The way a child holds his/her pencil is called their "pencil grasp." It matters to us because when a child uses an efficient pencil grasp, they are able to write faster with less effort. This means their stories and notes will be longer with the student's effort focused on content instead of hand fatigue.
A wide range of grasps is considered functional. What we look for in OT is a loose grip (no death grips!) and an open webspace. That means the area between the index finger and the thumb is a round circle so that the muscles within the hand can move fluidly. If a child's pencil grasp is not working for them, here are some things we may address:
Sometimes we may use a pencil grip to help a child learn to hold the pencil correctly, but not always. They are not readily accepted in older children (or adults!), and often a younger child is better served by strengthening those muscles needed for appropriate grasp instead of using an external positioner. With younger children, we often suggest the use of broken crayons and golf pencils instead to strengthen the muscles within the hand. Also, a slantboard helps position the wrist and hand to help with grasp.
If your child or student is having a difficult time with pencil grasp, please refer to our Pencil Grasp handout for more information and activities to help.
A wide range of grasps is considered functional. What we look for in OT is a loose grip (no death grips!) and an open webspace. That means the area between the index finger and the thumb is a round circle so that the muscles within the hand can move fluidly. If a child's pencil grasp is not working for them, here are some things we may address:
- desk positioning and posture
- hand strength
- fine motor skills
- sensory processing: sometimes it's the feel of the paper or the pencil itself
Sometimes we may use a pencil grip to help a child learn to hold the pencil correctly, but not always. They are not readily accepted in older children (or adults!), and often a younger child is better served by strengthening those muscles needed for appropriate grasp instead of using an external positioner. With younger children, we often suggest the use of broken crayons and golf pencils instead to strengthen the muscles within the hand. Also, a slantboard helps position the wrist and hand to help with grasp.
If your child or student is having a difficult time with pencil grasp, please refer to our Pencil Grasp handout for more information and activities to help.