Exercises to define the laterality of the children's brain

Reach the complete laterality of the brain of the children is the objective of these exercises, which are especially indicated for children who after performing the tests to know if they use more the left hemisphere or the right dek cerebri, have shown that they have a crossed laterality, that is, they do not they have a definite full laterality, which can lead to learning problems at school.

Once the child has mastered the cross-pattern exercises and has demonstrated a clear preference towards one of the sides, left or right, we can help him achieve full laterality by encouraging the use of that part of the body.

8 exercises to define the complete laterality of the children's brain

1. Use of the hand
To strengthen the laterality you have to teach him to do things exclusively with the dominant hand either right-handed or left-handed:
- When eating, use the cutlery with the appropriate hand.
- When drinking, we must put the glass on the right side of the plate so that it always uses the corresponding hand.
- We can observe when he plays with which hand he takes the objects and insist that he do it with the correct hand.
- If the child has difficulty developing a "dominant hand", we can make him close his eyes and then put a small object in the palm of his hand (clip, marble, etc.) and identify him by touch to stimulate him.


2. Writing
If a child has bad handwriting with the dominant hand he will need some additional writing exercise, with the advice of the school. The ideal is to use a blackboard before moving on to traditional calligraphy notebooks. We will make him face the wall, right, with his chin touching the wall: that will be the point to mark the exact center of the board when it is hung.

The child should always be standing while writing on the board, straight and without leaning on anything. He has to write the words he can read, copying them, and big words. If you are not able to write on the right line, we will tape you with a guide, at the height of your chin.


The duration of the sessions (up to 4 a day, depending on how bad the child's writing is) will be 10 minutes or less.

3. Throw a ball
The most difficult natural skill to teach is throwing a ball. If necessary, you can practice ten minutes a day.

If the child is right-handed, start by gently pulling a rubber ball with the right hand from the bottom up.
Then we will teach you to put your right foot forward, each time you throw the ball.

When you have learned to start with the right foot forward, one of the parents has to put his hand on that foot (the right) while pulling. As you can not move your right foot, this will help the movement of the left foot, the right foot for a right-handed shooter.

The complete exercise consists of taking a step forward with the left foot while pulling with the right hand. When it improves it will naturally occur in a cross pattern.


For lefties, the left foot is put forward and immobilized. While the left hand moves back to throw the ball, the right foot moves forward ending the movement in a crossed pattern.

4. Use of the foot
You have to train the foot on the same side as the dominant hand. You can start, for example, lifting marbles with the toes that you want to become dominant. Then you can try to lift more difficult things. Then, you will have to teach him to take a pencil, or a thick marker, between the big toe and the next, to try to draw. At first I find it very difficult, but we can motivate him also trying.

Afterwards, we can move on to shoot the ball. At first the boy slowly goes to the ball and kicks with the right foot. Then have him increase his speed when approaching the ball. We will gradually decrease the size of the ball until the child is able to kick a small ball with the right foot. We will use 15 minutes a day.

5. Use of the ear
If the tests indicate that the ear the child uses is not the same side as your dominant hand, it requires training in this area. We will do it in two periods of 5 minutes each, speaking or reading. While we sit on your right side, we will tell you to cover your left ear while listening. If the child is left-handed, we will sit on his left side, covering his right ear. We will do this twice a day for five minutes each time.

6. Wink
While the child begins to make predominant use of a hand, an ear and a foot, we can add this additional visual exercise: teach him to wink the eye opposite his dominant. Some children have difficulties doing it. With practice, learn to wink the non-dominant eye while keeping the other open. We will practice this in four sessions of one minute each day.

We can use a paper tube for the child to look through it with the dominant eye.We will teach you to close the other eye while watching. You can practice bringing the tube directly to the dominant eye, until you know how to do it without hesitation. If you already master this operation, we will make you practice bringing the telescope closer to the eye without closing the non-dominant eye.

7. Target shooting
We can install a small dartboard in a corner, with a large X on a sheet of paper. Let the child point to the target, at a distance, with the index finger of his dominant hand, while closing the non-dominant eye, as if he were firing.

When you have learned, we can buy a toy gun from those who throw a cork, or rubber ammunition or rubber-tipped darts to practice target shooting. You have to look with the dominant eye and keep the non-dominant closed. After a period of practice your aim will have improved. Then we will teach you to shoot with both eyes open.

I practiced aiming with my finger and shot four times a day, for one minute at a time.

8. Sleeping position
At night, we can place the child in the proper position to sleep. First, we will teach you to sleep on your stomach. To do this, we will wait until he is asleep, then we will turn him upside down gently, once a night, preferably at the time we lie down. If you use a pillow, we will give you a median because large ones usually prevent sleeping like this.

When we have got the child to sleep on his stomach regularly, we will begin to put him in the proper position every night, after he has fallen asleep. The proper position is seen in the drawings.

Beatriz Bengoechea. Psychologist and Family Counselor

- Start writing, from the palotes to the letters

- The cerebral laterality of children: difficulties at school

- Left-handed children: the world from the mirror

- Cross laterality, a difficulty to learn

Video: Right and Left Brain Workout


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