Pencil Grip

Do you see this?

What do you see?

• Child has a tight grip. (No space between thumb and fingers)

• Child holds pencil within the palm.• Child’s thumb wraps around fingers on the tool.

Or fingers wrap the thumb.• Child’s hand tires easily.• Child cannot change his way of holding the tool.• Wrist is bent down. • Hand and arm “float” in the air while writing.

Why?

• Grip patterns may be immature.• Muscles within the hand do not work in concert.• Grip patterns are developed through exposure to

large motor activities. • Grip patterns are habit based as a result of the

above.

What it should look like:

• Wrist bent up-see #1 (when arm is on table, hand is bent upward)

• Open web space-see #2 (circle between thumb and fingers)

• Fingers and thumb move the tool

2

1

How does grip effect output?

If the wrist is bent down or the fingers not moving, a child engaged in writing tasks will have:

• Difficulty controlling the tool if the writing space is too large.

• Too tight or too loose grasp on pencil effecting pressure on the paper or into the tool.

• Letter forms which are distorted due to poor motor control.

• Decreased output in speed as well as volume.• Fatigue more quickly than his peers.

Keep in Mind

• Habits are very hard to break.• This habit was likely formed several years before

the child entered school.• The best time to teach a “new” habit is when

something new is being learned.• Know your child’s tolerance level for change.• Know your own tolerance level for change.

So, What Now?

• There is a lot you can do.• All students can benefit.• There are simple changes which can be made to

positively effect the child’s ability to participate in the classroom.

External Support - Position

• Child seated at desk with feet on the floor To decrease fatigue

• Desk height appropriate for child (2” above bent elbow when seated at desk) To decrease fatigue

• Position of paper - slanted to same angle as forearm of writing handTo improve the position of the wrist

• Short pencils or crayons (1-2” in length-golf size)For increasing movement within the fingers

External support -pencil gripsFor placement of

fingers on pencil shaft

• Stickers or rubber band on the pencil shaft

• Foam gripper to assist with increased pressure on the tool

• Plastic gripper that helps with where to hold on the length of the tool and with comfort (available in different shapes)

For specific position of thumb and index finger

• Modeling clay around pencil.

• Grips identify specific finger position on a tool

Pencil Gripsfor placement for position

External Support-Size matters!

• If you are writing within a large space (3 cm or more ruled paper, i.e. kindergarten paper), write with a large diameter tool. Ex. Fat crayons, Kindergarten pencil, markers.

• If you are writing within a small space (less than 3 cm, i.e wide ruled paper), write with a small diameter tool. Ex. Standard pencil or pen.