It is important to try to work on the pencil grasp of your child as early as possible because it will be harder to change the poor writing habit once they grow older. A pencil is positioned between the thumb and index finger with the pencil resting on the middle finger, it is called the dynamic tripod; the most effective way of holding the pencil.
When to Give a Child a Pencil Grip ?
Once a child’s fine motor skills have improved through the use of fun activities, then you can encourage children to sometimes make use of a pencil grip to train the fingers to hold the pencil more comfortably. The aim is to get the child to hold the pencil comfortably so the fingers can easily form the letters for smooth handwriting. Below are the maine reasons children hold pencils incorrectly:
- They may not have been taught how to hold it correctly
- They may have poor fine motor skills
- They may not find the grasp comfortable
It is important that we help children build their fine motor strength and dexterity to enable them to hold their pencils correctly we can do this with some simple games and day to day adjustments. Below are the few of the activities to help your child in pencil grasp:
- Use Toys With Tongs : Toys with tongs and tweezers encourage the use of the thumb, index and middle finger while working the tiny muscles in that nook between the thumb and index.
- Work on Vertical Surfaces : Working on a vertical surface builds strength and stability in the arms and shoulders. It also places the wrist in a good position for writing. Encourage them to write on Chalkboards or Dry erase boards
- Keeping It Small : Smaller writing implements naturally encourage a proper grasp.
- Bubble Wrap : The large bubbles for this activity is very effective to increase pencil grasp. Have child pop the bubble using their tripod fingers
- Pencil Grips : Pencil grips are a nice way to teach a child’s hands a new motor plan on how to set up their fingers to control their pencil better.
If your child just needs some encouragement and extra exposure to develop a better pencil grip, it is also recommended to try some of the fine motor activities