AnOTMom SoapBox
I'm sorry, I hate pencil grips. There. I said it.
First, let's be honest - the best way to promote a mature and functional pencil grasp, is to build fine motor skills. Giving a student a pencil grip, who has poor wrist stability, weak hand/finger muscles, poor finger isolation and inadequate coordination skills is much like putting a dress on a pig.
Secondly, we need to talk about function - can a funky pencil grasp be functional? I believe so. I have plenty of successful friends that hold their pencil funny. Are they handwriting models, sometimes no. But their writing is legible, albeit messy, and they can manage what they need to do. If a student has a funky grasp, but can produce legible work, at an appropriate pace, without pain or fatigue - don't try to change it with a pencil grip.
Thirdly, we need to talk reality. Are you going to change an 8th graders pencil grasp by slapping a fancy grip on his pencil. Highly unlikely. If you have an 8th grader (or I dare say, anyone 6th grade or older) that has an NON-FUNCTIONAL pencil grip - meaning they are producing unreadable work, can't keep an appropriate pace with their peers and/or experience pain when writing - you need to take a compensatory approach to writing. You need to look into modifications and adaptations. Modify assignments to fill in the blank or multiple choice. Allow students to be assessed through oral assessments. Encourage students to type lengthy assignments. At some point, we have to accept that the grasp and handwriting ship has sailed. And that's okay, how often do you, as an adult, have to write more than a few sentences?
Let me be clear - I do not support pushing technology and typing onto children in early stages of fine motor development (about birth to age 10). This is the time they SHOULD be coloring, drawing, printing, manipulating..... However, technology is a perfectly appropriate accommodation when an older student's motor abilities do not meet their demands.
Stepping down from the soapbox. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.
First, let's be honest - the best way to promote a mature and functional pencil grasp, is to build fine motor skills. Giving a student a pencil grip, who has poor wrist stability, weak hand/finger muscles, poor finger isolation and inadequate coordination skills is much like putting a dress on a pig.
Secondly, we need to talk about function - can a funky pencil grasp be functional? I believe so. I have plenty of successful friends that hold their pencil funny. Are they handwriting models, sometimes no. But their writing is legible, albeit messy, and they can manage what they need to do. If a student has a funky grasp, but can produce legible work, at an appropriate pace, without pain or fatigue - don't try to change it with a pencil grip.
Thirdly, we need to talk reality. Are you going to change an 8th graders pencil grasp by slapping a fancy grip on his pencil. Highly unlikely. If you have an 8th grader (or I dare say, anyone 6th grade or older) that has an NON-FUNCTIONAL pencil grip - meaning they are producing unreadable work, can't keep an appropriate pace with their peers and/or experience pain when writing - you need to take a compensatory approach to writing. You need to look into modifications and adaptations. Modify assignments to fill in the blank or multiple choice. Allow students to be assessed through oral assessments. Encourage students to type lengthy assignments. At some point, we have to accept that the grasp and handwriting ship has sailed. And that's okay, how often do you, as an adult, have to write more than a few sentences?
Let me be clear - I do not support pushing technology and typing onto children in early stages of fine motor development (about birth to age 10). This is the time they SHOULD be coloring, drawing, printing, manipulating..... However, technology is a perfectly appropriate accommodation when an older student's motor abilities do not meet their demands.
Stepping down from the soapbox. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.
The Itty Bitty Pencil
One of the best strategies I ever learned was at a Handwriting Without Tears (R) conference my first year working for the school district. (Handwriting Without Tears is a fabulous program and I am always recommending it to teachers and parents alike). The Golf Pencil.
When looking at immature and inefficient grasp patterns, there is one thing that is in common. The utensil is long enough to ALLOW a child to wrap their whole hand around it. A simple solution? Make the utensil shorter. A child cannot wrap their fingers around 2-3-inch crayon or pencil. In fact, because it's so small, the only real way to hold it is using your index and middle finger and your thumb. And wouldn't you know - that's the first step in getting a mature, efficient grasp pattern. You can buy boxes of golf pencils at Staples for a couple of bucks. But, check with your local golf club, a lot of places will donate boxes to you for FREE. Also, ask teachers to save their "old pencils". Many teachers will toss pencils once the eraser is used. But, break that baby in half and pop a cap-eraser on it, and ta-da - you have a great fine motor tool to promote a functional grasp pattern. The same idea goes for crayons, too. Purchase a crayon sharpener, start breaking each Crayola in half and sharper the broken side. Children get a kick out of using "mini" things. Plus, it makes classroom tools go twice as long.
Crayola now makes a line of "Beginnings" that involve crayons, markers and colored pencils that "promote fine motor development". And many of the products DO. But, between you and I, you can make any old crayon promote the same skills just by breaking it.
When looking at immature and inefficient grasp patterns, there is one thing that is in common. The utensil is long enough to ALLOW a child to wrap their whole hand around it. A simple solution? Make the utensil shorter. A child cannot wrap their fingers around 2-3-inch crayon or pencil. In fact, because it's so small, the only real way to hold it is using your index and middle finger and your thumb. And wouldn't you know - that's the first step in getting a mature, efficient grasp pattern. You can buy boxes of golf pencils at Staples for a couple of bucks. But, check with your local golf club, a lot of places will donate boxes to you for FREE. Also, ask teachers to save their "old pencils". Many teachers will toss pencils once the eraser is used. But, break that baby in half and pop a cap-eraser on it, and ta-da - you have a great fine motor tool to promote a functional grasp pattern. The same idea goes for crayons, too. Purchase a crayon sharpener, start breaking each Crayola in half and sharper the broken side. Children get a kick out of using "mini" things. Plus, it makes classroom tools go twice as long.
Crayola now makes a line of "Beginnings" that involve crayons, markers and colored pencils that "promote fine motor development". And many of the products DO. But, between you and I, you can make any old crayon promote the same skills just by breaking it.
Pencil Grips
Anywhere you go these days, you can find a generic pencil grip in the stationary aisle - Walmart, Staples, Target, even the grocery store. But be wary when purchasing a pencil grip, as many of them won't do anything more than get lost in your child's desk. Below you will find some advice that I can offer you on what types of pencil grips I have found useful in my practice, as well as some strategies to use before taking our your wallet.
DIY Grips
A simple, but effective "pencil grip" involves a children's sock and some scissors. Make sure that the sock is small enough to fit snuggly on your child's fisted hand. Use your scissors to cut a small hole for the child's thumb, and a small hole for the child's index finger. The sock will "wrap" the remaining fingers into the child's palm, promoting ulnar radial separation of the hand.
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AnOTMom's Favorite Pencil Grip
If you simple MUST purchase a pencil grip, you'll be happy to know that my favorite grip is generic, and available on Amazon. A variety of sellers sell it, I guess it wasn't copyrighted. You can get a bucket of 24 for around $20 - which should last you at least one full school year. (They also come in smaller packs, too!)
They have cutesy various of this grip on Amazon, but my recommendation is keep it simple. You don't need anything else distracting, or worthy of fighting over, in your classroom. |
Honorable Mentions
The Cross Over Grip is another commerically available pencil grip that I have found useful. It has a boundary area that prevents the thumb and index finger from wrapping around the pencil. I have found that children can still resort to thumb adduction, rather than using an opened webspace. You can order it on various websites, including The Pencil Grip, Inc.
The Pencil Grip (R)
The Pencil Grip (R) is similar to the Cross Over Grip, except it does have that boundary area to block the thumb and index finger in place. It does have designated areas for finger placement, and does seem to cue the child on where to place their fingers. It's a step up from the generic grips, but still not my favorite. It can also be purchased through numerous catalogues/websites, including The Pencil Grip, Inc.
0/10 Would Not Recommend Pencil Grips
For the most part, I have not had much success with the triangular grips or foam grips that you find in most stores. For starters, they are often bulky, which makes the child want to wrap their fingers around it. They don't facilitate proper positioning of the thumb, and just seem to get in the way - and end up in mouths 100% of the time. Here's some pencil grips I would avoid, unless you are looking to just add eye candy to your writing utensil.
OMerGerd! Pinterest!
Pinterest has a ton of DIY pencil grips that you can try out for yourself. Run them by your Occupational Therapist to see if your child might benefit from using one. Check out my Pinterest Board on Pencil Grips & Handwriting Skills.