people are right-handed. They might also prefer their right eye, foot, or ear for certain actions. Scientists are still learning why this is.
When someone can use both hands equally well, it's called Ambidexterity. This is quite rare.
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How Our Brains Control Handedness
Handedness is linked to how your brain works. This is called lateralization of brain function. It means that different sides of the brain have different jobs. This isn't just true for humans; many animals also show this.
Our brains are divided into two halves, or hemispheres. Each half controls different things. For most people, the left side of the brain controls speaking. It also controls the right side of your body. About 90-92% of all humans have their language skills in the left brain. This is why most people are right-handed. For left-handed people, this brain setup is often reversed.
Handedness in Society
In the past, some societies tried to make left-handed children use their right hand. This was called "forced laterality." However, these attempts usually didn't work well and caused problems for the children.
Think about writing. If you write from left to right, like in English, a right-handed person's hand moves away from what they just wrote. This lets them see their words easily. But for a left-handed person, their hand covers what they just wrote. This makes it harder to see their work as they go.
However, using a keyboard doesn't depend on which hand you prefer. So, handedness is not as big of a deal now as it used to be.
Still, many tools are designed for right-handed people. It can be hard or more expensive to find special versions for left-handed people.
Handedness and Early Humans
Scientists who study early humans have noticed that humans are very good at throwing things like rocks and spears. Chimpanzees also show handedness, but they are not as good at throwing.
For early humans, handedness was very important. It helped them protect themselves, catch food, and make tools.
Handedness in Other Animals
Many other animals also show handedness. For example:
- elephants often prefer to swing their trunks to the left or the right.
- Honeybees have right antennas that are more sensitive to smells.
- Parrots can be left-footed or right-footed. Some don't mind which foot they use, meaning they are ambidextrous.
- Animals like chickens and minnows often use one eye to look for food and the other eye to watch for predators. This helps them do two things at once.
Related pages
Images for kids
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Stenciled hands at the Cueva de las Manos in Argentina. Most of the handprints are left hands, showing that the people who made them were likely right-handed.
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Michael Vick, a left-handed American football quarterback, getting ready to throw the ball.
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See also
In Spanish: Mano dominante para niños
