Although we encourage at times for our little friends to paint left to right, there is no specific scientific reason why painting from left to right with preschoolers is important. And because we focus on process art, there is no right or wrong way for our preschoolers to paint. However, we do believe that painting from left to right at times, we can help our little friends to develop their fine motor skills, and crossing their midline helps with their hand-eye coordination. This is purely because the majority of people read and write from left to right.
Additionally, some teachers do believe that by painting from left to right can help preschoolers develop a sense of order and organization. When they paint from left to right, they are essentially creating a line that goes from beginning to end. This can help them to learn about sequencing as well.
However, whether or not to encourage your preschoolers to paint from left to right is up to you as a teacher. There is no right or wrong answer, and what works best for one child may not work best for another.
