Golden Hills Kindergartners Master Left and Right, 9/7/2026

Kindergarten students in Ms. Sasada's class at Golden Hills Elementary are building one of the foundational skills of early literacy: distinguishing their left hand from their right. Working through guided practice with Ms. Sasada, students completed worksheets that asked them to follow directions based on hand orientation, such as coloring the nails on their left hand blue and the nails on their right hand green.

While it may seem like a simple skill, left-right discrimination plays a critical role in a child's reading and writing development. A solid grasp of left and right helps students correctly form letters that can otherwise be easily confused, such as b and d, track lines of text from left to right, and follow page numbers in order. Mastering this distinction also marks an important cognitive milestone, demonstrating a child's growing ability to tell apart two symmetrical concepts.

Beyond the mechanics of reading and writing, this skill builds classroom confidence. Students who have a firm handle on left and right are able to follow directions independently, rather than relying on classmates for cues about what to do next.

Golden Hills Elementary staff encourage families to reinforce this skill at home, giving students additional practice as they continue to build the fundamentals that will support their growth as readers and writers throughout the school year.