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Pencil grasp can be challenging for many children to master. It is important to note that children can find their own functional pencil grasp that might be different from what we think of as a mature grip.
Things to look for in a functional pencil grasp:
Things to look for in a functional pencil grasp:
Movement is coming from the fingers, not the elbow or shoulders
Wrist is supported on the table
Wrist is slightly extended
Able to hold pencil for extended period of time without fatiguing
What you can do
What you can do
Below are images of the typical developmental grasp patterns. If a child is behind in these milestones, there are various modifications that can be made to help promote a functional grasp.
Introduce hand strengthening activities including grip and pinch strength. These activities will promote the use of fingers to hold the pencil rather than the whole hand. Please see the fine motor kit video for suggested activities at the bottom of this page.
Use adaptive writing utensils including preschool crayons, pipsqueak markers, and golf pencils to encourage the use of fingers to hold the tool.
Introduce hand strengthening activities including grip and pinch strength. These activities will promote an open webspace when holding the pencil. Please see the fine motor kit video for suggested activities at the bottom of this page.
Use adaptive writing utensils including preschool crayons, pipsqueak markers, and golf pencils to encourage a pincer grasp.
Introduce a vertical or slanted writing surface to encourage wrist extension. These surfaces can include chalkboards, whiteboards, easels, or slant boards.
Begin using verbal or visual reminders such as "pinch at the pencil line" or "use your claw".
Introduce hand strengthening activities including grip and pinch strength. These activities will promote an open webspace when holding the pencil. Please see the fine motor kit video for suggested activities at the bottom of this page.
Introduce a vertical or slanted writing surface to encourage wrist extension. These surfaces can include chalkboards, whiteboards, easels, or slant boards.
Begin using verbal or visual reminders such as "glue your wrist to the table" or "build your mountains (arches of the fingers) and lay your pencil down to rest (in the open webspace)".
These grasp patterns are mature and functional. Continue to have the child print with these positions and use the above strategies for extra practice.
Fine Motor Kit Video
Fine Motor Kit Video
Fine Motor Kit.mp4This video demonstrates easy activities you can do in your classroom to promote hand development. Through strengthening activities and activities that require the coordination on both hands, pencil grasp and control will develop.
Resource! Pencil Grasp Flipbook
Resource! Pencil Grasp Flipbook
Pencil grasp - Flip Cards.pptxPage updated
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