pencil holding????

[Graceoc]

I have a quick hsing type question for all of you....Ethan has really enjoys doing these 'workbook' pages that we are getting from Brighter Vision (they send a workbook, a hardcover book, craft and other stuff 1x a month - like a mag subscription) He calls them his workbook games and is really into them. Anyway, we have recently started to trace lines in the book - to work up to tracing the letters of the alphabet. Sometimes when we are working on it he want to hold his pencil the 'wrong' way (or as he calls it "my own special way") - and lately I have been showing him the 'correct' way and saying that it is the 'workbook way' and when we are playing the workbook games we need to hold it the work book way. He seems ok with that idea and goes back to holding it the 'correct' way while we are tracing or whatever. Does this sound reasonable? I know he is young (3.5) and some are pretty anti-workbook - but he really does enjoy them quit a bit and as soon as he looses interest (after 2-3 pages) we just stop.....but should I be insisting he hold the pencil the 'correct' way? I don't know why I am so worried about this - but it has been bugging me ever since I correct him. (BTW I never say that he is doing it 'wrong' just that when we are doing this activity we need to hold it this way KWIM?) Thanks

grace

[bonbon mama]

I would put his pages on a vertical surface (easel or taped to door or magnetized to fridge). This forces the wrist to extend (important for fine motor work) and brings the fingers together.

What kind of grip is he using? What kind of writing utensil are you using?

A Stetro grip attached to a standard pencil or pen is the primo way to get a perfect grip (you just instruct that the thumb goes on the star). He is really quite young to be using thin writing utensils and to be sitting for work at a horizontal surface...not just philosophically (IMHO) but physiologically.

[Graceoc]

Well, he is using a crayon or a thin colored pencil.....I honestly have never though about whether he is philosophically or physiologically ready for this kind of thing - we just started doing it one day and he really enjoyed it so we kept at it. It has made for a nice quite time for the two of us to sit together at the table and he really likes it - in fact he is usually the one asking to play his 'workbook games' !

I like the idea of using a vertical surface - I think my MIL has a large magnatized board that she bought for the kids that would work great - too bad I sold our little tykes easel at our garage sale, at the time we didn't have any room for it I just worry that turning it into a stand up 'teaching type' activity will kindof ruin it for us - it is so nice to just sit together at the table kwim?

So what should I give him to 'write' with? Should I switch to chunky crayons or pencils - or stick with what we are using since he seem to do fine with it? (or maybe he would do better - or enjoy it better - or it would be easier with something else?: ) I have never heard of the Stetro grip thing you mentioned - is that something he is too young for?

[SagMom]

"Graceoc" Just had to say HI!

Check your e-mail--I just sent you a pic of the stetro.

Joan

[bestjob]

My ds is not great at writing, but we've found some thick pencils (made by Dixon) for him and he finds them nicer to use than thin pencils. Staetdler has pencil crayons that are triangular and a bit thicker as well.

One thing that encourages ds to give up the fist-grip was to give him broken crayons so he had to hold them in his fingers.

[bonbon mama]

Graceoc,

The broken crayon idea is great. Also, there is a company that makes short crayons in the shapes of chunky animals. I found a set at Target last year. Any thick and short writing utensil will make his hand use a pinching-type grasp. The stetro grip was at Holcombs last year--they're only about a quarter and they will fit on thin pencils or crayons. I also know that you can melt crayons down and use molds to make new shapes--I think you use the oven.

Your son is on the young side to be expected to have a "dynamic tripod" grasp--like you and I use. Kids his age gravitate towards a quadrupod or I've seen all five digits on a slender tool. If he uses thicker tools his hand will better develop the "skill side" (thumb, index, and middle) and his hand muscles will not fatigue as rapidly.

Personally, I would just get him writing stuff he needs to pinch to write with and introduce him to activities that use the skill side, i.e. beads, lacing, play dough balls, tiny legos, lite-brite....

[TiredX2]

A Stetro grip attached to a standard pencil or pen is the primo way to get a perfect grip (you just instruct that the thumb goes on the star). He is really quite young to be using thin writing utensils and to be sitting for work at a horizontal surface...not just philosophically (IMHO) but physiologically.

Is that one of those squishy things you put on a pencil?

DD is almost 5 and writes however she wants, lol, but if this is a painless way to encourage the "normal" way of writing and she could pick out a cute colored one or something I'm all for it.

TIA,
Kay

[Marsupialmom]

Yes! Genteelly encourage a better pencil hold.

Broken crayons, chalks, and small golf pencils (like you find in a library) help encourage proper pencil grips.

My son had a hideous pencil hold (sign he had marginal motor skill issues). This hold became nothing more than a bad habit. It was not functional at all. My next question is how is your child holding it to cause you concern? Some differences in pencil grasp are “irrelevant” some are early warning signs of potentional (SP) problems/issues (BUT HE IS YOUNG). Visual special issues can be very normal for his age, but it could mean he needs his eye check and a not in the back of mommy’s mind to watch the development (BECAUSE HE IS STILL YOUNG).

I agree with the vertical/horizontal writing surface.

I would strongly recommend you pick up or borrow the teachers manual for the first book of Handwriting Without Tears to help encourage good writing (penmanship) skills. They now have a pre-school program I have not seen it so I will not recommend it. I do know I learned so many ideas to help my other children from that first teacher’s manual.

My son and oldest daughter now hold his pencil thumb, pointer, and other three fingers curled under. My youngest (3 yrs old) uses thumb, pointer, and ring finger the other two curled under (she draws straighter lines than my 5 yr old).

[Graceoc]

Thanks for all the suggestions! (and thanks joan for the email ) I know he is young and if he were not interested in doing this 'writing' I would not think it in the least....but since he is I figured might as well encourage the 'correct' way.

He actually tends to start out using the correct way and then will switch to holding it fist style.....actually I wanted to see it so I just now handed him a long colored pencil like we have been using and asked him to draw a circle. He started doing it by holding it way at the top - and then without me saying a word he grasped it perfectly at the botton near the point, with his thumb and pointer finger - in a perfect grip and drew a circle!

I think I will switch to thincker materials thought - I am going to get some dinosaur candy mold and make our own crayons out of old crayons - I think he will really like that!

I also think I will get that handwriting without tears manual just to leaf through it and see what may or may not apply at this age....thanks again!

[bonbon mama]

The Stetro grip is about 1/2" and not squishy. It does fit over the writing utensil. I'm sure your daughter could find a cool color.