There are lots of ways to support the development of a tripod grip, both in school and at home.

Finger Gym activities are small physical tasks which help to develop fine motor skills such as gripping and pinching. This could involve moving marbles from one bowl to another, following a path on a page or learning to grasp a range of differently shaped objects.

Many EYFS classrooms have a stock of large, three-sided pencils which encourage young children to develop their pencil skills and move from a static tripod grasp to a dynamic tripod grasp. Rubber grips are also sometimes used for children who are still learning to grip small objects like pencils, or those with limited hand and finger mobility.

But the best way to develop and strengthen your child’s tripod grip is to encourage them to practice their handwriting at every opportunity. Browse a range of fun and exciting handwriting resources over on our Twinkl Handwriting hub.

How Writing Develops Article 

Reading Rockets Website

Sounding Out Spelling Words!

Writing Strategies for Kinder

Letter formation is the ability to form letters of the alphabet correctly that conform to a cultural standard e.g. as taught in a particular school, region etc. Why is it important? Letter formation is very important as it is needed in order to become an efficient writer 

Students should understand:

1. Letters make up words.

2. Words make up a sentence.

Students should be able to identify the letters in their name and put the letters together to make there name.

Have students practice writing I am _______ (their name).

How-To writing teaches the reader how to do something, like tie their shoes, maker their bed, or ride a bike. How-To books are a type of nonfiction writing, which is writing that teaches and explains real things. The book we are reading as a class is How-To Spy a Shark and linked here is the read-aloud version to play at home!

Kindergarten How-To Writing Learning Resources