Pencil Grip: To Change or Not to Change?
This is a question I run into often. Teachers and parents alike get themselves into worried frenzies when a child isn’t using the pencil grasp they know to be correct. Are you ready for the truth? It may come as a surprise, but there are actually many different ways to hold a pencil. If you look down at your own hand while writing you may realize that you too are holding the pencil “wrong” (gasp!). There’s no need to fear, though. Of course, failure of children to use a mature and functional grasp by the appropriate age may indicate a lack of skill somewhere, but it also may not. If the grasp is awkward but is not causing fatigue, impacting speed, or legibility, their grip is most likely fine as is.
If you feel as though your child is really struggling to grasp a pencil, keep some of these tips in mind. Daily practice is always the most effective! If you have any specific questions or further concerns regarding your child, please contact me on skillsetreset.com. Four helpful tips:
Use a pencil grip as visual and tactile cue
Use short pencils, crayons, and pieces of chalk
Whenever most functional grasp is assumed, reinforce with praise
Color code spots on pencil and fingers to indicate where each finger should make contact when holding the pencil
